Board of Directors adopts budget, capital improvement plan and dam improvement projects

The Brazos River Authority Board of Directors met for their regular bi-monthly meeting May 27, taking a number of actions, including approval of the organization's Fiscal Year 2027 budget and capital improvement plan. Approval of the budget will allow numerous long-term improvement and upgrade projects to move forward, including three major maintenance projects for Lake Granbury's DeCordova Bend Dam.

The Fiscal Year 2027 Budget was prepared based on the Board of Directors' goal of being customer-focused and aggressive in developing water and water treatment solutions throughout the basin. The more than $96.3 million approved for the operating budget covers essential projects such as recoating and repairs to Possum Kingdom Lake's controlled outlet conduit and a comprehensive water quality modeling tool for Possum Kingdom Lake, 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.

Of the roughly $83.2 million allocated for capital improvement projects, the most significant portion, $55.7 million, is for new infrastructure, followed by $16.9 million toward development of new water supply, $7.3 million for infrastructure maintenance, and $3.3 million for water distribution.

Budget highlights include:

• A 6.6% increase in the System Rate (from $106/acre-foot to $113/acre-foot) for both the System Water Rate and Interruptible Water Rate.
• A 6.6% increase in the Agricultural Water Rate (from $74.20/acre-foot to $79.10/acre-foot).
• Proposed revenues of $107.7 million, of which $55.2 million comes from system water sales.

The BRA follows the state fiscal year, which begins Sept. 1 and ends Aug. 31. The full budget is available for review online under Financial Information on this site.

DeCordova Bend Dam Trifecta

Another significant project reviewed and funded by the Board will extend the life of the DeCordova Bend Dam at Lake Granbury.

The Board approved more than $5.9 million for a professional services agreement with Walter P. Moore Engineering for Phase II of what has been called the Trifecta Project. The project will have three main phases incorporating upgrades for operational and structural improvements to extend the service life of the dam built in 1968, said Blake Kettler, BRA's chief planning officer.

The project, currently in the design and bid phase, includes maintenance of two dam buttresses, replacement of the dam's stoplog system (used in gate maintenance) and maintenance evaluation of the 16 Tainter gates.

Lake Granbury DeCordova Bend Park fee

The Board approved the creation of a $5 per-car, per-day entrance fee for Lake Granbury's DeCordova Bend Park as part of a pilot program that utilizes a kiosk-based system. The park entrance fee is projected to begin Sept. 1, 2026.

The one-year pilot program will help better manage park overcrowding, safety, and overall user experience, said Dylan Mayfield, Lake Granbury reservoir manager. Revenue collected can be reinvested back into the park for maintenance and potential improvements, Mayfield said.

The BRA maintains five parks along the reservoir's 121-mile shoreline, offering areas for picnicking, fishing, camping, boating, and more. If successful at DeCordova Bend Park, automated pay stations could be implemented at other BRA parks in the future.

The move comes following a 30-day public comment period held prior to the Board meeting. Some 120 comments were made, some requesting the option for an annual pass as well as discounts for veterans and senior citizens. Mayfield said future consideration will be given to the feasibility and logistics of those. Any fee or annual pass would have to be brought back to the Board of Directors for approval, he said.

Although the BRA is a political subdivision of the state, it does not levy or collect taxes and does not receive subsidies from the state or the counties it serves to help manage the maintenance costs of lakeside parks. Except for occasional government grants to cover the costs of specific projects, the BRA is funded entirely through the sale of water and the management of water and wastewater services.

Also, during the meeting, the Board:

• Approved adjustments to the BRA's user fees. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's (TCEQ) Watermaster fee was increased from $0.85 per acre-foot to $0.92 per acre-foot to cover the increased costs from TCEQ.
• Approved an interlocal agreement with 791 Purchasing Cooperative to participate in the Cooperative Purchasing Program. The 791 Purchasing Cooperative represents over 300 vendors who have submitted competitive bids and been awarded contracts. It is utilized by educational institutions, municipal, state, and county governments, special districts, and non-profit organizations. There is no cost to the BRA to join.
• Approved entering a Regional Water Planning Contract with the Texas Water Development Board to support Brazos G Regional Water Planning Group activities for the seventh cycle of regional and state water planning. The Board approved up to roughly $676,000 with Carollo Engineers, Inc. on behalf of the Brazos G Regional Water Planning Group to prepare the 2031 Brazos G Regional Water Plan.
• Heard an update on the 2026 Water Management Plan application to the TCEQ. The Water Management Plan is part of the BRA's System Operations Permit - a one-of-a-kind water right granted by the state to the BRA in 2016. The SysOps Permit requires a Water Management Plan and a Technical Report to explain the details of the complicated permit. These documents describe the rules, analysis, and background for the permit's operations. Once the updates are completed, the BRA will submit them to the TCEQ by its November deadline. The updated documentation will be reviewed, a process that could take up to three years. After that, a full notice of the application will be issued to the entire Brazos basin. Listen to this 34-minute podcast episode on the permit and how data, not dirt, created a new source of water.
• Provided GM/CEO David Collinsworth with an annual review, noting his exemplary performance during the previous year. Listen to this 24-minute podcast episode highlighting Collinsworth's 30 years with the BRA.

Interested in learning even more?

• A complete list of actions taken by the Board of Directors
• Watch the full Board meeting
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