HB1437-Water for

Williamson County

In 1999, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 1437 to provide up to 25,000 acre-feet of surface water per year for use in specific areas of Williamson County. The legislation requires "no net loss" of water in the Colorado River basin and authorizes a surcharge on sales of the water to fund strategies to ensure that an equal amount of water to that sold is conserved, replaced or offset. LCRA has entered into a contract with the Brazos River Authority (BRA) to provide this water to Williamson County.

HB1437 includes several features which make LCRA's contract with BRA unusual among LCRA water sales agreements. First, it is an inter-basin transfer of water, and which would require an inter-basin transfer permit from the Texas Water Development Board. Second, the bill required that there be "no net loss" of water from the Colorado River basin as a result of the water sales to Williamson County. Third, the bill allows LCRA to add a surcharge to the price of the water sold which would be used to acquire (or conserve) the replacement water.  read on