All surface water in Texas is owned by the state and held in trust for use by
the citizens of Texas. There are a number of ways one may obtain water in Texas:
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be a landowner with property adjacent to a waterway,
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obtain a water right from the state, or
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purchase water from a person or organization that has a water right such as the Brazos River Authority.
The learn more about water rights in the State of Texas, click here.
The Brazos River Authority makes water available to municipal, industrial, mining, irrigation,
and agricultural interests throughout the Brazos River basin through water supply contracts.
System Water Availability Agreement
System contracts are issued for a specific term usually ranging from 6 to 30 years.
They are subject to the supply available to the Authority from its water rights permits and reservoirs.
System Water Availability Agreements are issued at the System Rate, which is adjusted annually.
The current System Rate for 2020 is $79.00 per acre-foot per year.
System Water Availability Agreement - Agricultural Water Use
For agricultural users who meet the specific qualifications for agricultural use, the
rate for System Water use is $55.30 for fiscal year 2020.
The term "agricultural" applies to the following activities:
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(A) cultivating the soil to produce crops for human food, animal feed, or planting seed or for the production
of fibers;
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(B) the practice of floriculture, viticulture, silviculture, and horticulture, including the cultivation
of plants in containers or non-soil media, by a nursery grower;
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(C) the irrigation of pastureland; and
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(D) planting cover crops, including cover crops cultivated for transplantation, or leaving land idle for
the purpose of participating in any governmental program or normal crop or livestock rotation procedure.
Interruptible Water Availability Agreement
Interruptible contracts are issued on a calendar year basis with a term of no more than one year. The amount of Interruptible Water available for contracting is site specific and varies annually.
At their October 2019 quarterly meeting, the BRA Board of Directors made a total of 80,755 acre-feet available for calendar year 2020 at the System Rate of $79.00 per acre-foot.
For agricultural users who meet the specific qualifications for agricultural water use, the rate is $55.30 per acre-foot.
BRA currently has a limited amount of Interruptible Water available for contract for calendar year 2020 on a first-come, first-served basis.
Please go
here for additional details on the application process.
BRA is also currently accepting applications for calendar year 2021 interruptible water requests. Please go here for additional details on the application process and deadlines.
For more information, please contact one of the BRA representatives listed below.