The San Saba River has a rich history of American Indians, Spanish explorers, a Spanish mission, Texas Rangers, and Jim Bowie’s fabled lost silver mines. J. Frank Dobie And Many Others Have Written About The San Saba River.
Multiple generations of Texas ranchers and farmers watered their livestock and crops with the San Saba, municipalities have utilized it, Lake Buchanan needs it and it has given immense pleasure to generations of Texans who have enjoyed its pristine water for fishing, kayaking, swimming, camping and picnicking. Sadly, the San Saba River is now severely threatened not by natural causes, but regrettably by humans. Of all the major Hill Country rivers over the last 25 years, the San Saba River is the only river that routinely dries up for one-third of its entire length.
The flow of the Upper San Saba River has been threatened since 1994 due to unregulated, excessive, illegal and wasteful pumping and diversion, and often weaker than normal natural spring output, leaving a 45 mile stretch of the river essentially dry many years between June and October. The lack of water flow has damaged the river ecosystem, endangered freshwater mussels and fish found only in the Central Texas Region, and hurt downstream ranchers who depend on the San Saba River for livestock production.
Friends of the San Saba (FOSS) was created in 2012 to protect the water flow of the Upper San Saba River (Schleicher, Menard, Mason and McCulloch Counties). FOSS members include riparian landowners along the San Saba River and other concerned citizens that have no other agenda than to keep the San Saba River flowing. FOSS is pro-business and pro-agriculture, but FOSS is also dedicated to the logical balance between taking from the river while leaving a sufficient flow for the health of the river. FOSS believes all ranchers and business people downstream of the Menard Irrigation Canal and alluvial wells should benefit from the river’s flow. FOSS is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) public charity. No salaries or compensation are paid to any FOSS directors or members and contributions to FOSS are tax deductible.
While the San Saba River has flowed since 2018, FOSS believes this is primarily due to two factors: (1) the Menard Irrigation Canal has been shut down for repairs since 2014, and (2) the 2018 flood replenished the natural spring flow at the headwaters. The San Saba River’s flow will most likely be in serious peril once the Menard Irrigation Canal reopens and continuous pumping around the natural springs weakens the spring’s production again.
