Which Texas agency handles water rights and allocation?

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is the agency responsible for managing water rights and allocation in Texas. This involves overseeing the regulation of surface and groundwater resources and ensuring that water is allocated in a way that meets the needs of the state's residents, agriculture, and industry while also protecting the environment.

TCEQ administers the state's water rights permitting process, which includes issuing new water rights and overseeing transfers and changes to existing rights. This regulatory framework helps to balance the competing demands for water resources among various users and ensures that water use complies with state water law.

Other agencies mentioned have distinct functions. The Texas Department of Water Resources, for instance, no longer exists as a regulatory body, and its responsibilities were absorbed by TCEQ. The Texas Water Development Board focuses on financing and planning for water infrastructure projects but does not manage water rights directly. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department concentrates on the conservation of wildlife and natural habitats rather than on water rights and allocation.