The Guadalupe River Is Fighting to Come Back

The Guadalupe River got a devastating makeover on July 4th, 2025 — and not the good kind. About 30 miles of riverbanks were stripped of up to 52% of their vegetation, leaving the iconic Hill Country waterway vulnerable to erosion and future flood damage. Now, a coalition of conservationists, naturalists, and recovery teams is racing to bring it back. From 7,000 bags of native grass seeds handed out to landowners, to 850,000 tree seeds — including the beloved bald cypress — collected by the San Antonio Botanical Garden, the effort to restore the Guadalupe is massive and deeply personal. The river drew nearly a million visitors to the region in 2024 and 2025, and the people who love it aren't giving up on it.