Tex. Codes » Water Code · TITLE 4. GENERAL LAW DISTRICTS · CHAPTER 51. WATER CONTROL AND IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS
Texas Codes

Tex. Water Code § 51.121 (2026)

Purposes Of District

✓ laws through the 89th Legislature (2025)
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Sec. 51.121. PURPOSES OF DISTRICT. (a) A water control and improvement district organized under the provisions of Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution, may provide for:

(1) the improvement of rivers, creeks, and streams to prevent overflows, to permit navigation or irrigation, or to aid in these purposes; or

(2) the construction and maintenance of pools, lakes, reservoirs, dams, canals, and waterways for irrigation, drainage, or navigation, or to aid these purposes.

(b) A water control and improvement district organized under the provisions of Article XVI, Section 59, of the Texas Constitution, may provide for:

(1) the control, storage, preservation, and distribution of its water and floodwater and the water of its rivers and streams for irrigation, power, and all other useful purposes;

(2) the reclamation and irrigation of its arid, semiarid, and other land which needs irrigation;

(3) the reclamation, drainage, conservation, and development of its forests, water, and hydroelectric power;

(4) the navigation of its coastal and inland water;

(5) the control, abatement, and change of any shortage or harmful excess of water;

(6) the protection, preservation, and restoration of the purity and sanitary condition of water within the state; and

(7) the preservation and conservation of all natural resources of the state, including through the use of geothermal water conveyance systems for the conservation of natural resources.

(c) The purposes stated in Subsection (b) of this section may be accomplished by any practical means.

Acts 1971, 62nd Leg., p. 110, ch. 58, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 30, 1971.

Amended by:

Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 455 (H.B. 4370), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2025.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 14 cases, 1994–2019 · leading case: Tarrant Reg'l Water Dist. v. Richard Johnson, 572 S.W.3d 658 (Tex. 2019).
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Tarrant Reg'l Water Dist. v. Richard Johnson, 572 S.W.3d 658 (Tex. 2019). · cites it 2× “TEX. WATER CODE § 51.121(b). The District is responsible, along with the U.”
Tarrant Reg'l Water Dist. v. Gragg, 151 S.W.3d 546 (Tex. 2004). “Tex. Water Code § 51.121(b)(1), (3). It may also control, abate, or change any shortage or harmful excess of water.”
San Jacinto River Auth. v. Vicente Medina, 570 S.W.3d 820 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2018). · cites it 2× “XVI, § 59; TEX. WATER CODE § 51.121(b)(l), (3). 3 TEX.”
Tarrant Reg'l Water Dist. v. Gragg, 43 S.W.3d 609 (Tex. App.—Waco 2001). “Tex. Water Code Ann. § 51.121 (b)(1), (8) (Vernon 2000).”
Cummins v. Travis Cnty. Water Control & Improvement Dist. No. 17, 175 S.W.3d 34 (Tex. App.—Austin 2005). “” Tex. Water Code Ann. § 51.121 . This authority expressly includes a water district’s right to “adopt and enforce reasonable regulations” for the purposes of “pre-servfing] the sanitary condition of all water controlled by the district” and “regu-lat[ing] privileges on any land…”
Jefferson Cnty. Drainage Dist. No. 6 v. Lower Neches Valley Auth., 876 S.W.2d 940 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1994). “The Texas Water Code § 51.121(b) provides that such a district (as LNVA) organized under article XVI, § 59 of the Texas Constitution may provide for certain projects — clearly used here in a permissive sense.”
Clear Lake City Water Auth. v. Clear Lake Country Club, L.P., 340 S.W.3d 27 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2011). · cites it 2× “See Tex. WateR Code Ann. § 51.121 (Vernon 2008).”
Bennett v. Tarrant Cnty. Water Control & Improvement Dist. No. One, 894 S.W.2d 441 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 1995). “Not surprisingly, as the facts of this case illustrate, the Water District is given authority to acquire easements considered *451 necessary, incident, or helpful to accomplish their purposes.”
Bennett v. Tarrant Cty Water Control, 894 S.W.2d 441 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 1995). · cites it 2× “Tex. Water Code Ann. § 51.121 (b)(5) (Vernon 1988).”
Donald H. Cummins v. Travis Cnty. Water Control & Improvement Dist. No. 17, No. 03-04-00049-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Aug. 12, 2005). “" Tex. Water Code Ann. § 51.121 . This authority expressly includes a water district's right to "adopt and enforce reasonable regulations" for the purposes of "preserv[ing] the sanitary condition of all water controlled by the district" and "regulat[ing] privileges on any land .”
Donald H. Cummins v. Travis Cnty. Water Control & Improvement Dist. No. 17, No. 03-04-00049-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Aug. 12, 2005). “” Tex. Water Code Ann. § 51.121 . This authority expressly includes a water district’s right to “adopt and enforce reasonable regulations” for the purposes of “preserv[ing] the sanitary condition of all water controlled by the district” and “regulat[ing] privileges on any land .”
Donald H. Cummins v. Travis Cnty. Water Control & Improvement Dist. No. 17, No. 03-04-00049-CV (Tex. App.—Austin June 3, 2005). “” Tex. Water Code Ann. § 51.121 . This authority expressly includes a water district’s right to “adopt and enforce reasonable regulations” for the purposes of “preserv[ing] the sanitary condition of all water controlled by the district” and “regulat[ing] privileges on any land .”
Show all 14 citing cases →
Tex. Water Code § 51.121(b): 2 cases
Tarrant Reg'l Water Dist. v. Richard Johnson, 572 S.W.3d 658 (Tex. 2019). “TEX. WATER CODE § 51.121(b). The District is responsible, along with the U.”
Jefferson Cnty. Drainage Dist. No. 6 v. Lower Neches Valley Auth., 876 S.W.2d 940 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1994). “The Texas Water Code § 51.121(b) provides that such a district (as LNVA) organized under article XVI, § 59 of the Texas Constitution may provide for certain projects — clearly used here in a permissive sense.”
Tex. Water Code § 51.121(b)(1): 1 case
Tarrant Reg'l Water Dist. v. Gragg, 151 S.W.3d 546 (Tex. 2004). “Tex. Water Code § 51.121(b)(1), (3). It may also control, abate, or change any shortage or harmful excess of water.”
Tex. Water Code § 51.121(b)(5): 1 case
San Jacinto River Auth. v. Vicente Medina, 570 S.W.3d 820 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2018). “XVI, § 59; TEX. WATER CODE § 51.121(b)(l), (3). 3 TEX.”
Tex. Water Code § 51.121(b)(6): 1 case
Texas Comm'n on Env't Quality & Post Oak Clean Green, Inc. v. Guadalupe Cnty. Groundwater Conservation Dist., No. 04-15-00433-CV (Tex. App.—San Antonio Sept. 17, 2015).
Tex. Water Code § 51.121(b)(l): 1 case
San Jacinto River Auth. v. Vicente Medina, 570 S.W.3d 820 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2018). “XVI, § 59; TEX. WATER CODE § 51.121(b)(l), (3). 3 TEX.”
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