Controversy on the Sulphur River

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Controversy on the Sulphur River

• The Proposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir

Cassandra Gordon and Joan Norton
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The Area Involved
Northeast Texas
Proposed Reservoir
Dallas/Fort Worth
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Proposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir
Jim Chapman Lake
Red River
Lamar
Bowie
Delta
Franklin
Titus
Morris
Hopkins
Cass
Rockwall
Dallas
Tarrant
Wright Patman Reservoir
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The Issue

• The Dallas/Fort Worth region is searching for
  water supplies to meet their increasing needs
  through the year 2050.
• Construction of the Marvin Nichols Reservoir
  would meet this need.
• 80 of the water would be pipelined to Dallas.

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The Problem

• The reservoir will consume 72,000 acres of land.
• This land consists of
• Ecologically important bottomland hardwood
  forests
• Scattered farms and ranches
• Devastating effects can be expected

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Vegetation at the Reservoir Site
Post Oak
Post Oak
Other
Water Oak, Elm, Hackberry
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Land Cover at the Reservoir Site
Deciduous Forest Land
Mixed Forest
Cropland and Pasture
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Environmentally Speaking

• Submersing 72,000 acres of forested land could
  potentially mean
• Displacement of wildlife
• Increased Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)
• Disruption of fish habitat

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Economically Speaking

• Losses to the timber industry
• 1,334 jobs lost
• 41.4 million lost in labor income
• 163.91 million lost in industry output
• Loss of agricultural jobs

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Economically Speaking

• Little development because 163,000 additional
  acres will be set aside for mitigation.
• Much different than Lake Ray Hubbard in Rockwall.

www.texasbeyondhistory.net
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Economically Speaking

• 72,000 acres under reservoir 163,000 acres for
  mitigation 235,000 acres worth of property tax
  lost.
• Could mean higher taxes to make up the
  difference, or else regional schools will be
  deprived of funding.

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Economically Speaking

• Recreational benefits will be trivial
• Many preexisting reservoirs
• Displacement of wildlife and possible death of
  fish

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Economically Speaking

• Dallas will receive the benefits of the reservoir
• Water intensive industries
• Job retention
• Northeast Texas will lose industry and jobs
• Zero-sum game??

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Alternatives to the Reservoir

• Reuse treated waste water
• Use water from existing reservoirs
• Conservation!

Lake Texoma www.shopoklahoma.com