JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
Volunteers from throughout the Joint Base San Antonio community gave their time and energy on a beautiful spring morning to clean up the Salado Creek Park area at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston during the 2026 edition of the annual Basura Bash March 21.
A steady flow of volunteers, 118 in all, came and went from the park area throughout the morning, each determined to be a part of something bigger than themselves and make a difference in the appearance of the creek and park areas. Individuals joined larger groups, and there were more than a few families that made it a learning experience.
They cleaned out more than 2,100 pounds of accumulated debris and trash from the length of creek that runs through the installation. In recent years, JBSA volunteers have removed more than 20 tons of waste from Salado Creek. This year marks the 15th year of the Basura Bash at JBSA.
The Basura Bash is a one-day, all-volunteer event to clean the San Antonio Watershed, with the JBSA-Fort Sam Houston effort part of a citywide effort at 25 locations to collect tons of trash from the creek beds and tributaries that flow into the San Antonio River. It is the largest one-day river clean-up in Texas.
The volunteers were augmented by four 502d CES Heavy Operations staff, six 502d Force Support Squadron/MWR staff, 16 802d CES staff managing the event, along with one docent from the San Antonio River Authority and one U.S. Fish & Wildlife staffer hosting outreach tables.
“We’ve been to about five of these over the years,” said retired Army Col. Betsy Vane, a former member of the Army Nurse Corps, Korean War veteran and Army Nurse Corps historian. “We think it’s important to get involved.”
She was joined by Vietnam-era veteran, retired Army Col. Nickey McCasland, who commented that he was wearing the original Army boots he was first issued decades ago for the event.
Beyond conserving the waterways’ natural resources and protecting their flora and fauna, the Basura Bash serves to educate volunteers and the public on proper waste disposal, ways to reduce trash and recycling.
"What we do here is just one small, but important, part of what is going at all the Basura Bash events throughout San Antonio to help clear our waterways of garbage and debris," said Heather Hansen, Pollution Prevention Program Manager, 802d Civil Engineer Squadron.
“We look to raise awareness that what people dispose of ends up in our waterways,” said Hunter Washburn, JBSA water quality manager. “Litter messes up wildlife habitats. This cleanup helps us have a cleaner, more enjoyable river for everyone to enjoy.”
The military was also well-represented, with numerous Soldiers from the 232nd Medical Battalion working throughout the morning to clear out a year's worth of accumulated debris.
The effects of storm water runoff are one reason the Basura Bash creek clean-up is necessary. Storm water runoff occurs when precipitation comes down faster than our soils can soak it up and this rain flows over the ground. Impervious surfaces like driveways, sidewalks and streets prevent stormwater runoff from naturally soaking into the ground.
Storm water can pick up debris, chemicals, dirt, waste from pets and other pollutants before it flows into a storm sewer system or directly to a lake, stream, river, wetland or coastal waterway. Polluted storm water runoff can have many adverse effects on plants, fish, animals and people.
Sediment can cloud the water and make it difficult or impossible for aquatic plants to grow. Sediments also fill up the storage capacity of our reservoirs and can destroy aquatic habitats.
Kayaks and canoes were made available for the event, thanks to the MWR Outdoor Recreation staff, for those adventurous volunteers who wanted to clean up from the source on the creek itself. Gloves, bags and other equipment were also provided.
In the past, Basura Bash volunteers have removed items as small as cigarette butts and as large as a Ford pick-up truck from the river. This year’s finds included a water heater, a ladder, a supermarket cart, a giant rainbow-colored dragon inflatable pool toy, numerous tires, and many other large and small items.