Rio Vista Dam is a dam on the San Marcos River in San Marcos, Texas. The flood of 1998 badly damaged the dam.[1]

Rio Vista Dam
The "old" Rio Vista Dam, prior to its reconstruction in 2006
Coordinates29°52′43″N 97°55′57″W / 29.878689°N 97.932602°W / 29.878689; -97.932602
Whitewater slalom in Rio Vista Park
Bodyboarders in Rio Vista Park

Following a US$2.1 million project, Recreation Engineering and Planning (REP) was commissioned to reconstruct the failing dam to enhance existing usage for recreational visitors and tourists alike while improving a stimulant of the local economy. REP was capable of providing a design which was tailored to the needs of the Rio Vista Dam which drastically reduced the reconstruction costs from $1.8 million to $500,000. The reconstruction efforts done by KBR, included removing the failing concrete side walls, grading the banks down to the water, and the addition of artificial rapids. REP completed the project in just under four months when the park reopened on May 25, 2006.[2][3][4][5]

Rio Vista Park

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The Rio Vista Park is a 13-acre (5.3 ha) park located on the dam, which serves as a local hotspot for swimming, tubing, canoeing, and kayaking.[6][7][8]

Notes

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  1. ^ "Old dam is on the brink". San Marcos Daily Record. November 20, 2005.
  2. ^ Millecam, Melissa (May 22, 2006). "The Transformation of Rio Vista Dam". City of San Marcos. Archived from the original on 2006-06-01.
  3. ^ Croteau, Roger (May 26, 2006). "Memorial Day pleasure, pain ahead". mySA.com. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29.
  4. ^ "San Marcos Police Department - 2006 Year in Review" (PDF). City of San Marcos. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-05-28.
  5. ^ "Rio Vista Whitewater Park, San Marcos River" (PDF). S2O Design and Engineering. May 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-07-18.
  6. ^ "Area Attractions and Events". Texas State University. Archived from the original on 2008-10-11.
  7. ^ Miller, Anita (April 21, 2007). "Just the first?". San Marcos Daily Record. Archived from the original on 2011-05-26.
  8. ^ "Rio Vista Park". Visit San Marcos. Retrieved 2022-10-31.