TWA'S CORE PRINCIPLES

TWA’s outreach on water resources legislation and policy is based on a set of core principles. These principles are intended to capture the underlying policy principles of the Association and better guide TWA's engagement on policy matters.

TWA supports:

• Fair and equitable management and use of water resources in a manner that meets the needs of all Texans while protecting water rights and balancing timely, cost-effective development with the conservation of water resources;
• Clear, consistent, predictable, and cost-effective regulation that promotes certainty in the management, development, and beneficial use of water resources;
• Ensuring water entities have the resources and authority needed to fulfill their statutory missions;
• Long-term planning to guide water resources management, development, and infrastructure investment;
• Science-based, data-driven standards and decision making to ensure sound and effective water policy;
• Development and management of water resources at the most practicable local or regional level;
• Adequate funding and budget flexibility for the State’s water resources agencies to fully perform their statutory functions;
• Transparency and stakeholder input in water resources decision-making processes;
• Balanced consideration of economic, environmental, and social impacts in the evaluation of all water-related regulation, policies, decisions, and actions; and
• Preservation of state primacy in the administration of laws and regulations governing the management of water resources.