According to a draft feasibility review from the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), the proposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir project meets the criteria necessary to move forward. The review was initiated following a rider attached to the state budget by local House Rep. Gary VanDeaver during the most recent session of the Texas Legislature. The report assessed the reservoir’s implementation timeline, costs, economic impact, and land acquisition requirements, concluding that no significant concerns would prevent the project’s feasibility.
The Marvin Nichols Reservoir, located in the Sulphur River Basin and spanning Titus, Red River, and Franklin counties, has been part of regional and state water plans since 2001. The project was first proposed in 1968. The reservoir, which would flood over 72,000 acres of land, is intended to provide water for the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Nearly half of the area to be flooded consists of bottomland hardwood forests, a rare and ecologically significant habitat.
There is strong local opposition to the project, particularly in Northeast Texas, due to concerns over the loss of jobs in farming, ranching, logging, and the flooding of family cemeteries and historic Native American sites. Critics, including the Texas Living Waters project, argue that conservation efforts could meet the water needs of the Dallas-Fort Worth area without the need for the reservoir. The Region D Water Plan, which covers the area where the reservoir would be located, opposes the project.
The public comment period for the feasibility review is open until Tuesday, October 15. Comments must be emailed to feasibility@twdb.texas.gov to be considered.
