Red River Authority Leaders Reappointed Amidst Deepening Texas Water Crisis

On April 23, 2025, Texas Governor Greg Abbott reappointed Jerry Dan Davis, Mike Sandefur, and Joe L. Ward to the Red River Authority of Texas Board of Directors, with their terms extending to August 11, 2029. The decision arrives at a critical moment for the state, where water scarcity, driven by climate change and population growth, is reshaping priorities. These appointees, each with deep ties to agriculture and community leadership, are tasked with steering the authority through complex challenges in the Red River basin, a region vital to both rural livelihoods and urban expansion.

The Red River Authority oversees the conservation, development, and management of water resources across the Red River and its Texas tributaries, a watershed stretching from the Panhandle to Northeast Texas. Its work affects farmers, municipalities, and industries, all grappling with dwindling groundwater and unpredictable surface water supplies. The reappointments signal continuity in leadership, but they also raise questions about how the authority will navigate mounting pressures, from drought to infrastructure decay.

Davis, a farmer and rancher from Wellington, brings firsthand knowledge of the Panhandle’s agricultural needs. Sandefur, a Texarkana business leader, offers expertise in land management and civic governance. Ward, a rancher from Telephone, has a history of community service and prior state-level water policy experience. Their backgrounds reflect the authority’s dual focus on rural economies and regional water planning, but their decisions will ripple across a state facing a projected 18% drop in water supply by 2070.

Texas faces a water crisis fueled by a growing population and a changing climate. The state’s population is expected to surge to 51.5 million by 2070, a 73% increase, while water supplies are projected to shrink significantly. In the Panhandle, the Ogallala Aquifer, a lifeline for agriculture, is depleting rapidly, with recharge rates unable to keep pace with pumping. Northeast Texas, reliant on reservoirs like Lake O’ the Pines, has seen local opposition to water sales for urban use, highlighting tensions between rural and metropolitan needs.

The Red River Authority operates in a region where these issues are particularly acute. The Panhandle’s cotton industry has contracted due to water shortages, with gins closing and rural economies suffering. In Northeast Texas, a proposed water transfer to North Texas suburbs sparked protests over local supply concerns and lack of transparency. Aging infrastructure compounds the problem, with Texas losing at least 572,000 acre-feet of water annually to leaks and breaks, enough to supply a major city.

Stakeholders are divided on solutions. Farmers and ranchers, like those represented by the Texas Farm Bureau, push for policies that protect agricultural water access and property rights, citing economic losses from inconsistent water deliveries, such as those under the 1944 U.S.-Mexico Water Treaty. Environmental advocates, including groups like the Sierra Club, call for stronger conservation measures, climate-resilient planning, and ecosystem protections to ensure long-term sustainability. The authority must balance these perspectives while complying with state mandates and public accountability requirements.

Established to manage the Red River basin, the authority controls rights to over 70% of Texas’s surface water in the region, overseeing water quality, permitting, and infrastructure projects. It collaborates with the Texas Water Development Board and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to develop 50-year water plans, addressing both immediate shortages and future demand. Its board, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate, makes decisions that shape water allocation, drought contingency, and regional development.

The authority’s work is not without scrutiny. Local communities demand transparency, especially after controversies like the Northeast Texas water sale debate. Agricultural groups seek assurances that their needs won’t be sidelined by urban growth, while environmental organizations urge the board to prioritize conservation and adapt to climate projections showing hotter, drier conditions. The reappointed directors, with their agricultural and business expertise, are expected to bridge these divides, but their decisions will be closely watched.

Agricultural stakeholders, a powerful force in Texas water policy, emphasize the need for reliable water to sustain rural economies. The Texas Farm Bureau, for instance, has championed legislation like the 2024 Water Delivery Transparency Act, which mandates public forums for farmers to voice concerns about water shortages. These efforts have led to federal support, including a $280 million USDA grant in March 2025 for Rio Grande Valley producers, a model some Panhandle farmers hope to replicate.

Environmental groups offer a contrasting view, advocating for infrastructure upgrades and policies that account for climate change. They point to municipal conservation successes, where cities have slashed per capita water use, as evidence that strategic investments can stretch supplies. These groups argue that voluntary measures alone won’t suffice and that the authority must enforce stricter standards to protect rivers and aquifers. Meanwhile, urban planners warn that without coordinated action, cities like Dallas and Texarkana could face severe shortages, pitting municipal needs against rural interests.

The reappointments of Davis, Sandefur, and Ward come at a pivotal time for the Red River Authority and Texas as a whole. Their expertise in agriculture and governance will be tested as they confront water scarcity, infrastructure challenges, and competing demands from diverse stakeholders. The authority’s ability to foster collaboration, invest in sustainable solutions, and maintain public trust will determine its success in a region where water is both a lifeline and a source of conflict.

As Texas grapples with a future of tighter water supplies, the decisions made by boards like the Red River Authority will shape the state’s resilience. The path forward requires balancing immediate needs with long-term planning, ensuring that farms, cities, and ecosystems can coexist in a landscape increasingly defined by scarcity. For now, the reappointed directors face the daunting task of turning plans into action, with the eyes of a water-stressed state upon them.