Water battle continues at senate hearings
By Jodi Sheridan
Texarkana Gazette

Groups that are opposed to and in favor of the development of the Marvin Nichols Reservoir are gearing up for a trip to Austin this week.

Public hearings are scheduled to begin Tuesday with the Senate Committee on Natural Resources on legislation from state Sen. Kip Averitt, R-Waco, to designate Marvin Nichols and others as unique reservoir sites.

Marvin Nichols is a plan by the state to address long-term water needs in the Dallas vicinity. A battle over building the lake has raged for years.

It would be located roughly on the Sulphur River upstream from its confluence with White Oak Creek. A dam would be located in Red River and Titus counties with water also being impounded in Franklin County.

There are two bills by Averitt in which Marvin Nichols would be designated: Senate Bill 675 and Senate Bill 3.

Both are able to be accessed through a search engine on the Texas Senate Website.

State Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, sits on the Natural Resources Committee. He has made no secret of his opposition to Marvin Nichols.

“I’m going to let him (Averitt) lay out his bill and listen,” he said. “I’m sure there will be a lot of public testimony on that bill.”

Eltife said because the bill is so broad, testimony will likely come from all over the state. Besides Marvin Nichols, 18 other reservoir sites are included in the bill, including Fastrill, Lower Bois d’Arc and Ralph Hall reservoirs.

Eltife said those opposed need to focus on their issue with the bill, because it is broad and there are many moving parts to it. It’s also possible the bill will change during the whole process.

Eltife said those opposed need to focus on their issue with the bill, because it is broad and there are many moving parts to it. It’s also possible the bill will change during the whole process.

“That bill, in my opinion, will not pass as it’s written,” he said.

He explained there will be at least a day full of testimony. Then it will be left pending in the committee to give lawmakers time to think about it and for them to offer substitutes. The hearing will begin at 1 p.m. Tuesday or upon Senate adjournment in E1.O12, the hearing room at the Capitol.

“This will be a slow-moving process,” he said.

Regardless, many around the area are ready to make their case in Austin.

Ward Timber Co. of Linden is expected to send a group to testify, although it had not been confirmed as of 5 p.m. Friday. The company has been opposed to Marvin Nichols for several years.

So has International Paper, located in Domino, right outside of Texarkana.

Amanda Black Keeney, the spokewoman for IP, said a group of company representatives are making the trip.

“We’ve been talking about this issue since 2000. Obviously we’re sympathetic, but we feel like there are other ways to take care of their water issues and ... take care of our environmental resources and economic stronghold,” she said.

She said they are going armed with a large amount of information, which includes:

• Permanent removal of the forestland expected to be wiped out by building the lake would “prove detrimental to the forest and paper products industry and severely hamstring the northeast Texas economy.”
• The reservoir would create a huge potential loss in forest and paper product industry jobs, which stretches far beyond just IP.
• Other viable options are availalbe for a water supply.
• The amount of mitigation needed for the lake could be much greater than currently projected.

Keeney said their water rights and ability to discharge to the Sulphur River are also at stake.

Janice Bezanson, executive director of the Texas Committee on Natural Resources, is also mounting an opposition effort for Tuesday’s hearing.

Bezanson has many times stood by Northeast and East Texas residents opposed to Marvin Nichols, and while they haven’t coordinated on anything specific, she has sent information to some of them and would be surprised if at least a few didn’t show up.

“We’re expecting quite a few people could come,” she said.

Bezanson has provided contact information for committee members and other lawmakers and has provided information on what being a unique reservoir site means. She has also urged folks to write and call their representatives.

“There are two big reasons not to do this. One is the conservation reason,” she said, noting the lack of research and willingness to conserve. “The other is the tremendous impact on private landowners.”

Bezanson said the repercussions are great, because being designated a unique reservoir site means no state or local government can do anything on the site that would making building the reservoir there impossible.

It won’t just be the opposition crowding the Capitol Tuesday. Those in support of the measure will be there and will be ready to defend their stance.

The recently formed Northeast Texas Water Coalition will have representatives there to illustrate why they think Marvin Nichols is a good thing.

“That’s why we’re going,” said Vatra Solomon, who works with the coalition started by Mount Pleasant businessman Ty Abston. The coalition garnered interest from people throughout Red River, Titus, Franklin and Bowie counties to join and support the group.

Solomon said it doesn’t matter how much the opposition may outnumber the proponents Tuesday.

“Not matter if we brought 500 and they brought 500 ... they’re not going to count everyone up and see who has the most there and say, ‘You win,’” she said.