Washington, D.C.-- Congressman Henry Cuellar has helped secure $26 million in reimbursements for the San Antonio/Bexar County Mission Reach Project in the 2020 Army Corps of Engineers Work Plan. This comes from federal funding the Congressman allocated this year, as a senior member of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee.  The Mission Reach Project is a United States Army Corps of Engineers project, designed to prevent San Antonio River flooding and restore natural plant and animal habitats.

Bexar County loaned the United States Army Corps of Engineers money to complete the project. Through the Appropriations Committee, Congressman Cuellar has been tirelessly working to pay back Bexar County. Congressman Cuellar called R.D. James, the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, to ensure that the Army Corps included $26 million in funding in the FY20 Work Plan for continuing Mission Reach reimbursements. The Congressman also wrote a letter to Mick Mulvaney, the Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, to urge the OMB’s direction to the Army Corps regarding proper allocation of this funding to the Mission Reach project. To date, the project has received $35.2 million in federal reimbursements.

“Mission Reach is a tremendous natural and recreational resource for the City of San Antonio. However, for far too long our local government has had to bear the financial burden of paying for this project,” said Congressman Cuellar. “For this reason, I worked hard to secure this reimbursement funding for the Mission Reach Project so the City of San Antonio and Bexar County can reinvest these funds into other important projects to benefit our citizens. As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, I remain committed to continuing to reimburse our local government for their investment in this restoration project.”

“I would like to thank Congressman Hurd and the rest of the San Antonio delegation as well as Senator Cornyn for their help in securing these funds. I would also like to recognize the San Antonio River Authority for their tireless work on this important project.”

The Mission Reach and Westside Creeks Project has created 113 acres of aquatic habitat, 31 riffle structures, 13 acres of embayment, and restored two river remnants while maintaining and or increasing the flood control capabilities. The project has restored the ecosystem of an eight-mile stretch of the San Antonio River south of downtown previously channelized for flood control purposes.  

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