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Water School

What is the Brazos River Authority and what do they do?

The mission of the Brazos River Authority (BRA) is to develop, manage, and protect the water resources of the Brazos River basin. The BRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1929 and was the first state agency in the United States created specifically for the purpose of developing and managing the water resources of an entire river basin.

The water stored in the three BRA-owned reservoirs and eight US Army Corps of Engineers reservoirs within the system is permitted for use by the state’s water oversight agency, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). The TCEQ manages the state’s surface water assets and determines the amount of water made available through the issuance of water rights permits.

The BRA also works with three Texas Regional Water Planning groups to find the means to provide for the future of water supply within the state.

Besides water supply, the BRA works to ensure the quality of the water within the basin by providing services such as potable water treatment, wastewater treatment and continuous monitoring for specific contaminates as part of the Texas Clean Rivers Program.

Although the Brazos River Authority is a political subdivision of the State of Texas, it does not levy or collect taxes and does not receive subsidies from the state or the counties it serves. Except for occasional governmental grants to aid in the cost of specific projects, the BRA is funded entirely through the management of water and wastewater services and the sale of water supply.

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The information provided on this site is intended as background on water within the Brazos River basin. There should be no expectation that this information is all encompassing, complete or in any way examines every aspect of this very complex natural resource.

If you have questions about a post or would like additional information, please contact us or call 888-922-6272.

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