Water is precious in Texas, and the right to capture, produce, sell and lease it are essential components of property ownership.

Texas law expressly codifies the ownership of groundwater in particular:

The legislature recognizes that a landowner owns the groundwater below the surface of the landowner’s land as real property.

As the Texas population explodes and droughts become more pronounced, scarcity has driven up the value of water. With that enhanced value has come both opportunity and increased complexity and conflict.

Parties engaged in the water business or even the business of selling and leasing water require attorneys that are versed in the nuances of Texas Water Law.

Mark Twain has (perhaps undeservedly) been credited with the saying that

“Whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting”

No matter who first uttered them, those words were prophetic. Water shortages have resulted in an explosion of new laws, regulations, governmental units and lawsuits.

Our water rights attorneys understand these developments and how they affect all stakeholders, including landowners, developers and water providers.

Our Texas Water Law practice includes representing clients in the following:

GROUNDWATER LEASING

GROUNDWATER PERMITTING

WATER DISTRICTS AND UTILITIES

WATER SERVICE AGREEMENTS

WHOLESALE AND RETAIL WATER SUPPLY AGREEMENTS

SHARED WATER WELL AGREEMENTS

CERTIFICATES OF CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY 

INTERLOCAL COOPERATION AGREEMENTS