Securing Texas' water future — from the ground up

The challenge

Texas is running out of water you can't see.

Groundwater supplies more than half the state's water — and for most rural Texans, it's the only source they have. But aquifers across the state are under growing pressure from rapid population growth, expanding agriculture, energy and industrial development, and a changing climate.

At the same time, the system that governs groundwater hasn't kept pace. Declining aquifer levels, large-scale water export projects, and uneven local oversight are putting communities, economies, and ecosystems at risk.

What we're doing

EDF's Texas Water program works to ensure groundwater — the state's most critical water supply — is managed for the long term.

Through science, policy, and coalition-building, we're helping strengthen how Texas manages groundwater to protect property rights, support rural economies economies and ensure there is enough water for future generations.

• 55% of Texas's water supply comes from groundwater.

• 80% of agricultural water in Texas is groundwater.

• 99%+ of rural Texans rely on groundwater as their sole drinking water source.

Why Groundwater — and Why Now

The population of Texas is growing by 1,200 people every day. Demand for water in Texas is rising fast — and nearly all of it depends on the same underground reserves.

Population growth, agriculture and industry are all drawing from shared aquifers. Because of increasing demands and worsening drought, water is being used faster than it can be replenished in many regions.

Yet the system designed to manage this resource hasn't kept up. Texas relies on a patchwork of local groundwater conservation districts with uneven authority, funding and access to data.

Meeting today's challenges will require better tools, stronger coordination, and broader alignment among the people and communities who depend on groundwater. EDF has spent years working to help build all three.

The System Isn't Built for Today's Reality

Texas manages groundwater through roughly 100 local groundwater conservation districts (GCDs), which regulate pumping and plan for long-term use. But significant gaps remain:

• One-third of Texas has no groundwater district at all.
• Most GCDs lack the funding, data or clear legal authority needed to manage groundwater proactively.
• 95% of GCDs have adopted management goals that allow aquifer levels to decline over time.
• The century-old “rule of capture” limits landowners' ability to protect their water from overuse by neighbors.

Groundwater may be privately owned in Texas, but it is a shared resource. Effective management is the only way to protect every owner's stake.

How EDF Is Driving Solutions

Since 2020, EDF's Texas Water program — led by Vanessa Puig-Williams, a Texas native and water attorney — has built momentum by working across traditional divides.

We partner with groundwater districts, agricultural organizations, landowners, legislators and conservation groups to advance three core strategies:

Investing in science and data

Groundwater districts can't manage what they can't measure. EDF works to expand investment in monitoring, modeling and research so local leaders have the information they need to make sound decisions.

Strengthening the rules of the road

EDF works with lawmakers and stakeholders to clarify and strengthen GCD authority, improve long-term planning and ensure local districts can respond to growing demand. This includes reforms to how districts set and enforce desired future conditions — the benchmarks that define how much water will be available in the decades ahead.

Building coalitions that last

Durable solutions require broad support. EDF convenes diverse stakeholders, including through the Texas Groundwater Roundtable, to align on practical policy solutions in the state Legislature. The Roundtable brings together agricultural and landowner representatives, scientists, GCD managers and policy experts to help inform lawmakers on effective pathways to groundwater sustainability.

Our Impact

EDF is helping drive real progress toward a more sustainable water future for Texas:

$20 billion for water infrastructure

EDF helped shape the landmark funding package signed into law in 2025 and approved by Texas voters as Proposition 4 — the largest water investment in state history — to help communities prepare for long-term water challenges. Read more →

$7.5 million for groundwater science

EDF led a coalition — including the Texas Farm Bureau and the Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts — to secure the first-ever dedicated state funding for local groundwater research.

Texas Groundwater Roundtable

EDF helped launch a statewide coalition of agricultural and landowner representatives, scientists, industry and policy experts working together to inform policy solutions ahead of the 2027 legislative session.

Legislative leadership

EDF is a leading voice on groundwater at the Texas Capitol, providing expert testimony, policy analysis, and educational briefings to lawmakers and staff.

Protecting critical water systems

In West Texas, EDF launched the San Solomon Springs Collaborative, bringing together landowners, scientists and groundwater conservation districts to develop science-based strategies to protect one of the state's most iconic and threatened spring systems. Check out our StoryMap exploring the springs.