August 13, 2002, Laura K. Saegert, Appraisal Archivist
Agency contact
This agency contact information was current at the time of the report but may have changed in the interim. Please call (512-463-5455) for current contact information of the agency's records manager or records liaison for these records.
Toni Brown
Office of Administrative Services
Information Resources Division
Records Services
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, 41st 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, 51st 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_supply/water_rights/wr_databases.html.
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.html.
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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