NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas (KXAN) — With the unofficial start of summer just weeks away, the City of New Braunfels wants tubers to stay safe and avoid littering as they float the river this summer.

Mayor Rusty Brockman said the busy tourist season is likely to attract thousands of visitors in the next 4-6 months. This adds to the city’s economy which has seen continued growth in population and tourism.

“We enjoy and have been enjoying 5% to 9% growth over the last 10 to 15 years. Many of them are coming and have never been here before. And so they get to experience a brand new home. That includes a lot of outdoor recreation,” Brockman said.

The city’s Vice President of Tourism Development Mallory Hines said last summer, the city was already seeing pre-pandemic levels of visitors. She expects the same if not better impact this year.

With guests likely to flock to the cool Comal and Guadalupe rivers, River and Water Manager Amy Niles reminds guests to stay hydrated.

“Make sure you pack plenty of hydration like water or sports drinks, to kind of cancel out that alcohol you might have here in the sun,” Niles said.

Niles also urges guests to avoid bringing disposable containers to the river as doing so is in violation of the city’s reusable container ordinance on the water.

“You need to have your food and beverage and a reusable container. So make sure you leave those plastic bottles, aluminum cans, glass and Styrofoam at home,” Niles said.