The Brazos River Authority Board of Directors approved the organization's fiscal year 2026 operating plan and multi-year capital improvement plan during their regular meeting Monday, July 28, 2025.
The approved budget was based on the Board's direction to be customer-focused and aggressive in developing water and water treatment solutions throughout the Brazos River Basin, said Michele Giroir, BRA's chief financial officer.
The almost $93.6 million in the operating budget covers essential projects such as a comprehensive water quality modeling tool for Possum Kingdom Lake (~$1.2 million), which will develop a toolkit of computer models that enable BRA to make decisions based on scientific data about how water quality might be impacted by changes in land use in surrounding areas. It also includes about $850,000 for technical security upgrades, $750,000 for recoating and repairs to Possum Kingdom Lake's controlled outlet conduit, and $700,000 for improvements to Lake Granbury's DeCordova Bend Dam.
Of the roughly $95.7 million allocated for capital improvement projects, the most significant portion ($73 million) is for new infrastructure, followed by $10.5 million for infrastructure maintenance, $8.2 million toward development of new water supply, and $4 million for water distribution.
The biggest portion of the capital improvement projects for the upcoming fiscal year ($28.4 million) will go toward phase two of the expansion project for the East Williamson County Regional Water System, while $25 million will go toward the Trinity Aquifer well portion of the project. Learn more about that project here.
Budget highlights include:
- Proposed revenues of $105.2 million, of which $51.8 million comes from system water sales.
- A 6.5% increase in the System Rate (from $99.50/acre-foot to $106.00/acre-foot) for both the System Water Rate and Interruptible Water Rate.
- A 6.5% increase in the Agricultural Water Rate (from $69.65/acre-foot to $74.20/acre-foot).
- The budget accounts for an increase in the BRA's health insurance costs of about 17%.
- Treated water sales at the East Williamson County facility are expected to increase by $588K due to increased demand.
The BRA uses the state fiscal year, which begins Sept. 1 and ends Aug. 31. The full budget will be online for review before the new fiscal year begins.
The Board also approved $400,000 for the Lake Granbury Trifecta Project agreement with Walter P. Moore to perform additional engineering services and approved a budget increase of $170,000 to the Fiscal Year 2025 Lake Granbury Stoplog Replacement System Project from $1,400,000 to $1,570,000.
The project incorporates multiple efforts to facilitate operational and structural improvements to Lake Granbury's DeCordova Bend Dam to extend the service life of the structure, originally constructed in 1969. The project is a continuation of ongoing and regular maintenance and repairs that exist at the reservoir. For more on the ongoing Lake Granbury projects, go here.
"This is what we do," said David Collinsworth, BRA general manager and CEO. "We own these facilities, we take care of them, and we make sure there's no dam safety issues and problems. And we're going to continue to be incredibly aggressive with these structures to make sure that we get years and years more use out of them and that the people below them are safe."
Also, during the meeting, the Board:
- Approved adjustments to the BRA's user fees. The Residential Water Permit Application Fee will increase from $25 to $50, and the Commercial Water Permit Application Fee will increase from $25 to $100. The residential and commercial Water Permit Late Fees will move from $25 per permit holder to $50 per permit holder. The Board also resolved that a new Certified Mail Fee be created to recover the costs associated with preparing and mailing certified notices for past due accounts in the amount of $30 per notice.
- Authorized a bi-annual agreement renewing the Texas Clean Rivers Program (CRP) contract with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). The contract allows the BRA to perform water quality monitoring services and other activities under the CRP program for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 providing a reimbursement of $948,000 for the BRA to identify and evaluate water quality issues, conduct cooperative watershed planning for monitoring activities, recommend water quality management strategies, and perform outreach to basin stakeholders regarding water quality in the basin. Not only does continued participation in the CRP benefit the state of Texas, but it also benefits the BRA. Data generated from the participation in the CRP is often utilized to support BRA's operations in the development of new water supply and water treatment projects. The BRA has been TCEQ's Brazos River Basin Clean Rivers Program partner since 1992.
- Approved $500,000 for legal services provided by Jones and Fortuna, LP, for the Whitney Lake reallocation study. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which owns and operates the reservoir, is working with the BRA to reassess how water is stored in Whitney Lake. The study will consider the current uses of the water stored in the reservoir and explore options for optimizing water use, which could help meet the water supply needs of the Brazos River Basin far into the future.
- Provided GM/CEO Collinsworth with an annual review, noting his exemplary performance during the previous year.
Interested in learning more?
- For a complete list of actions the Board of Directors took, go here.
- Watch the full Board meeting here.
- Sign up to be notified of upcoming Board meetings here.
- The full Fiscal Year 2026 budget will be posted here before the start of the new fiscal year on September 1, 2025.
For any additional questions, email us at information@brazos.org.