Archaeological Monitoring of Emergency Repair of a Sewer Line at Brackenridge Park, San Antonio, Bexar County

On April 11, 2022, The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) was contacted by the City of San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation (COSA-OHP) to request an archaeological monitor for emergency excavation and repair of a sewer line constructed directly on top of the Upper Labor Acequia (41BX2043) in Brackenridge Park in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. Brackenridge Park is owned by the COSA. Any work that might damage or displace archaeological or historical sites on public municipal property in San Antonio is subject to regulatory review at both the municipal and state level. At the municipal level, the property falls under the City of San Antonio’s Unified Development Code (UDC) article 6, sections 35-630 through 35-634. At the state level, the project requires review by the Texas Historical Commission (THC) under the Antiquities Code of Texas. David Yelacic initially served as the Principal Investigator under Texas Antiquities Permit number 31147. Cynthia Munoz stepped in as Principal Investigator when Yelacic left the CAR. Sarah Wigley served as the Project Archaeologist. The excavation to expose the sewer line was performed by the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department on April 11, and 12, 2022. CAR monitored all ground disturbance on the 0.08 ha (0.02 acres) project area. The excavated deposits were all disturbed by the initial installation of the sewer line. No cultural features or intact cultural deposits were documented. Based on these findings, CAR recommends no further work, though given the rich archaeological resources within Brackenridge Park, archaeological investigation should precede any ground disturbances within the park in the future. All records generated during this project were prepared for curation in accordance with THC guidelines, and are permanently curated at the CAR at University of Texas, San Antonio under accession number 2764.