River Authorities of Texas

River authorities in Texas are political subdivisions of the state government that have the power to conserve, control, and distribute the waters of a designated geographic region.

Texas has more than 20 river authorities, many of which were established during a period of dam-building in the 1930s. River authorities operate a variety of infrastructure, including electricity-producing dams, reservoirs, electric transmission lines, and public parks.

River authorities’ jurisdictions range from one to 19 counties, but the majority cover an entire river basin or large portions of it.

List of Texas River Authorities

The river authorities of Texas include the following:

• Angelina & Neches River Authority
• Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District
• Brazos River Authority
• Central Colorado River Authority
• Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority
• Lavaca-Navidad River Authority
• Lower Colorado River Authority
• Lower Neches Valley Authority
• Nueces River Authority
• Palo Duro River Authority
• Red River Authority
• Sabine River Authority
• San Antonio River Authority
• San Jacinto River Authority
• Sulphur River Basin Authority
• Trinity River Authority
• Upper Colorado River Authority
• Upper Guadalupe River Authority

Funding

River authorities generally receive no state appropriation and generate their own revenue. Sources of funding include user fees charged for selling water, electricity, wastewater treatment, and other services. Customers of river authorities include cities, industry, agricultural users, and individual customers.

Governing Statutes

Each river authority is governed by its own law, usually a chapter of the Special District Local Laws Code, that grants it broad authority to engage in a variety of functions. However, the actual functions each river authority performs vary widely depending on its location, water needs, roles of other water entities, and its unique history and interests.

Map of Texas River Authorities

Below is a PDF version of a map of Texas River Authorities, produced in 2020 by the Texas Natural Resources Information System, a division of the Texas Water Development Board.