The mission of the Brazos River Authority is to develop, manage, and protect the water resources of the Brazos River basin to meet the needs of the people of Texas. The Authority 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 Authority reservoirs and eight US Army Corps of Engineers lakes 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 Authority 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 Authority 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 through 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 Authority is funded entirely through the management of water and wastewater services and the sale of water supply.