In 2008, the UCRA partnered with the City of San Angelo (COSA) to oversee the North Concho River Improvement Project, which is part of an on-going bank stabilization project along the river. A total of 1.43 million cubic feet of silt was removed during the dredging phase, adding an increase in storage capacity to the river of over 10 million gallons. The total budget for the dredging phase was $1,500,000. In 2011 work began towards the stabilization of the banks along public lands from Oakes Street upstream to the vicinity of Sulphur Draw.  

 

Additional trails and improvements, new lighting, an outdoor exercise area, public art, new irrigation systems, shaded seating areas, water features and significant bank stabilization throughout the area were also completed. All improvements were part of a bigger plan to create a downtown river corridor full of recreational opportunities and to provide a unique place for residents and visitors, with an emphasis on water quality where applicable.  

 

The overall project was funded by the half cent sales tax with a total budget of $13.5 million including nearly $2 million in other grant funds. Additional funding sources were from the San Angelo Health Foundation, Texas Parks & Wildlife, National Endowment for the Arts, HUD Stimulus and an EPA 319(h) Nonpoint Source Pollution (NPS) grant managed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and administered by UCRA. 

 

UCRA received additional NPS funding from EPA in 2020 to continue bank stabilization along the North Concho, in partnership with the City of San Angelo. The project is being managed by the TCEQ. Preliminary monitoring has been completed.