Texomans have a right to be protective of the lake we call home, or our home away from home. We follow the rainfall and the lake level daily, and we care about the politics of hydroelectric production and transfer of lake water to other municipal reservoirs.
We are accutely aware of the drought and its effect on Lake Texoma recreation and economic development.
So, it makes sense that we might be very curious about the proposed new lake in Fannin County. It's still in the public hearing stage, at least until April 21st 2015, but plans are in place to complete it by 2020.
My map won't give you all the information you need to understand the proposed location, but it's generally East of Bonham, North of Highway 82, extending North and East, but not as far as the Red River.
Here's a much better map provided by the North Texas Water District.
My main point in writing this article today is to share what I know, which is the northern-most point of the proposed new reservoir will be approximately 15 miles south of the Red River.
The proposed Lower Bois d’Arc Creek Reservoir does not connect with either the Red River or Lake Texoma directly. It is being built to provide water to the fast-growing municipalities south of Highway 82, and it is NOT another reservoir being constructed to drain and store water from Lake Texoma.
I am not an expert in geography or cartography, so it's possible I'm drawing some conclusions that are not correct.
Of one thing I am pretty certain, however, at some point in the future there will be recreation on the new lake - fishing, boating, camping, marinas, motels and restaurants. It will be one more Texas lake competing with Lake Texoma.
We have some incredible, natural advantages here on Lake Texoma, so let's make a point to tell everyone we know to come ENJOY OUR LAKE!
If anything in this article is not correct, PLEASE comment here to set me straight, and for everyone else, too.