MISSION STATEMENT
The Orderly Conservation, Reclamation, Protection, and Development of the Water Resources Throughout the Red River Basin for the Benefit of the Public.The Red River Authority of Texas was created in 1959 by Acts of the 56th Legislature as a conservation and reclamation district, a political subdivision of the state, a body politic and corporate under Article XVI, Section 59 of the Texas Constitution.
During the 2018-2019 Legislative Session, under the 86th Legislature, the Authority was reviewed by the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission. One of the recommendations that derived from the review included codifying the Authority under state law. Effective April 1, 2023, the Authority’s codification became effective under the Special District Local Laws Code, Chapter 8510.
TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION
Within its Legal Territorial Jurisdiction, the Authority provides stewardship for the water resources in which its legislative charges shall be administered in all of any partial county lying within the watershed of the Red River in Texas. The total complement is 43 Texas counties. Although the Authority’s enabling legislation includes the Canadian River Basin counties of Lipscomb, Hartley and Hutchinson as part of the Authority’s legal jurisdiction, these counties are not part of the three regions.
The Authority is divided into three regions for appointment and representation of directors as follows:
Region 1 Armstrong, Carson, Castro, Collingsworth, Deaf Smith, Donley, Gray, Hemphill, Oldham, Parmer, Potter Randall, Roberts, and Wheeler Counties
Region 2 Archer, Baylor, Briscoe, Childress, Clay, Cottle, Crosby, Dickens, Floyd, Foard, Hale, Hall, Hardeman, King, Knox, Motley, Swisher, Wichita, and Wilbarger Counties
Region 3 Bowie, Cooke, Fannin, Grayson, Lamar, Montague, and Red River Counties