Mayor Neal Linnartz
The beautiful rivers we have in New Braunfels play a huge role in the identity of our city. The Comal River is spring fed from the Edwards Aquifer and is home to four endangered species, while the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels gets most of its water from the releases from Canyon Lake Dam. People come from all over the world to visit these rivers and enjoy them, and with that level of visitation it is important that we have rules and processes in place to protect these natural resources.
In an effort to protect the rivers, the City of New Braunfels approved several laws including a disposable container ban and ordinances regulating cooler size on the rivers. River goers were leaving behind an embarrassing amount of trash, and following a few years of back and forth, the disposable container ban was reimplemented after the summer of 2017. People commonly call this rule the “Can Ban,” and while that gets the point across for aluminum cans, this law also prohibits the use of plastic bottles, foam, glass, food bags, and any food or beverage container designed for single use.
The City hires a litter and trash collection contractor to clean the riverbanks and other surface water cleanup. They also perform underwater clean up in the Comal River once a week during the summer months and service trash cans and provide litter control on City property along the Comal and Guadalupe Rivers. We can compare the amount of litter removed year after year by comparing the number of mesh bags of litter that are removed. In 2017, right before the disposable container ban was back in place, 1,516 mesh bags of litter were removed from the Comal River. In 2023, 382 mesh bags of litter were removed, which is a big improvement. But when we compare to 2021 (210 bags) and 2022 (273 bags), this number is on the rise and needs attention. Why is the amount of litter being left behind rising? There has been a slight increase in visitation the last couple of seasons, but not enough to proportionally match the increase in litter.
City staff has seen an increase in river visitors that are new citizens to New Braunfels or first-time guests from out of town, so the City is trying to re-educate the public about the disposable container ordinance in the hopes that visitors will arrive at our rivers prepared for a fun and safe trip…and with all the right containers. Following the disposable container law is easier than ever before since nearly everyone has a reusable bottle or cup of some kind that they can transfer their beverage to and then bring along with them. And that includes the snacks and drinks inside of coolers…all of those must also be in reusable containers.
So, what do you need to bring with you in order to have a good river trip in New Braunfels? I recommend bringing sunscreen, a hat, sturdy shoes, and plenty of hydrating drinks in reusable containers in your cooler (just make sure the cooler is 30 quarts or smaller). The drought is continuing, and the river flows are below average, so plan for a longer trip. For safety, you should always enjoy the water in pairs or groups, and we encourage everyone to wear a life jacket (especially young children and those who are not strong swimmers).
For our local residents who live inside the city limits of New Braunfels, be sure to stop by the Parks Office in Landa Park or at Das Rec to get your resident river and parking passes! As a resident of New Braunfels, these passes allow you to enjoy the river without paying the $2 river management fee or the parking fees at five of the six paid parking lots at river parks.
The City works hard to protect the rivers in New Braunfels because we want them to be available for generations to come. Please partner with us by following the river rules, being safe, and enjoying these natural resources responsibly.
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Mayor Neal Linnartz