DR1101-SY081001(01, 1 IS
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Archives & Manuscripts > Appraisal Reports
Records Appraisal Report:
Natural Resource Conservation Commission Office of
Permitting, Remediation and Registration Certificates of
Adjudication
Contents of this page
Agency contact
Internal links to series reviews
Related report
Natural Resource Conservation Commission Office of Permitting, Remediation and Registration
Water Rights Files
Archival finding aid
Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission: An Inventory of Records at the Texas State
Archives, 1990-2001
August 13, 2002, Laura K. Saegert, Appraisal Archivist
Agency contact'
Toni Brown
Office of Administrative Services
Information Resources Division
Records Services
239-0966
Records Series Review
Series Title: Certificates of adjudication
Obsolete record series? No
Ongoing record series?
Annual accumulation: 1-2 cubic ft. per year
Agency holdings:
289 cubic ft. of records, 14 cubic ft. of oversize materials. These materials have been
recently filmed. The oversize materials and photographs were not microfilmed.
Description:
This series consists of documentation of the water rights process and includes certificates
of adjudication; records of water use; correspondence and memoranda; applications,
notices, orders, and transcripts from hearings; agreements; conveyances of water rights;
water rights deeds; warranty deeds; tables; graphs; charts; clippings; maps; and
photographs. Dates covered are 1967- ongoing. These records are closely related to the
series Water rights documents.
The certificates of adjudication begin in 1967. Types of information found in a certificate of
adjudication includes the certificate number, name and address of the owner, county,
priority date, watercourses, water basin, water use permit and application numbers, cause
number and date of decree authorizing issuance of certificate, use to be made of water,
and any diversions or special conditions.
Records of water use for each permit were submitted annually to the Texas Water Rights
Commission and successive water agencies. Information found in the records of water use
include name and address of the certification owner, certificate number, source from which
the water was diverted (creek, stream, river, etc.), purpose of the water use, monthly and
yearly amount in acre feet of use, number of acres irrigated (if used for irrigation), and
location of irrigated land and types of crops planted.
Memos and correspondence discuss the adjudication process; changes of ownership of
certificates; amendments to certificates; types of or changes in water use, such as
requesting to impound water for a reservoir or lake; and related topics. Correspondents
include the Texas Water Rights Commission and successive water agencies, certificate
holders, and legal firms.
Photographs of dams, spillways, lakes, reservoirs, and river and creek beds are present,
generally sent in as part of the application. The photos largely consist of color or black and
white snapshots often glued to a white sheet of paper with a note describing the image. A
few oversize photos and some aerial photographs are also present. A variety of maps are
present, such as topographic maps with features added. Items shown (or added to the
maps) include the location of the water rights permit owner, stream flow markers, diversion
points, tributaries of creeks and streams, dams, reservoirs, irrigation ditches, canals, and
drainage areas. Generally only a few of the items are found on each map. Other maps
found in these records include land use maps, sections and plans of reservoirs, plans of
dam spillways, and plats of irrigation ditches. Maps consist of original black and white maps
on linen, blueprint copies, and black and white or color printed maps. The photographs and
most maps were removed from the records and are housed separately. The items removed
were not microfilmed with the other records.
Purpose:
The certificates of adjudication are a type of water rights document issued to regulate the
use of state water, which is the surface water from rivers, streams, underflow, creeks, tides,
lakes and every bay and arm of the Texas portion of the Gulf of Mexico. The records of
water use for each permit provide an unbroken trail of water use, some covering 30 years.
Agency history and structure
Conservation and regulation of the state's water resources began early in the 20th century;
regulation of air quality began in the early 1950s. In 1913, the Irrigation Act was passed by
the 33rd Legislature (House Bill 37, Regular Session). It created the Texas Board of Water
Engineers to establish and implement procedures for determining surface water rights. In
1917 a constitutional amendment to Article 16 authorized the creation of conservation and
reclamation districts as needed. Freshwater supply districts were authorized by the 36th
Legislature in 1919 (Senate Bill 19, 2nd Called Session) and the first river authority, the
Brazos River Authority, was created in 1929 (House Bill 197, 41 st Legislature, 2nd Called
Session). A law governing the organization and operation of water improvement districts
was passed in 1933 by the 43rd Legislature (House Bill 413, Regular Session).
Underground water conservation districts were created in 1949 (House Bill 162, 51 st
Legislature, Regular Session). This legislation also declared groundwater (underground
water) private property and authorized the State Board of Water Engineers to designate
underground reservoirs and subdivisions thereto.
The Texas Department of Health initially had some regulatory power over water issues and
it performed initial air quality studies for the state. Legislation was passed by the 49th
Legislature in 1945 authorizing the Texas Department of Health to enforce drinking water
standards for public water supply systems (Senate Bill 81, Regular Session), as part of an
overall public health legislative initiative. In 1952 the Department of Health conducted the
first air study in Texas and began an air sampling program in 1956.
Additional water conservation measures were enacted in 1957. The 55th Legislature
created the Texas Water Development Board to forecast water supply needs and provide
funding for water supply and conservation projects (House Bill 161, Regular Session). A
water well drillers advisory group, the Water Well Drillers Board, was created in 1961
(House Bill 409, 57th Legislature, Regular Session). And, in 1962 the Texas Board of
Water Engineers became the Texas Water Commission, with additional responsibilities for
water conservation and pollution control (House Bill 12, 57th Legislature, 3rd Called
Session).
Pollution and water control measures continued in 1961. The Texas Pollution Control Act
was passed, which established the Texas State Water Pollution Control Board and
eliminated the Water Pollution Advisory Council, creating the state's first true pollution
control agency (House Bill 24, 57th Legislature, 1st Called Session). In 1965 the Texas
Clean Air Act created the Texas Air Control Board, in the Department of Health, to monitor
and regulate air pollution in the state (House Bill 362, 59th Legislature, Regular Session).
Also in 1965, the Texas Water Commission became the Texas Water Rights Commission
(Senate Bill 145, 59th Legislature, Regular Session) and functions not related to water
rights were transferred to the Texas Water Development Board. And, the Water Well
Drillers Act was passed in 1965 establishing the Water Well Drillers Board (House Bill 77,
59th Legislature, Regular Session). In 1967 the Texas Water Quality Act established the
Texas Water Quality Board (Senate Bill 204, 60th Legislature, Regular Session). In 1973
the 63rd Legislature removed the Texas Air Control Board from the Department of Health,
making it an independent state agency (House Bill 739, 63rd Legislature, Regular Session).
The 65th Legislature passed legislation in 1977 that made a number of changes in the
state's water agencies. The Texas Department of Water Resources (TDWR) was created
by combining the three existing water agencies in an effort to consolidate the state's water
programs (the Texas Water Rights Commission, the Texas Water Quality Board, and the
Texas Water Development Board) (Senate Bill 1139, Regular Session). A six - member
board, the Texas Water Development Board, was set up as a policymaking body for the
new agency. The Water Rights Commission was renamed the Texas Water Commission
and sat as a quasi-judicial body that ruled on permits. The Texas Water Quality Board was
abolished.
In 1985 the 69th Legislature dissolved the Texas Department of Water Resources (Senate
Bill 249, Regular Session). It transferred regulatory enforcement to the recreated Texas
Water Commission, and planning and financial responsibilities to the recreated Texas
Water Development Board.
In 1991, the 72nd Legislature passed Senate Bill 2, 1st Called Session in an effort to
consolidate the state's regulatory programs for air, water and waste. This began a two -year
process of consolidation, culminating with the creation of the Texas Natural Resource
Conservation Commission in 1993. In accordance with Senate Bill 2, sections of the Texas
Department of Health dealing with solid waste, drinking water protection, and wastewater
treatment were transferred to the Texas Water Commission (TWC) by March 1, 1992. On
September 1, 1992, the Texas Water Well Drillers Board and the Texas Board of Irrigators
were abolished and those functions transferred to the TWC. On September 1, 1993, the
Texas Air Control Board and the Texas Water Commission were abolished and those
functions were consolidated to form the Texas Natural Resource Conservation
Commission. The Texas Water Commission became the core of the TNRCC and the
TWC's three full -time commissioners automatically became the commissioners of the
TNRCC. In 1997 the 75th Legislature transferred the regulation of water well drillers from
the TNRCC to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (Senate Bill 1955,
Regular Session). And, in 1999 the Texas Low -Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Authority
was abolished and its functions transferred to the TNRCC (House Bill 1172, 76th
Legislature, Regular Session). Legislation in 2001 authorized a name change for the
TNRCC. Effective September 1, 2002, it will become the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality.
The TNRCC is governed by a three - member commission, appointed by the governor with
the advice and consent of the Senate for overlapping six -year terms. Members may not
serve more than two terms and conflict of interest restrictions apply. Commission members
hold full -time salaried positions and the governor designates the chair. The commissioners
establish overall agency direction and policy and make final determinations on contested
permitting and enforcement matters.
The primary goals of the TNRCC are to protect public health and safety and the
environment by reducing the release of pollutants and contaminants, regulating the
management and disposal of waste, and expediting the cleanup of contaminated sites. The
agency also manages the state's water resources by enforcing compliance with state and
federal clean air and water laws.
The agency is divided into six major offices: the Office of Administrative Services; the Office
of Compliance and Enforcement; the Office of the Executive Director; the Office of Legal
Services; the Office of Permitting, Remediation and Registration; and the Office of
Environmental Policy, Analysis, and Assessment. The TNRCC has approximately 3,000
employees, 16 regional offices, and a $511.5 million annual appropriated budget for the
2002 fiscal year.
The Office of Permitting, Remediation and Registration (OPRR) implements the federal and
state laws and regulations governing all aspects of permitting for the air, water and waste
programs; oversees the investigation and cleanup of hazardous pollutants released into the
environment; registers and manages the reporting requirements for certain facilities; and
implements the petroleum storage tank reimbursement program.
Within the OPRR, the Water Supply Division is responsible for the quantity and availability
of water in Texas. Functions of this division include overseeing public drinking water
protection by implementation of the Safe Drinking Water Act, providing source water
assessment and protection for drinking water, providing oversight of water utilities and
water districts, issuing water rights permits, providing support to interstate water compacts,
developing Water Availability Models for the river basins of Texas, serving as state
coordinator for the National Flood Insurance Program, evaluating water conservation plans
and drought contingency plans, and managing the Water Utility Database.
Historical sketch of water use issues
Water flowing in Texas creeks, rivers, and bays is state water. This surface water is public
property. The state does confer on individuals and organizations the right to pump water
from a stream, creek, pond or lake, or to impound water in a lake or pond. In almost all
cases, surface waters may only be used with explicit permission of the state, with livestock
and household use exempted if persons living adjacent to a stream or river divert the water.
These persons can use the water for household needs, or irrigating a yard or garden, or
impound in stock tanks up to 200 acre -feet of water. County and rural fire departments and
other similar services may divert and use state water from streams and reservoirs for
emergency use without a permit.
State law requires a water rights document for all other uses of surface water. A water
rights document does not guarantee the water will always be available, but some types of
documents provide more certainty than do others. Water rights documents are known as
permits, term permits, temporary permits, and certificates of adjudication.
The certificates of adjudication are issued after a hearing is held to determine the validity of
water rights (use) claims submitted. The Texas Water Rights Commission began this
process in 1967. The Commission looked at claims of prior use in setting up a foundation
for the current water rights system in Texas. Claimants had to prove that they used a
certain amount of water from a specific stretch of a river, stream or reservoir. State district
courts reviewed all the claims and the Commission's recommendations for their disposition.
Certificates were issued for approved claims. Each certificate was issued a priority date,
indicating when the water use first occurred. Since 1967 Texas has adjudicated about
10,000 claims. The process is complete except in the Upper Rio Grande Basin, near El
Paso, where 15 claims are being adjudicated at this time.
Water rights or use permits are granted by the TNRCC if water is available in the area
requested. The State Board of Water Engineers issued the first permits in 1913 or 1914.
Permits are issued in perpetuity. They may be bought and sold like other interests. Before
new permits are issued, the TNRCC examines the proposed monthly demand and the
monthly flows (in a river) or levels (in a reservoir) over a period of time, decades if possible.
If the historical record suggests that most of the water being requested will be available
most of the time, the TNRCC grants the permit. Term permits may be issued for a specific
amount of time, usually 10 years, in basins where waters are fully appropriated but not yet
being fully used. The term permits are issued primarily to industrial, mining, and agricultural
enterprises. Temporary permits are issued for up to three years. These are issued mainly
for road construction projects, some are also issued for mining and irrigation uses.
The state has issued about 6,500 water rights documents. Most of these documents grant
"run -of- the - river" rights, meaning users can divert water only when stream flow levels are
sufficient.
Arrangement:
The files are arranged by certificate of adjudication number, thereby in a rough
chronological order as the numbers were assigned successively. Remaining documents
tend to be in roughly reverse chronological order.
Access constraints: None.
Use constraints: None.
Indexes or finding aids required for /or an aid to access? A database to water rights permits
and certificates of adjudication and a water use database are available at the agency's
Internet site at and at the agency, containing the permit number, name of owner, amount,
and type of use authorized. The main point of access is by the permit number.
http: / /www.tceq.state.tx.us /permitting/ water_ supplyl water_rights /wr_databases.htm1.
Problems:
Folders were removed during the microfilming process; microfilm separation sheets were
inserted at the beginning of each folder.
Known related records in other agencies: None known.
Previous Destructions
No destruction requests have been filed by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation
Commission or its predecessors for these particular series.
Publications based on records: None known.
Internet pages based on records:
This page provides information about the water rights process and provides access to the
water rights database and the water use database -
http: / /www.tceq. state .tx.us /nav /util_water /wawr permits.htm1.
Series data from agency schedule. There are two series of records in these files listed on
the retention schedule of the agency:
Title: Certificates of adjudication
Series item number: none
Agency item number: 6820.02
Archival code: none
Retention: PM
Title: Adjudication process - documentation
Series item number: none
Agency item number: 6820.01
Archival code: R
Retention: PM
Archives Holdings
None from this particular series are in the archives. Related holdings include:
Texas Water Commission, Minutes, 1913 -1986, 7.77 cubic ft.
This accession contains minutes of the State Board of Water Engineers, the Texas Water
Rights Commission, and the Texas Water Commission, dating 1913 -1986.
Texas Water Resources Commission, Reclamation Engineer, Historical files, ca. 1910 -ca.
1960, 89 cubic ft.
The records are correspondence, reports, maps, drawings, field notebooks, and other
records of various reclamation projects, including work done prior to or after some dams
and reservoirs were built, dating ca. 1910 -ca. 1960.
Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, Water rights files, 1914 -1997, about
242 cubic ft.
[These records are currently unprocessed, see staff for assistance. A microfilm copy of
these records is available at TNRCC, contact TNRCC's Record Services Division to use the
film.]
Texas Documents Collection holdings: None known.
Gaps: None known.
Appraisal decision:
The certificates of adjudication are water rights records and provide a historical record of
water use by certificate holders, including types of uses made and the amount used, they
also document the regulation of the use of state water. The records are considered to be
permanent at the TNRCC. Before a certificate will be considered, the agency looks at
claims of prior use in setting up a foundation for the current water rights system in Texas.
Claimants have to prove that they used a certain amount of water from a specific stretch of
a river, stream or reservoir. The historical record of water use is archival. It is necessary to
maintain it for the conservation of water resources and the regulation of surface water.
These documents are considered by TNRCC to be a continuation of the series Water rights
documents, a series recently appraised by the State Archives staff as archival. Both series
document the same function - issuance of a water rights document and recording water use
over the life of that permit or certificate. We are appraising the certificates of adjudication
records as archival. TNRCC needs to change the retention period for these series on their
records retention schedule to A.
These records were recently microfilmed, except for the maps, oversize items, and
photographs. They were microfilmed following accepted archival standards and the film has
been inspected for image quality. Since these are recent records in good shape, and the
microfilm is of archival quality, we have the determined the filmed paper records can be
destroyed. The agency will maintained the unfilmed, oversize documents, photographs and
maps at TNRCC.
If the agency determines at a future date not to maintain the microfilm, it will transfer the
film, both the master and a use copy, to the State Archives, along with the unfilmed
oversize documents, maps and photographs.
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HID Detail Ftelaort
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Dam Name
NORTH LAKE DAM
Dtshnoe To Lily INTU •
.1
Ruler
SOUTH FORK GRAPEVINE CREEK
MrrspecNOrt Frequency
D
Shft
TX
YeWCaapleled
1957
County
DALLAS
Dam Helot (FL)
65
ND NdW Ill
65
SUuch" Heigh fFW
65
Dam III- (FL)
8500
Hydnmft Heat (Fty
65
Owner Name
LUMINANT GENERATION COMPANY LLC
Soryace Area
806
Prirale Dam
N
Sh®e Reg Dam
Y
ND Storage
24000
Shits Reg. Agency
mx Discharge
0
ShihD
fUax Storage
240DO
Seitfan
3296 -333
DraawgeArea
2.7
Yew tlodilied
1993
Lorajhrde
-96.97
OU§d Gates
X
LaftXle
329466
Will
0
Dam Designer
NumberOFLodcs
0
core
HEX
Lengi Of Locks
0
ONpr Dam NWW
Width OF Locks
0
Foundmi
SZ
FedFundag
EAP
Y
Fed Design
4rSpecNoin Date
11 W2907
Fed Cons1rrchon
Spmway Type
U
Fed Regdahny
Spiway Wkttit
200
Fed Inspection
1111111010
7X00832
Fed Operation
N umd Polertirl'
High
Fed Owner
Owner Type
Public Utility
FedOdwr
Dam Type
Earth
Sarce Agency
TX
Primary Pupose
Submit Dale
D7129MD8
AN Prrposes
C=We5skmg Dlsbid
TX24
Nearest City
N2VM1G
PaFical Parly
R
Normal Storage
16000
Cartgressiorwl Rep.
Kenny Marchant (R)
OHM Shuch" kl
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-
Nwimber OF Separa/e ShucWm
0
PerreNNng Auff-ily
Y
AnspecionAAdhoft
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NOT RATED
CandfNon Assessfaent Dahn'
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