May 15, 2026 – Further water security for the Brazos River Basin is closer than ever as plans for a new Austin County reservoir accelerate with the help of the Brazos River Authority Board of Directors.
Another big step forward occurred at the BRA Board of Directors meeting on May 13, 2026, with the approval of the professional services engineering contract to facilitate the development of the Allens Creek Reservoir project. The Board unanimously authorized an $18.8 million work plan to advance the project with GFT Infrastructure, Inc. during a special-called meeting.
Allens Creek Reservoir is a proposed pumped storage water supply reservoir near the confluence of Allens Creek with the Brazos River. The project site is located in Austin County just north of the town of Wallis. Once complete, the reservoir is estimated to provide an annual firm water supply of 99,650 acre-feet to support current and projected growth in the Brazos River Basin. The annual yield from the new reservoir could serve around 400,000 families. That’s no small drink.
BRA General Manager/CEO David Collinsworth said the goal is to build this reservoir as quickly as possible in order to be able to stay ahead of the state’s growing thirst.
There’s another benefit to efficiency.
“The faster we get it built, the cheaper the cost to our customers,” Collinsworth said.
BRA Board of Directors Presiding Officer Cynthia A. Flores echoed this sentiment and reinforced this goal for the organization.
The reservoir project will unfold in multiple phases, including permitting, design, and actual construction. Before any dirt flies, an extensive evaluation of all aspects of the project will be done during the permitting and design process. This includes reviewing any potential impacts to flooding, the environment, and cultural and historic resources. This evaluation process will be a significant effort and require extensive studies and analysis to fulfill permitting requirements. Negative impacts identified through this process must be mitigated, or the project configuration adapted to avoid or minimize them.
In contrast to lakes like Possum Kingdom, Granbury, and Whitney, the Allens Creek Reservoir will not involve damming the Brazos River. The reservoir will be constructed just off the Brazos River near Allens Creek, the tributary that gives it its name. It will then be filled and refilled by pumps in an intake structure located near the river.
This is a huge benefit because there are only three reservoirs in the BRA’s Water Supply System on the Brazos River. At times, millions of gallons of water travel the length of the river in excess of the River’s environmental needs, escaping into the Gulf unused.
The plan for this new reservoir is for water to be pumped from the Brazos River for storage when river flows are adequate. That water would then be available to supply downstream customers when needed. The reservoir footprint is only in its early stages of development.
Capturing water that would otherwise be lost will enhance the water supply options for the entire basin.
The BRA owns the 9,600-acre property in Austin County that will house the proposed embankment dam, impoundment, and associated flowage easements, outlet control structure, spillway, and administrative facilities. In Texas, to build a reservoir, generally you must have three things: the property, the water right permit, and a 404 permit from the federal government's U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The BRA has already secured the first two requirements and is working to acquire the appropriate permits before construction begins.
For more, listen to our podcast episode on Allens Creek Reservoir.
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For any additional questions, don’t hesitate to email us at information@brazos.org.