San Marcos May Charge Non-Residents to Access River Parks

SAN MARCOS, TX — City leaders in San Marcos are considering a proposal to charge non-residents an access fee to use riverfront parks, citing concerns over water quality and park maintenance.

The proposed fee, discussed at a recent City Council meeting, would charge $5 per person for individuals over the age of 6 and $25 for groups of 10 or more, according to the Houston Chronicle. Fees would be collected at access point gates and used to help fund the upkeep, security, and cleaning of the parks.

Virginia Parker with the San Marcos River Foundation spoke during Tuesday’s council meeting, raising concerns about conditions at Rio Vista Park. She said she visited the park Sunday at 4 p.m. to witness the issues she regularly receives complaints about.

“As a resident, I took my son intentionally on Sunday at 4 p.m. to Rio Vista to experience what I get calls about,” Parker said.

Parker described a park littered with trash, including glass, Styrofoam, and cigarette butts. She said there was little enforcement of city ordinances and noted that glass bottles had sunk to the riverbed.

Due to the pollution, Parker said the water quality had deteriorated significantly, describing the river as brown and murky, resembling floodwaters rather than the usual clear blue flow residents are accustomed to.

City officials have not yet voted on the proposal.