The Best Water in Texas

As Ben Franklin said, “When the well is dry we know the worth of water.”

Supplying water for our communities for the long term takes securing reliable water reserves and creating a strategic plan to manage our most valued resource… water. With planning and strategy that looks 50-100 years down the road, we want to ensure a plentiful and cost-effective water supply now and long into the future.

Our Shared Story

  • 1917

    1917

    The citizens of Texas passed a constitutional amendment allowing for the building of dams, reservoirs, and delivery systems to help the reserving and development of state water resources.

  • 1937

    1937

    A local entity was created by special act of the Texas Legislature. Its geographic boundaries cover whole or part of seven counties in the San Jacinto River Basin.

  • 1937-1941

    1937-1941

    A long-range program of soil conservation and land reclamation to improve the agriculture of the area and prevent negative impacts to the watershed from soil erosion was initiated.

  • 1945

    1945

    A portion of the Federal Works Agency canal system that served ship channel industries was acquired, as well as water rights in the San Jacinto River.

  • 1968

    1968

    Construction of Lake Conroe began with a 1/3-2/3 partnership with the City of Houston and with loan assistance from the Texas Water Development Board.

  • 1973

    1973

    Lake Conroe was completed and filled with a dependable annual yield of up to 100,000 acre-feet of water supply. The final cost of the project was some $30 million.

  • 1975

    1975

    Responsibility for owning and operating the wholesale water supply and wastewater treatment systems serving The Woodlands was acquired. The Woodlands water supply system has grown to some 38 groundwater wells serving nearly 100,000 people.

  • 1995

    1995

    The acquisition of water rights in the Trinity River basin happened at a cost of $18 million to substitute for San Jacinto River water in serving its ship channel industrial customers, thereby freeing up 1/3 of the water in Lake Conroe for future local use in Montgomery County.

  • 2001

    2001

    Additional Trinity River water rights at a cost of nearly $8 million were purchased.

  • 2005

    2005

    Negotiations began with the City of Houston to acquire the right to use Houston’s stored water in Lake Conroe. Those negotiations were protracted and made more difficult by the competition for water from interests in Harris County.

  • 2009

    2009

    Additional water rights in Lake Houston had been secured with Texas Commission on Environmental Quality permits for previously unidentified and unallocated water.

  • 2010

    2010

    A project to address a severe shortage of groundwater was taken on. Almost three years and more than $2 million were spent to research, prepare, and offer a solution available to every county on an equal and impartial basis.

  • 2010

    2010

    The proposed solution was accepted by more than 85 water utilities. The joint groundwater reduction plan is an excellent example of utilizing the capabilities of a river authority to create an efficient, regional, cost-effective solution.

  • 2021

    2021

    The San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) continues to be a leader in the management of the water resources of the San Jacinto River Basin.

Groundwater
Protection

We work to find efficient, cost-effective solutions in reducing regional reliance on groundwater. Regional partnerships working together for alternative water supply make this possible.

Subsidence
Solutions

Land subsidence occurs when large amounts of groundwater have been excessively withdrawn from an aquifer. SJRA works to find and develop solutions to help our communities avoid subsidence.

Future
Planning

We partner with stakeholders at the local, state, and federal levels to plan for the future of every community we serve by working to secure, protect, and preserve water resources for the years to come.

Flood
Mitigation

Located at Lake Conroe, the Flood Management Division develops short-term and long-term regional flood management strategies. We partner closely with federal, state, and local government entities to achieve our goals.

The Communities we serve

Planning for The Best Water in Texas has been happening in our community for over 75 years. The San Jacinto River Authority serves the entire San Jacinto River watershed. We conserve and protect the water resources of the San Jacinto River Basin throughout all or part of seven Texas counties including Montgomery, Fort Bend, Waller, Grimes, Walker, San Jacinto, and Liberty.

Lake Conroe

Lake Conroe

Our primary mission in the Conroe area:

  • Operations and maintenance of the Lake Conroe Dam
  • Preservation of Lake Conroe as a reliable water source
  • Long-term water supply planning
  • Licensing and permitting
  • Invasive aquatic plant management
  • Water quality initiatives

The Woodlands

The Woodlands

We undertake the following work in the area of The Woodlands:

  • Groundwater production and distribution
  • Water systems operations and management
  • Wastewater treatment
  • Outreach programs – educating youth

Highlands

SJRA - Highlands

In the Highlands we undertake a raw water enterprise which covers:

  • Water supply planning and development
  • Responsible for projects to develop new water supplies
  • Coordinate a water supply program
lake Conroe

How we Serve