Natural Area News - Waterbars

San Antonio Natural Area Parks
News & Articles

TRAIL SPEEDBUMPS
What's a Waterbar?
Jayne Neal
Park Naturalist

If you have hiked the trails of Friedrich Wilderness Park, you couldn't help but notice the interesting humps spanning some of the sloped trails. People have made all kinds of observations about these humps.

Some have suggested (I think seriously) they are speed bumps, intended to slow down joggers or control downhill speeds of wheelchairs. The truth is they really have nothing to do with speed control. The purpose of the humps is to help channel water and control erosion.

Over the years, many of the trails had become significantly eroded. Just think about all those feet, most of them human, treading up and down the significantly sloped paths of the park. Years ago, some of those feet belonged to horses! Prior to the time the land was dedicated as a park, it was a ranch and much of the wear and tear was caused by vehicle traffic. The bottom line is (literally!), eroded trails intercept and carry water, water that can no longer flow naturally into the creeks and canyons. The result is further erosion and significant alteration of the area's hydrology.

Here is where water bars (those humps) come in. Properly designed and installed water bars help to channel water off the trails and into the canyons and creek beds.

When water is channeled appropriately, it plays an important role in vegetation growth and natural succession, instead of racing down trails, causing erosion and adding to stormwater runoff.

Proper design and construction of the water bars is essential! There is quite an art to water bar building. It requires studying the land, observing what happens when it rains, and a lot of care and labor (Just ask our staff!). Periodically, the Natural Areas' staff organizes trail maintenance days to help teach and implement the art of water bar design and construction. For more information on these projects, please watch this website or contact Natural Area Parks' Crew Leader, Janis Merritt.

Jayne Neal is Park Naturalist responsible for biological studies and United States Fish and Wildlife special projects for Natural Area Parks.

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design by woodland company | sponsored by Friends of Friedrich Park

Some have suggested (I think seriously) they are speed bumps, intended to slow down joggers or control downhill speeds of wheelchairs. The truth is they really have nothing to do with speed control. The purpose of the humps is to help channel water and control erosion.

Over the years, many of the trails had become significantly eroded. Just think about all those feet, most of them human, treading up and down the significantly sloped paths of the park. Years ago, some of those feet belonged to horses! Prior to the time the land was dedicated as a park, it was a ranch and much of the wear and tear was caused by vehicle traffic. The bottom line is (literally!), eroded trails intercept and carry water, water that can no longer flow naturally into the creeks and canyons. The result is further erosion and significant alteration of the area's hydrology.

Here is where water bars (those humps) come in. Properly designed and installed water bars help to channel water off the trails and into the canyons and creek beds.