"Opportunities to preserve property along Cibolo Creek don't come along very often, especially in the heart of our community," Mayor Frank Ritchie said in September, according to My Boerne News. He was talking about a creekside lot in the 600 block of River Road. The sale went through in fall 2024, and the house remained occupied through spring 2026.
The City's plan for the land was still being worked out when the July floods arrived. The water took out much of the fence between the lot and River Road Park. Boerne Parks and Recreation left the fence down, and the lot stayed open to the public.
About 1.25 Acres That Look the Way They Always Have
The new space is close to 1.25 acres. For now the City is leaving it as it has looked for decades. The creekside part is open for fishing, passive recreation, or just spending time by the Cibolo. The house and the back of the property are still closed while the City decides what comes next.
Parks staff also spent several weeks after the flood building and installing new rails and gates along the dam, which makes the whole stretch safer to walk. Parks and Recreation Director Lissette Jimenez said the department will ask for community input "when the time is right." It wants the future design to fit with River Road Park.
That makes this one of the few spots on downtown Cibolo Creek that's open to the public now and still waiting on a plan. The 2024 Citizen Survey ranked open space preservation among residents' top issues. The City says buying this lot was a response to that.
Access First, Repairs Over the Long Run
Boerne has handled the creek recovery in a deliberate order. Reopening came first. The slow restoration work followed. Here's how the dates line up:
- July 15. Historic flooding hits Boerne and southern Kendall County.
- August 1. Boerne City Lake Park reopens, a little more than two weeks later.
- September 4. The City announces the River Road creekside is open.
- Mid-September. Parks crews move from reopening work to longer-term cleanup. They start removing debris from the downtown creek, a job expected to take seven to 10 days. The Cibolo Trail stays open during the work.
Jimenez explained the order this way: "The first priority following the flood was making sure we could safely reopen our parks and trails and restore access to these spaces for the community." She said the longer-term work "will take place over several months."
City Lake Park Got Back More Than Its Gates
The lake shows how much had to happen before reopening. Rain overfilled both the lake and Cibolo Creek, which feeds it. The water came up almost to the park entrance road. The restroom building, pavilion, and playground ended up under five to six feet of water.
Crews couldn't reach the damaged parts of the 150-acre park until the water went down. Then they cleared fallen limbs and debris and reinstalled the floating boat ramp, which had broken loose. They put dozens of trash cans and portable restrooms back out. At the restroom building, where water had risen above the doors, they installed a new septic pump.
Every listed amenity came back at reopening:
- Floating boat dock and fishing pier
- Volleyball court and covered playground
- Walking trails and frisbee golf
- Restrooms, picnic tables, and grills
Hill Country Paddle Sports, the park's on-site vendor, reopened too, renting kayaks and paddle boards. Park hours are 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Boerne residents get in free with a lake pass, a current Boerne Utilities bill, or a property tax receipt.
The Slow Part Is the Cypress
The July 15 flood uprooted or badly damaged many large cypress trees and other trees along Cibolo Creek. Parks staff and the City's environmental program manager walked the creek corridor to find trees that couldn't recover or might become a safety problem.
Over the coming months, the City says it will:
- Survey the areas that lost the most trees
- Remove trees that can't be saved
- Fill in soil disturbed by the flood or the cleanup
- Set a replanting schedule for the creek in downtown Boerne, choosing species with site conditions and the creek's long-term health in mind
The September update didn't give a planting date. Assistant City Manager Kristy Stark described the work as a long one:
"This recovery has required our teams to look at both what needed to happen immediately and what will be needed months and even years from now."
The Cibolo Center for Conservation is handling its own stretch of creek on a similar timeline. Its August 5 restoration update listed eroded creek banks, scattered debris, uprooted mature cypress, and damage to trails, wildlife habitat, and the land along the banks. The Center said areas with heavy equipment, unstable ground, or ongoing ecological surveys aren't safe for volunteers yet. Volunteer work on trails, native plants, invasive species, and habitat will start once it's safe. Until then, the Center is asking for donations to fund the restoration. That update came out in August, so check the Center's site for the latest volunteer news.
October Brings Programs Back to the Water
Wet weather at the end of September showed that the creek areas are still being handled with care. Starting September 30, City crews cut power to some lights and to the restrooms at River Road Park and along the trail. The goal was to protect facilities that had just been repaired after the July flood. City Lake closed that Wednesday evening and stayed closed Thursday as a precaution. Some low-water crossings were still closed on Friday morning, October 2. Those were short-term steps. Before a morning on the creek, it's worth checking the City's notices to see whether power and restrooms are back.
The October calendar runs largely on the land that reopened this summer:
- Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2:30 p.m. Noah's Nature Walk, a 30-minute walk that starts on the Cibolo Nature Center's back porch at 140 City Park Road.
- Saturday, Oct. 10, 9 to 11 a.m. Intro to Birding in the Cibolo Nature Center auditorium, $15 per person.
- Saturday, Oct. 10. The Parks and Recreation Family Campout at the lake, moved from its original date because of last week's weather.
- Oct. 10 and 11. Free Roam Brewing Co.'s Oktoberfest at 235 S. Main St., with music, vendors, family games, and food trucks. The City also lists Cibolo Creek Brewing Co.'s Oktoberfest on Oct. 10, with music by the Boerne Jazz Band.
- Friday, Oct. 16, 8 to 9:30 p.m. The Cibolo Nature Center's Adult Night Hike on unfamiliar trails. Hikers are encouraged to try the route without flashlights. $15 per adult.
- Saturday, Oct. 17, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Fall Native Plant Sale at the Herff Farm Teaching Garden, 33 Herff Road.
The Cibolo Farmers Market at Herff Farm was on the Saturday, October 3 lineup, along with the Celebrate The Cibolo Gala that evening. Given the Cibolo's request for restoration donations, a fall plant sale this year lands right next to a creek that's waiting to be replanted.
The Next Piece Is Away From the Creek
The next big addition to Boerne's outdoor space won't be on the Cibolo. Boerne Heritage Volkspark, at Alder and Toepperwein roads, was still under construction in August. Its first phase includes an all-abilities playground, a splashpad, sports fields, basketball and pickleball courts, a dog park, a food-truck area, and a half-mile ADA trail. The grand opening and dedication are planned for spring 2027.
Until then, the newest public ground in town is the open bank behind River Road Park. The creekside was private property until this spring, and a fishing line can reach the water from it.
Knowing which stretches of the Cibolo are open, which are still being worked on, and which could change once the City decides on River Road is part of knowing Boerne well. If your plans include a home close to the trails and parks that shape everyday life here, Terri Taylor-Walker, Realtor is glad to walk through those details with you. Let's Connect.
