{"id":36320,"date":"2014-05-01T09:51:48","date_gmt":"2014-05-01T14:51:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/?p=36320"},"modified":"2014-05-01T09:51:48","modified_gmt":"2014-05-01T14:51:48","slug":"opponents-want-marvin-nichols-reservoir-out-of-state-water-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2014\/05\/01\/opponents-want-marvin-nichols-reservoir-out-of-state-water-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"Opponents Want Marvin Nichols Reservoir Out Of State Water Plan"},"content":{"rendered":"

From KERA News:<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/h4>\n
\"East<\/a>

Shelly Kofler\/KERA News<\/p>

East Texans opposed to the Marvin Nichols Reservoir testified Wednesday before the Texas Water Development Board.<\/p><\/div>\n

The Texas Water Development Board will soon decide whether to continue planning for the controversial Marvin Nichols Reservoir or take it out of the state\u2019s water plan.<\/p>\n

The decision is just the latest in a battle that pits the thirsty Dallas-Fort Worth metro area against rural residents in East Texas.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, a bus carrying dozens of East Texas land and business owners traveled to Arlington for the last public hearing before the water board makes its decision.<\/p>\n

Most have been battling for years to take the 70,000-acre Marvin Nichols Reservoir off the table as a future water supply.<\/p>\n

Cass County Commissioner Paul Cothran told water board staff the reservoir would damage the natural environment, swallow agriculture and timber property and result in the loss of thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in the area\u2019s tax base.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe potential for job loss will cripple our economy beyond recovery,\u201d Cothran said.<\/p>\n

Bill Ward, who owns a timber company based in Linden, said paper mills are among the region\u2019s biggest employers and at least one of the big mills will close if the reservoir is given a green light.<\/p>\n

Ward says his own business is already affected.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t bring in new industry and new jobs because we have this hanging over our heads,\u201d Ward said.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t know what\u2019s going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Texas is divided into 16 regional water planning groups, each with its own list of water sources that could be developed. The water development board folds the regional recommendations into one big state plan.<\/p>\n

So what do you do if two regions disagree?\u00a0 That\u2019s what\u2019s going on here.<\/p>\n

Region D which plans for rural East Texas where Marvin Nichols would be constructed, opposes the reservoir, while Region C which plans for Dallas-Fort Worth and its growing population wants it kept as an alternative.<\/p>\n

Region C Chairman Jim Parks says the metroplex may need to develop water supplies outside its boundaries to keep up with growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a limited number of possible water development options across Texas,\u201d said Parks. \u00a0\u201cWe know the population is going to double in a very short period of time.\u00a0 What we would like is the opportunity to simply have enough time to vet all the alternatives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Parks says leaving Marvin Nichols in the state plan doesn\u2019t mean it will be built, just that it will be considered.<\/p>\n

Max Shumake, a sixth generation landowner who lives near the Sulphur River, doesn\u2019t believe that.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been misled, we\u2019ve been bamboozled, we\u2019ve been lied to,\u201d Shumake testified, saying DFW water planners pledged to take Marvin Nichols off the table if opponents came up with other alternatives.<\/p>\n

Shumake says they’ve suggested expanding the use of current reservoirs, more reuse and recycling of water and using improved technologies.\u00a0 But that hasn\u2019t been enough.<\/p>\n

\u201cRegion C isn\u2019t interested in buying water,\u201d claimed Shumake.\u00a0 \u201cThey want to take our land.\u00a0 They want to take our mineral rights.\u00a0 They want our oil and gas and our 20 something foot of coal under our land.\u201d<\/p>\n

Timber company owner Bill Ward says opponents are ready to take the next step if the state decides on May 19 that planning should continue for Marvin Nichols.<\/p>\n

Ward says opponents will sue the state board for violating a law that says agriculture and natural resources must be protected when water supplies are developed.said.<\/p>\n

Bill Ward who owns a timber company based in Linden said East Texas\u2019 paper mills are among the region\u2019s biggest employers and at least one of the big mills will close if the reservoir is given a green light.<\/p>\n

Ward says his own business is already affected.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t bring in new industry and new jobs because we have this hanging over our heads,\u201d Ward said.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t know what\u2019s going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Texas is divided into 16 regional water planning groups, each with its own list of water sources that could be developed. \u00a0The Water Development Board folds the regional recommendations into one big state plan.<\/p>\n

So what do you do if two regions disagree?\u00a0 That\u2019s what\u2019s going on here.<\/p>\n

Region D which plans for rural East Texas where Marvin Nichols would be constructed, opposes the reservoir, while Region C which plans for Dallas-Fort Worth and its growing population wants it kept as an alternative.<\/p>\n

Region C Chairman Jim Parks says the metroplex may need to develop water supplies outside its boundaries to keep up with growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a limited number of possible water development options across Texas,\u201d said Parks. \u00a0\u201cWe know the population is going to double in a very short period of time.\u00a0 What we would like is the opportunity to simply have enough time to vet all the alternatives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Parks says leaving Marvin Nichols in the state plan doesn\u2019t mean it will be built.\u00a0 Just that it will be considered.<\/p>\n

Max Shumake, a sixth generation landowner who lives near the Sulphur River, doesn\u2019t believe that.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been misled, we\u2019ve been bamboozled, we\u2019ve been lied to,\u201d Shumake testified, saying DFW water planners pledged to take Marvin Nichols off the table if opponents came up with other alternatives.<\/p>\n

Shumake says the reservoir opponents have suggested expanding the use of current reservoirs, more reuse and recycling of water and using improved technologies.\u00a0 But that hasn\u2019t been enough.<\/p>\n

\u201cRegion C isn\u2019t interested in buying water,\u201d claimed Shumake.\u00a0 \u201cThey want to take our land.\u00a0 They want to take our mineral rights.\u00a0 They want our oil and gas and our 20 something foot of coal under our land.\u201d<\/p>\n

Timber company owner Bill Ward says opponents are ready to take the next step if the state water board decides on May 19 that planning should continue for Marvin Nichols.<\/p>\n

Ward says opponents will sue the state board for violating a law that says agriculture and natural resources must be protected when water supplies are developed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From KERA News:\u00a0 The Texas Water Development Board will soon decide whether to continue planning for the controversial Marvin Nichols Reservoir or take it out of the state\u2019s water plan. The decision is just the latest in a battle that pits the thirsty Dallas-Fort Worth metro area against rural residents in East Texas. On Wednesday, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[60],"tags":[61,243,85],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36320"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/50"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36320"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36320\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36324,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36320\/revisions\/36324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}