North Texas Municipal Water District - Texas House Natural Resources Committee Testimony (April 23, 2025)
The following is written testimony filed on behalf of the District by Jenna Covington, Executive Director and General Manager.
Chairman Harris, Vice-Chair Martinez, and Members of the House Natural Resources Committee, the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) appreciates this opportunity to address the Committee in opposition to HB 2109.
NTMWD and water providers across the state are grateful to the Committee and the Legislature for advancing a base budget that will provide a historic one-time infusion for water infrastructure, as well as the Texas-sized investment that is under consideration through a dedicated source of revenue for the Texas Water Fund. These efforts will be transformational and will serve Texans for generations to come.
However, funding is not the only constraint to providing for the water needs of our state. Federal environmental laws have historically limited access to new water supplies needed to meet growing demands, making permitting new sources both costly and lengthy. HB 2109 would set a burdensome precedent like those we’ve seen from the Federal government, with significant consequences for Texas. I respectfully request that thoughtful consideration be given to the implications of targeting specific projects in the State Water Plan. This bill would limit water providers’ ability to access additional waters within Texas to meet our growing needs and sustain our thriving economy.
NTMWD is one of five partners in the Region C Water Planning Group that identify the Marvin Nichols Reservoir as a strategy in the State Water Plan to meet the needs of our rapidly growing region. Our service area’s population is increasing by more than 75,000 people per year. Since 2020 alone, the number of people we serve has grown from about 2 million to more than 2.3 million. Our growth mirrors the overall growth in our water planning region, Region C. Region C’s population is projected to almost double from 7.7 million to 15.1 million by 2080. By contrast, Region D, where the reservoir site is located, is expected to add just over 110,000 people over the same period.
Without new supply strategies, the 2022 State Water Plan projects a shortage of about 1.3 million acre-feet of water a year by 2070 in Region C, which could result in about $48 billion in lost income for workers and businesses and about 473,000 lost jobs.
The Marvin Nichols reservoir was originally proposed in the 1968 State Water Plan, with construction initially slated for 2020. Since that time, the success of conservation and reuse programs of the wholesaler sponsors, retail water providers and residents that we ultimately serve has allowed for the delay of the more costly and impactful construction of the reservoir. Together with Tarrant Regional Water District, we have been able to build more than 277,000 acre-feet of supply from water reuse. Additionally, conservation strategies implemented by the three wholesale supplier sponsors of the reservoir and those we serve have saved over 473,000 acre-feet of water in 2024 alone.
Water providers are working tirelessly to make the best use of our existing resources, and the delays in the timeline of the state water plan for construction of the reservoir are a demonstration of our success. While we still believe the reservoir will be necessary, without the emphasis on conservation and reuse over the prior decades, the Marvin Nichols reservoir would be required sooner.
As we work to develop additional supplies, our focus is always on partnering with local communities to make our projects a win-win for locals and our region. We understand and appreciate the concerns that reservoir construction presents for landowners and impacted communities, and we work to mitigate them as much as possible.
In 2023, NTMWD completed construction of the first major reservoir in Texas in over 30 years, Bois d’Arc Lake. We collaborated closely with a wide array of stakeholders in rural Fannin County, including landowners, school districts, and elected officials, which ultimately has led to a world-class economic development project for the county. Around the lake, we are now seeing regular lot sales that will lead to increased property values and tax revenues for the county. We have also begun the marina development process, which will provide local residents and future homeowners with additional, top-tier recreational opportunities.
NTMWD purchased approximately 95 percent of the more than 35,000 acres of land acquired for Bois d’Arc Lake from willing sellers and kept school districts and the county whole for property taxes that were taken off the rolls. Very little eminent domain authority was used, and most of the condemnations that occurred were required to clear up titles to property. Additionally, the acreage required for environmental mitigation was approximately 1.1 times the surface acreage of the lake, or just over 17,000 acres.
Through the leadership of the Legislature and the Texas Water Development Board, Texas has developed a nationally recognized water planning process that successfully aligns future water needs with targeted projects to meet those demands. To ensure continued progress on meeting the state’s water supply needs, I urge you not to advance HB 2109, which would weaken the regional, locally driven planning efforts built over decades.