The Trinity River Authority of Texas was established by the 54th Legislature in 1955 as an independent political subdivision of the state. The TRA rules over all or part of 17 Texas counties located within the Trinity River Basin, covering about 14,000 square miles, and serving over one million Texans. TRA was established to serve three major functions: first, to create and maintain a basin wide master plan for the Trinity River watershed, second, to serve as a local sponsor for federal water projects, and lastly, to provide water and wastewater related services within the Trinity River Authority territory. Currently offered services consist of wastewater treatment, water treatment (potable water production), reservoir facilities, recreation facilities and functioning as a conduit for tax exempt financing for cities for water and wastewater treatment facilities, and for industry in the areas of air and/or water pollution control. TRA does not receive aid from a direct tax base or from state or federal appropriations, and therefore only provides service upon request

The Texas Clean Rivers Program (CRP) was established under the Texas Clean Rivers Act by the 1991 Texas Legislature to address water resource issues. The CRP is funded by state fees which are used for water quality monitoring, assessment, and public outreach. Current objectives include providing quality-assured data to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for use in water quality decision-making, identifying and evaluating water quality issues, promoting cooperative watershed planning, informing and engaging stakeholders, maintaining efficient use of public funds, and adapting the program to emerging water quality issues. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality administers the CRP by partnering with 15 agencies, including 12 river authorities, one water district, one federal agency, and one council of government, to monitor and assess water quality status of 23 river and coastal basins in the state.

The TCEQ, formerly known as the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, has served as the state's environmental protection agency since September 1, 2002. Program fees primarily support the TCEQ budget, followed by funding from the federal and state government, and various other sources. The TCEQ's main goal is to provide clean air and water, and safe waste management. Some of the agency's main functions include recommending, implementing, and enforcing environmental legislation, as well as, issuing environmental permits, licenses and registrations. Additionally, TCEQ provides information about water and environment quality, and pollution and recycling. In recent years, the agency has established the Environmental Monitoring and Response System, and revised and improved the state's municipal solid waste regulations.

The Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources is a unit of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station (TAES) and Texas Cooperative Extension (TCE). The Institute’s purpose is to foster research and extension programs focused on natural resource science and management. The goal of the IRNR is to promote, coordinate, and implement inter-disciplinary programs and activities to meet natural resource needs in Texas and elsewhere. The IRNR also serves faculty of the Texas A&M University System by coordinating inter-disciplinary projects, developing proposals, providing technical support, and providing increased access to new sources of extramural funding. The Institute serves as the host institution for the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit, a partnership among 7 Federal Agencies and 23 Universities and NGOs established to meet the research and outreach needs of Federal Agencies through a cooperative agreement established in 2003.