LNVA manages
and
coordinates
releases of water in the
Sam Rayburn Reservoir and
Lake BA Steinhagen. The distribution system delivers fresh water to eight cities, 26 industries and more than 100 irrigated farms
in the region.
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Water is good for Texas
Canals
INDUSTRY
IRRIGATION
DRINKING WATER
Canals in Texas serve two purposes. They provide a means of maritime transportation, and they provide water for industry, irrigation and drinking. Texas, along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and neighboring states, is responsible for a large, interconnected canal system that supplies not only water, but provides access to Texas’ many deep-draft ports and inland waterways through the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. This waterway connects Texas to international trade networks and is a significant boost for jobs and economic development.
Transportation Canals
Solely designed for shipping and maritime traffic.
Industry, Irrigation and Drinking Water Canals
Once water is sourced, either as groundwater, surface water or reclaimed water, it is transported to its various commercial and residential destinations through canals. Canals provide a simple and low-energy means of transporting water from a source to local distribution centers through gravity.
While comprising only a third of the entire GIWW, the Texas portion handles 70 percent of the canal’s total traffic — about 77.7 million tons
| Information | Major Texas Transportation Canals | Major Texas Industry, Irrigation and Drinking Water Canals | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gulf Coast Intercoastal Waterway (GIWW) | Houston Ship Channel | Sabine-Neches Waterway | Lower Neches Valley Authority Canal System | John W. Simmons Gulf Coast Canal System | Rio Grande Project |
|
| Location | Stretches from southernmost Texas to northern Florida for a total of 1,100 miles. Texas portion is 379 miles long. | Stretches from downtown Houston to the Gulf of Mexico. Feeds into GIWW. | Connects Beaumont, Port Arthur, Orange and Sabine Pass to the Gulf of Mexico. Feeds into GIWW. |
JEFFERSON, LIBERTY AND CHAMBERS COUNTIES. Consists of 416 miles of canals. | Orange, Texas, and flows throughout Orange County and parts of Newton County. Consists of 75 miles of canals. | Rio Grande River Valley, covering parts of West Texas, South Central New Mexico and Northern Mexico. Consists of: • 141 miles of canals. • 462 miles of laterals. • 457 miles of drains. |
| Maintaining Organization | U.S.: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with input from each effected Gulf Coast state. Texas Department of Transportation assists in planning and procuring land for dredging. | Port of Houston. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. | Sabine-Neches Navigation District. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. |
Lower Neches Valley Authority. | Sabine River Authority of Texas – Gulf Coast Division. | U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. |
| Benefits | Contributed up to $31.7 billion to Texas’ GDP in 2018. Texas handles 70% of the total GIWW traffic. | Contributed up to $337 billion in state economic value 2018. | Largest crude oil and LNG exporter in the U.S. Supports nearly 375,000 U.S. jobs. | |||
This is one in a series of reports the Comptroller has prepared on water in Texas.
Questions?
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the material on this page, please contact the Comptroller’s Data Analysis and Transparency Division.