New report shines light on flawed water planning processes

By Kenny Mitchell

Mount Pleasant Tribune, April 9, 2025

A new study commissioned by the Texas Conservation Alliance shines a glaring light on potential flaws in the state’s water planning process as a whole. The report exposes some of the challenges of continuing to rely heavily on reservoirs to meet our state’s water needs. It details planned reservoirs, explores the challenges of accurately measuring how much water planned reservoirs will provide, and spotlights conflicts of interest present in the water planning process.

“Reservoirs forever alter Texas’ landscape and natural environment,” said Janice Bezanson, Senior Policy Director of the Texas Conservation Alliance. “They take private property through eminent domain, and destroy communities, livelihoods and family homes, while drowning irreplaceable ecosystems. For decades, reservoirs have been the go-to tool for developing our state’s water needs, but a changing climate and advances in innovation demonstrate they are not the solution for our future. It’s time for Texas to move to more modern and less damaging solutions to meet water needs.”

The report highlights a few key findings, most noteworthy to Northeast Texans being the unnecessary impacts caused by reservoirs like the proposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir. Marvin Nichols, included in state water plans since 1968, has faced persistent opposition due to economic and environmental impacts.

According to the new analysis, yield projections have steadily declined but updated hydrological data suggests that firm yield estimates may still be overstated. The idea that the Marvin Nichols Reservoir is the most feasible supply alternative for sustaining and growing the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex area is highly questionable and what makes this project controversial.

Marvin Nichols Reservoir is shown as “Naples Reservoir” in the 1968 Texas Water Plan and has been included in all Region C (Dallas area) water plans from 2001-2021. It is not included in the Region D water plan. The proposed reservoir would potentially inundate 66,103 acres, store 1,532,000 acre-feet of water, and have a firm yield of 451,500 acre-feet/year. To put that number in perspective, one acre-foot of water is 325,828 gallons, which is enough to meet the average daily water needs of more than 1,000 American households. It is also sufficient to submerge an entire standard size football field in nine inches of water. So, Marvin Nichols would stand to have a firm annual yield that amounts to a staggering 147 billion gallons of water and a total storage capacity of half a trillion gallons.

Of that staggering number, Freese and Nichols, the engineering firm that has long touted the need for the reservoir, suggests that 80% of the firm yield would be conveyed to the DFW Metroplex, with the remaining 20% used here in Northeast Texas.

The report also points out flaws in the way Texas water planners look at future water inflows and net evaporation rates, as well as the myriad conflicts of interest created when engineering and other consulting firms performing the planning work may be incentivized to develop water management strategies for which they are later hired to design, build, and/or operate. Other flaws in the water planning system such as the need for updated hydrologic models that take into consideration modern climate data are also brought to light by the new report. The report concludes by highlighting the urgent need for legislative action to modernize the Texas’ water planning process, ensure accurate yield projections, address conflicts of interest, and improve flexibility in adapting to new water supply challenges. If you would like to read the comprehensive study, go to https:// preservenortheasttexas. org/ wp- content/ uploads/ 2025/ 04/ Evaluating- Proposed-Texas-Reservoirs-–- Final-Report.pdf