2 East Texas representatives author bills opposing Marvin Nichols Reservoir

By Zak Wellerman

CBS19 News, January 28, 2025

MT PLEASANT, Texas — Two East Texas state representatives have come together in an effort to stop the building of the Marvin Nichols Reservoir project.

The proposed reservoir seeks to provide more water for the Dallas-Fort Worth area residents, but several Northeast Texans say the project would take away private land acreage. The proposal is for the reservoir to be built on Sulphur Rivers and upstream at the White Oak Creek in Franklin, Titus and Red River counties. Organizers want to see it supplying water by 2050.

On Monday, state Rep. Cole Hefner, R-Mount Pleasant, and state Rep. Gary VanDeaver filed House Bills 2109 and 2114, which they co-authored, as ways of stopping the Marvin Nichols Reservoir. 

In a statement, Hefner said that private property is sacred in America, especially in Texas. He said that the Marvin Nichols Reservoir project is all about taking land from Northeast Texans to fix the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex’s water issues. 

House Bill 2109 would make a water development board remove a proposed reservoir from the State Water Plan if construction hasn’t started within 50 years. If that rule is in effect, Marvin Nichols would be removed because it seeks to be in operation within 25 years. 

Hefner says that generations of families in the proposed reservoir boundaries haven’t been able to enjoy the full use of their property because of this proposal. 

House Bill 2114 would stop engineering firms involved in the preparation of a state or regional water plan from being involved in the construction of a reservoir. Hefner said firms should not be able to enrich themselves with taxpayer dollars on projects they convinced the state to undertake. 

If these bills became law, they would go into effect on Sept. 1, 2025. 

“I am grateful to Rep. VanDeaver for his outstanding leadership on this critical issue and look forward to working  with him to protect our property rights. Generations of East Texas families have lived and died on these lands,  and it is their right to allow their heirs to do the same. These lands are their heritage,” Hefner said. “DFW must find another solution to its water woes without depriving our people of their land.” 

Hefner represents House District 5, which includes Camp, Rains, Titus, Upshur, Wood and parts of Smith counties.