In This Issue...

Happy Holidays from Texas Water Association!
As we close out 2025, Texas Water Association would like to take a moment to thank our Board, members, partners, and supporters for your continued leadership and dedication in working to advance sound water policy for Texas. We are thankful for you and look forward to continuing our work together in the new year.

Wishing you and your loved ones a peaceful and safe holiday season!

TWA NEWS

Board of Directors Updates. Texas Water Association is pleased to announce the newest Board appointments, elected by the TWA Board of Directors.

Dan Buhman, Tarrant Regional Water District, was selected by the Board as our next President-Elect. Dan is the Chair of the Navigation and Flood Control Panel, Chair of the Policy Committee, and a longtime TWA member. Dan will assume this role in June 2025 when our presidential roles transition. He joins current President Troy Allen, President-Elect Emily Rogers, and Immediate Past President Wayne Owen on the TWA Presidential Tree.

Kathy Turner Jones, Prairielands Groundwater Conservation District, was selected by the Board as Treasurer and will begin her term on January 1, 2026.

Neal Ford, Orange County Drainage District, was selected to fill the vacancy on the Drainage Districts Panel created when Tina Peterson moved to the Navigation and Flood Control Panel in October. His term began immediately.

Join us in congratulating Dan, Kathy, and Neal!

Lisa Henley, TWA’s Finance and Events Manager, was honored by the TWA Board of Directors for a remarkable 26 years of service as she transitions into retirement. Lisa’s dedication, expertise, and kindness have left a lasting impact on TWA and the Texas water community. We extend our appreciation and best wishes as she embarks on her next chapter.

Lisa Henley, Dan Buhman, and Stacey Allison Steinbach

Save the Date for Annual Convention Graphic

TWA 2026 Annual Convention. Texas Water Association will host our 82nd Annual Convention in Fort Worth, March 11–13, 2026. Mark your calendars and plan to join us for timely water policy discussions, networking opportunities, and the Annual Awards Luncheon, where we'll celebrate leaders across the Texas water community. Registration and hotel details will be available in early January.

Membership Update. TWA is excited to roll out a new member benefit in 2026! Historically, TWA’s Legislative News Service has been available only to members who sign up for a separate subscription ($1,425 per two-year period). This service delivers comprehensive state bill tracking reports, updates on key legislation, alerts for significant committee hearings, and other developments related to water policy during the state legislative session. Recognizing that all members will benefit from this information and in furtherance of TWA's educational mission, our Legislative News Service will now be available to level B-F dues-paying members beginning next year.

In order to provide for this transition, the TWA Board of Directors has approved a modest membership dues increase, effective for all renewal invoices after January 1, 2026. The increase is significantly less than the cost of the Legislative News Service and will be implemented on a sliding scale basis. Find more information on membership benefits and fee structure on our membership page.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Lindsey Ford, TWA's Membership and Events Director.

2026 Confluence and Bundle Sponsorships Are Now Open! We’re looking forward to a new year of conferences and continuing our work to advance sound water policy for Texas. TWA sponsorships support this work and provide opportunities to engage with members and the water community throughout the year.

TWA offers sponsorship opportunities for our monthly e-newsletter, Confluence News, and our three signature events — Annual Convention, Summer Conference, and Fall Conference. Confluence News and Sponsorship Bundles are now open, and traditional event sponsorships will be available in advance of each conference.

Sponsorship Bundles allow organizations to select opportunities across all three conferences and add a discounted sponsorship of Confluence News for $500 (a $1,000 value). Please email us with any questions.

⬇️ Reserve your sponsorship today ⬇️

SPONSOR CONFLUENCE NEWS

BECOME A BUNDLE SPONSOR

THANK YOU to all our sponsors! You make TWA conferences and Confluence News possible, and we appreciate your support!

Agency Updates

Additional Coordination and Planning Requirements for Water Conveyance Projects. In response to the passage of Senate Bill 7 during the 89th Legislative Session, the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) is providing information regarding additional coordination and planning requirements for raw or potable water projects funded by TWDB. For certain water conveyance projects, TWDB requires coordination meetings among various stakeholders to reduce use of eminent domain in favor of using existing easements.

TWDB is also updating its State Revolving Fund Intended Use Plans with these requirements. TWDB is accepting public comments on these updates until January 8. See more here.

TWDB Implementation of SB 3. TWDB approved an accelerated timeline for implementing Senate Bill 3 (SB 3) and grant agreements associated with Senate Bill 5 (SB 5) related to outdoor warning sirens in flash flood-prone areas in response to the devastating July 2025 flooding in Texas. Find more information on implementation of SB 3 and details of grant funding agreements and an anticipated implementation timeline in the Board materials.

Prop 4 and Looking Ahead. Texans approved Proposition 4 (Prop 4) on November 4, which dedicates up to $1 billion a year for 20 years to the Texas Water Fund. Funding from the Texas Water Fund may be available for financial assistance once the following conditions are met: 1) The funding must be appropriated by the Texas Legislature in each session; and 2) State sales and use tax revenue must exceed $46.5 billion. Find additional information about Prop 4 and an anticipated timeline here.

Applications Now Open for TWDB Programs. TWDB has opened the application period for the following programs: DFund, Agricultural Water Conservation Grants, SWIFT, CWSRF, and DWSRF.

DFund Program. TWDB is accepting applications for the Texas Water Development Fund (DFund) program until Wednesday, December 31. Find more information and how to apply here.
Agricultural Water Conservation Grants. TWDB is accepting applications for 2026 Agricultural Water Conservation Grants until Wednesday, March 28. Up to $1,500,000 in grant funding is available to eligible political subdivisions and state agencies for agricultural water conservation projects. Find more information and how to apply here.
SWIFT Program. TWDB is accepting abridged applications for the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) program until Wednesday, February 4, and has indicated that the capacity of this year's SWIFT program may be smaller than usual. Funding caps may also be implemented based on program needs and funding constraints. Find more information about this SWIFT application cycle here.
CWSRF and DWSRF. TWDB is now accepting project applications for the upcoming fiscal year for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) until Friday, March 6. Find more information and how to apply here.

Water Loss, Use, and Conservation Webinars. Registration is now open for the TWDB 2026 Water Loss, Use, and Conservation webinars. There is no cost to participants, and these webinars fulfill the required training for individuals completing and submitting water loss audits. The webinars will be held 8:30 am–12:30 pm on the following dates: Thursday, January 15, Wednesday, February 11, and Tuesday, March 10. Find more information and registration here.

Federal Accessibility Regulations for Websites. Public agencies are preparing to comply with a 2024 Department of Justice rule requiring local governments’ online/web content to be accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA Title II rule requires local governments to ensure their online content and documents for public use are easily accessible and comply with a set of internationally-accepted standards known as Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1.

Cities and counties with populations of 50,000 or greater will need to begin following the rule in April 2026. All local governments and special districts will need to begin following the rule in April 2027. Find more information on the ADA Title II rule here.

On the Move

Leah Clark has joined the Brazos River Authority as Legislative Affairs Manager.

In Memoriam

With deep sadness, we share the passing of two members of our Texas water community.

Joe Williams served on the TWA Board of Directors representing the Drainage Districts Panel and was the Superintendent of the Velasco Drainage District. Joe was always a friendly face at TWA events and will be deeply missed at the TWA board table.

Joe William's Obituary

A.T. "Tommy" Hebert served as president of TWCA from 1988 to 1989 and was the General Manager of the Lower Neches Valley Authority until his retirement in 1999.

Tommy Hebert's Obituary

UPCOMING EVENTS

2026 Events

TAGD Winter Business Meeting — January 20–21, San Marcos
TGWA 2026 Annual Convention — January 27–29, San Marcos
Borderlands Research Institute Water in the Desert 2026 — February 11–13, Alpine
TCEQ State of the Bay Symposium — February 24–25, Galveston
TWA Annual Convention — March 11–13, Fort Worth
TGWA Geoscience Seminar — Friday, March 27, Alpine, TX
WEAT / Texas AWWA Texas Water 2026 — April 27–30, San Antonio
TCEQ Annual Environmental Trade Fair and Conference — May 19–20, San Antonio
TWA Summer Conference — June 17–19, Horseshoe Bay
TAGD Texas Groundwater Summit — September 1–3, San Antonio
TWA Fall Conference — October 7–9, 2026, San Antonio