The Texas Instream Flow Program was created by the Texas Legislature in 2001 to assess how much water rivers need to maintain a sound ecological environment. The program is administered by three agencies: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and Texas Water Development Board. For the first time, state agencies and the public are collaborating on scientific studies to determine how much water should flow in rivers for a healthy environment.

What is an Instream Flow?    An instream flow is an amount of water running in a river, usually measured by the volume moving down the channel in a specified amount of time (discharge). A variety of instream flows are required to maintain a healthy river.