Tex. Water Code § 16.019

With the approval of the board, the executive administrator may negotiate and execute contracts with persons or with federal, state, or local agencies for joint or cooperative studies and investigations of the occurrence, quantity, and quality of the surface water and groundwater of the state; the topographical mapping of the state; and the collection, processing, and analysis of other basic data relating to the development of the water resources of the state and for the administration and performance of these contracts.