Public comments sought for Region C, I water plans

By LYNN MONTGOMERY | East Texas Edition

June 30, 2005 - Region I: For years, the talk has been about the Sulphur River and potential reservoirs along that river. But now there is talk about another reservoir, destined to be built along the Neches River, downstream from Lake Palestine's Blackburn Dam.

There is a conflict with the building of this reservoir: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed to establish a wildlife refuge is the same area.

Both the reservoir and wildlife refuge projects have some citizens in Cherokee and Anderson counties concerned and wondering which is the less of two evils when it comes to giving up their land.

"This is my heritage," began Gary Gibson of Palestine, who owns 160 acres in the area designated for the site. "Heritage means a lot. I grew up in those woods with my Granddaddy Teal. This has been in our family since 1852."

Neches River National Wildlife Refuge briefing documents about the potential refuge state, "land acquisition will be from willing sellers only, subject to fair market value appraisals, and subject to payment of closing costs and relocation financial assistance to willing sellers paid by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service."

The reservoir, to be called Fastrill, has some similiarities to a propsoed Marvin Nichols Reservoir, which has been considered along the Sulphur River. Fastrill has been "in the master plan for water supply reservoirs" since the 1960s, according to the Upper Neches River Municipal Water Authority (UNRMWA). Talk about the reservoir began to surface earlier this year when the UNRMWA began making plans for a presentation to be given to the City of Dallas with regards to a feasibility study needed for the project. The City of Dallas is one of the biggest water buyers from the UNRMWA.

Fastrill Reservoir is on Region I's and Region C's Initially Prepared Plans for 2006.

Public comments on the both regions' plans will be accepted. For Region I, three public meetings have been set: July 12 in Tyler; July 13 in Nacogdoches; and July 14 in Beaumont.

Region C: For those interested in letting the Region C Water Planning Group (RCWPG), which includes the Dallas metroplex, hear their comments about the Initially Prepared 2006 Region C Water Plan, a public hearing has been set for 1 p.m. Monday, July 11, at the Bob Duncan Community Center, 2800 South Center St., in Arlington.

This public hearing is the last step before the group's plans are due to the Texas Water Development Board in early January.

RCWPG's proposed water plan can be read online at www.regioncwater.org. Several locations in the region also have copies of the plan, including the county clerk's office in Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Fannin, Freestone, Grayson, Henderson, Jack, Kaufman, Navarro, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant and Wise counties; and several libraries: Bonham Public Library, Bonham; Cooke County Library, Gainesville; Corsicana Public Library, Corsicana; Dallas Public Central Library, Dallas; Decatur Public Library, Decatur; Denison Public Library, Denison; Fairfield Library Association, Fairfield; Fort Worth Central Library, Fort Worth; G. J. Ritchie Public Library, Jacksboro; Henderson County Library, Athens; Kaufman County Library, Kaufman; Lewisville Public Library, Lewisville; Nicholas P. Sims Library, Waxahachie; Rockwall County Library, Rockwall; Schimelpfenig Library, Plano; Sherman Public Library, Sherman; and Weatherford Public Library, Weatherford.

The RCWPG will accept written or oral comments at the July 11 public hearing. For those unable to attend hearing, written comments can be submitted to James M. Parks, RCWPG Chairman/Administrator, c/o NTMWD, P.O. Box 2408, Wylie, Texas 75098-2408. Comments are due by 5 p.m. on Sept. 9.

For more information about the meeting, contact James Parks at 972-442-5405 or in writing to the above address.