Project will provide water to 1.7 million people

From Staff Reports

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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued its Record of Decision and has granted a 404 permit to allow construction to begin on the long-awaited Lower Bois d’Arc Reservoir in Fannin County.

North Texas Municipal Water District has been working for more than 15 years with federal, state and local officials on planning for the new lake that will provide water for the growing communities it serves.

The 16,641 surface acre lake will be located northeast of the city of Bonham.  This is the first reservoir to be built in Texas in 30 years. Construction is planned to begin this spring with completion in 2022.

“This is a major milestone for a critical project that will provide water to 1.7 million people living in about 80 communities in North Texas. The lake will be one of the key sources of water to meet the needs of a growing region expected to double in population in the next 50 years,” Robert Thurmond of Wylie, President of the NTMWD Board of Directors, said.

The permit was required under the federal Clean Water Act and involved a thorough and lengthy process that required avoiding and minimizing environmental impacts and identifying ways to offset those that do occur.

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