Opponents of Marvin Nichols thankful for board's decision

By LYNN MONTGOMERY | East Texas Edition

December 12, 2002 -- Thanksgiving came, although a week late, for people who have been fighting to keep the Marvin Nichols Reservoir from being built.

During the Dec. 4 Northeast Texas Regional Water Planning meeting, the board voted to change the language in the state water plan of Marvin Nichols from a "proposed" reservoir to a "potential" reservoir.

Before the vote was cast, Walt Sears, administrator for the planning group, said from the public comment received, there were 16 entities (such as the state and local governments, and the Farm Bureau) and 3,708 letters from people who wrote with "overwhelming opinion in support of the amendment to change the wording."

Vice Chairman Mike Huddleston, who presided in the absence of Tony Williams, called for the vote.

With Vernon Rowe making the motion and a second by John Bradley, the motion carried. As soon as the voting was finished, the crowd began to clap and cheer.

Sears asked if the record could show a "unanimous" decision, but one voting board member, Gary Jackson of Smith County, spoke up and said, "I didn't vote." Eye brows were raised with Jackson's announcement, which he later explained by saying he had missed the two prior meetings and had no ideal what they were voting on or for. He also said that it sounded like the vote would shut down the possibility of any reservoir development in Northeast Texas and that he believe that was wrong. The explanation put Jackson further behind the eight ball and he was approached by several after the meeting was adjourned.

The amendment , according to Sears, is effective immediately. A copy of the amendment will be sent to all 19 county clerks in the Region D area and the main county libraries in those counties.

"On behalf of my grandchildren, thank you," said Paris native David Nabors.

"Thank-yous" were expressed by several people during the public comment time.

One advocate spoke: "Maybe we will pay a little more attention to our government. There's more to life than piling up riches on behave of others. Our riches are here in these bottoms."

A prepared statement, issued by Susan Kaderka, Director of the National Wildlife Federation's Texas office, stated, " Some have said the Marvin Nichols Reservoir was inevitable. Today, East Texans put that notion to rest. This vote is evidence that individual citizens can make a difference when it comes to the management of our water resources in Texas. The Northeast Texas Water Planning Group is to be congratulated for listening to local residents."

Listening to the residents, apparently stroked a cord with board members.

"I am encouraged by the significant response from East Texas. It shows that we are doing our part of more public participation through the Senate Bill 1 planning process," Sears said.

With the amendment in place, all the studies (environmental, economic, etc.) will need to be done. The next step for the planning group will be election of new officers, who will then begin to forecast water demands and view existing supplies.

The next step for advocates against the now "potential" reservoir is to continue making their appeals known to Region C, which is the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Oran Caudle of Texarkana summarized, "The burden of proof has been on the people of East Texas to prove that the reservoir was not a good thing for us. With the decision today, now, the burden of proof is on this board to prove it is a good thing for East Texas."