Marvin Nichols Reservoir - A Proposal Dead in the Water
Cass County Judge Travis Ransom
Marvin Nichols Reservoir - A Proposal Dead in the Water
On September 30th, I traveled to Arlington, Texas to testify in front of the Region C Water Planning Group. I had to drive by past Six Flags over Texas and its Hurricane Harbor water park which punctuated the importance of my visit. The proposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir would be built to provide the DFW Metroplex with additional water resources. However, there are plenty of sustainable solutions for water supply that wouldn’t impact the land, economy, and people of northeast Texas. Through municipal water reuse/recycling, conservation and capturing stormwater, the region could make major strides in maximizing the water supply they already have. Water usage reports say that the DFW metroplex has sufficient resources for household and business needs - they want our water primarily so they can water their lawns, fill their swimming pools, and of course, operate those massive water parks. Taking land through eminent domain in order to flood by the acre foot only to sell it back by the bottle or use for economic development is a raw deal for hardworking rural landowners. Their Texas miracle shouldn’t be our Texas nightmare. Property rights should still matter in Texas. I encourage you to learn more and make your opinion known. Click on the link below to read some of the news reports from this event: https://preservenortheasttexas.org/news/
This project has a $7 BILLION dollar price tag and would use eminent domain to force thousands of property owners off family lands, destroy natural wildlife habitat, drown resources that would devastate the timber and agriculture-based economy in the region, and flood archaeological and historic sites and cemeteries.
Local Economy
If constructed, the Marvin Nichols Reservoir would be devastating to the timber industry and result in loss of local manufacturing capacity. As businesses shut down, local workers will lose their livelihoods. Although construction of the reservoir will require many workers, these jobs will be temporary and much of the design and construction will be done by contractors from outside the area.
Environment
Roughly two-thirds of the land that would be taken for Marvin Nichols Reservoir is bottomland hardwood forest or other forested wetlands and upland forest. This reservoir would destroy irreplaceable natural habitats for local and migratory wildlife and hurt the region’s hunting and natural beauty. Replacing this productive land with a reservoir that inefficiently uses our natural resources is bad stewardship.
Local Community
Many residents would be forced to leave their homes and businesses because of the reservoir. As a result of the loss in population and local businesses, the tax base would shrink and those who remain in the community would suffer from underfunded schools and public services.
Take Action!
Tell State legislators why you disagree with their findings in the draft Marvin Nichols feasibility study before October 25th!
The Texas Water Development Board released their draft feasibility study on Marvin Nichols and concluded that there was nothing to “render the project infeasible.” We disagree and know you do too. The flawed feasibility study used a legalistic definition of feasibility which did not meet the intent of the law. It also regurgitated outdated data that did not take into account the actual timber and agricultural industries that would be impacted. The new budget estimate of $7-billion dollars also wasn’t taken into account. You can read the draft report and provide feedback on the results by emailing vfeasibility@twdb. texas.gov before October 25, 2024. This is your opportunity to impact the Marvin Nichols feasibility study before the Texas Legislature reviews the report in January. Make your voice heard, share your story and say NO to Marvin Nichols!