Bandera County River Authority & Groundwater District

What Bandera County River Authority & Groundwater District does

Bandera County River Authority & Groundwater District (BCRAGD) is a political subdivision of the State of Texas operating under Texas Water Code Chapters 36, 49, and 51, and codified in 2023 under Chapter 8850 of the Special District Local Laws Code. Established by the Texas Legislature on September 1, 1971 as the Bandera County River Authority, the district was expanded in 1989 with the formation of the Springhills Water District and renamed to its current form in 2003. It holds an integrated mandate combining river authority, groundwater conservation district, and water control and improvement district powers within Bandera County and Groundwater Management Area 9.

BCRAGD's core products and services include well permitting and registrations, an aquifer Monitor Well Program with monthly level measurements, water quality testing through both in-house surface water sampling (Medina River, Medina Lake, and tributaries) and a non-certified public laboratory (bacteria and mineral testing for $10-$50 per test), drought management with statutory authority to restrict permitted well production, a Flood Early Warning System built on USGS rainfall and river gauges, and the multi-agency Clean Rivers Program. The district covers the Medina River, Medina Lake, Nueces Watershed, and Upper Sabinal River Watersheds, with ~10 staff members and a 9-member elected board (two from each precinct plus one at-large).

The district is funded primarily through property taxes levied on Bandera County residents, supplemented by well permitting fees and laboratory service fees. It serves four primary customer segments: Bandera County citizens (water resource protection and emergency notifications), property owners with wells (permitting and compliance), well owners requiring water quality testing, and water utilities and public water suppliers requiring permit oversight. Distribution is direct via a single physical office in Bandera, a 24/7 website portal, social media channels, and laboratory drop-off services. The district partners with federal and state agencies including USGS, Texas Water Development Board, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and multiple river authorities for Clean Rivers Program execution.

Name

Bandera County River Authority & Groundwater District

Legal name

Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District

Website

https://bcragd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bandera County River Authority & Groundwater District (BCRAGD) is a Texas political subdivision providing water resource management for Bandera County, including well permitting, groundwater monitoring, water quality testing, drought management, and flood early warning services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Resource Management

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Treated Water Storage & Pressure Management (Reservoirs, Tanks, Booster Stations) (EUANAAAD)

Keywords

• Water resource management
• Groundwater conservation
• Well permitting services
• Water quality testing
• Flood early warning

Headquarters

HQ city

Bandera

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Revenue: Government district funded primarily through property taxes from citizens of Bandera County
2. Well Permitting Fees: Fees collected for well permit applications, amendments, and registrations
3. Laboratory Service Fees: Fees for water quality testing services including bacteria tests ($15-$50), mineral tests ($10), and combined tests

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

BCRAGD is a political subdivision of the State of Texas providing regulatory and management services for water resources within Bandera County. Its core offerings include well permitting and registration, groundwater and surface water quality monitoring, drought management with enforcement authority, a flood early warning system, laboratory water quality testing, and Medina Lake management, all delivered to landowners, businesses, public water utilities, and the general public.

Product overview

Bandera County River Authority & Groundwater District (BCRAGD) is a political subdivision of the State of Texas operating under Chapters 36, 49, and 51 of the Texas Water Code. The District offers an integrated suite of water resource management services including well permitting and registration, groundwater monitoring through its Monitor Well Program, water quality testing (both in-house surface water sampling and laboratory services), drought management with restriction authority, flood early warning systems, and environmental investigation services. The District also manages Medina Lake and participates in regional water planning through GMA-9 and Region J. Core offerings include regulatory services for well drilling, aquifer monitoring, water quality assessment, and public education programs for water conservation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Well Permitting and Registrations Regulatory service for permitting and registering water wells in Bandera County, including domestic, livestock, and commercial wells, with associated fee schedules and compliance requirements under Texas Water Code.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Texas Parks and WildlifecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership for Arundo Donax (invasive cane-like plant) control and Zebra Mussel monitoring in Medina Lake. BCRAGD works with TPWD to identify, treat, and control invasive species that threaten water conservation efforts.
• Hill Country AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Co-launched the 2021 Axis Deer Control Project in Texas Hill Country to raise awareness about impacts of free-ranging Axis deer and support research for control efforts.
• Texas Tech University - Department of Natural Resources ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Research partner for Axis Deer Control Project, providing scientific expertise for deer population management studies.
• Edwards Aquifer AuthorityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership for water sample collection around Coal Springs for isotopic analysis to study surface water/groundwater interactions within the Coal Springs complex.
• USGS (U.S. Geological Survey)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLarry Thomas serves as liaison for BCRAGD, TWDB, and USGS as Flood Early Warning System project manager. Doug Schnoebelen, PhD, recently joined BCRAGD after 29 years at USGS. Collaboration on groundwater, water quality, flooding, and sensor networks.
• San Antonio River Authority (SARA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean Rivers Program partner assisting with training, laboratory work, and extra personnel/equipment for water quality monitoring of Medina River and Lake.
• Nueces River Authority (NRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean Rivers Program partner providing laboratory work and additional support for expanded monitoring to Nueces Watershed since September 2016.
• Lower Colorado River Authority Environmental Lab Services (LCRA-ELS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean Rivers Program partner providing laboratory services and support for water quality monitoring programs.
• Texas Water Development Board (TWDB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonthly aquifer level measurements and data submission. Dave Mauk serves on Groundwater Management Area 9 and Region J Plateau Planning Group. Collaboration on flood planning.
• Groundwater Management Area 9 (GMA-9)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint planning with other groundwater conservation districts to produce management plans and Desired Future Conditions (DFCs) for aquifers.
• Plateau Regional Water Planning Group (Region J)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional water planning group consisting of Bandera, Edwards, Kerr, Kinney, Real, and Val Verde counties. BCRAGD participates in state water planning.
• Upper Guadalupe River Authority (UGRA)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferral partner for certified laboratory services when BCRAGD's non-certified lab cannot meet customer needs.
• City of Kerrville LaboratoryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferral partner for certified laboratory services.
• Medina River Protection FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDon Sloan serves on the nonprofit board. Mission-aligned organization for river protection in Bandera County.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA): A significantly larger Texas river authority providing Clean Rivers Program laboratory support across multiple basins including a partnership with BCRAGD. LCRA's diversified utility, water quality, and environmental services portfolio serves as a scaled-up analog.
• Texas Water Development Board (TWDB): State-level agency receiving BCRAGD's monthly aquifer level measurements and quarterly water test data. Sets policy and funds regional water planning that BCRAGD operates within; a critical stakeholder rather than direct competitor but a structural comparable for water sector governance.
• Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts: Industry/association body of which BCRAGD is a member. While not an operating peer, it represents the broader coalition of groundwater conservation districts across Texas that operate under the same Chapter 36 framework as BCRAGD.

Direct peers

• Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority: Another Texas river authority with overlapping territory in the Guadalupe basin. GBRA performs similar surface water quality, laboratory, and watershed management duties, providing a strong comparability benchmark.
• Nueces River Authority: Clean Rivers Program partner providing laboratory and support services for BCRAGD's Nueces Watershed monitoring since 2016. NRA operates with a similar combination of river authority statutory powers, water quality programs, and laboratory capacity.
• Upper Guadalupe River Authority (UGRA): Referral partner for certified laboratory services and another Texas river authority operating in adjacent Kerr County. UGRA runs comparable water quality testing, laboratory, and watershed programs - a near-clone peer for BCRAGD's surface water activities.
• Edwards Aquifer Authority: Another Texas groundwater conservation district operating under similar statutory authority with permitting, monitoring, and regulatory responsibilities for a critical regional aquifer. BCRAGD already partners with EAA on isotopic analysis around Coal Springs, and EAA's structure mirrors BCRAGD's approach.
• San Antonio River Authority: Partner under Clean Rivers Program and broader watershed monitoring; SARA operates over the Medina River and adjacent basins with comparable surface water quality monitoring and laboratory functions. Direct program-level collaboration makes their operating model closely comparable.

Others

• Hill Country Alliance: Nonprofit partner on Axis Deer Control and broader Hill Country water stewardship initiatives. Mission-aligned advocacy organization with overlapping conservation goals rather than overlapping services.

Regional players

• Brazos Valley Groundwater Conservation District: A Texas groundwater conservation district serving a different geography (Brazos basin) but performing equivalent aquifer monitoring, permitting, and DFC reporting functions. Useful as a structural peer for budget and operational benchmarking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@bcragd_tx
• Facebookfacebook.com/bcragd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bandera-county-river-authority-groundwater-district
• Instagraminstagram.com/bcragd_tx
• Xx.com/bcragd_tx

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bandera County River Authority & Groundwater District