AUSTIN, TX (Sept. 24, 2013) – The anticipated Lake Ralph Hall water rights permit was approved today by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Lake Ralph Hall is the first major new water supply reservoir to be approved in almost 30 years by TCEQ.
“We are delighted TCEQ approved the permit for Lake Ralph Hall,” said Thomas E. Taylor, Executive Director of Upper Trinity Regional Water District. “Lake Ralph Hall will help provide a
reliable water supply to families and businesses in the North Texas region for many generations.”
The permit to develop this new water supply reservoir was filed in September 2003, and has undergone an extensive series of public hearings, technical studies, judicial review and more.
Lake Ralph Hall is approximately 11,200-acres (about the size of Lake Grapevine) and will provide 30 to 45 million gallons of water each day to the rapidly-growing North Texas area, including Denton County and portions of Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Grayson and Wise Counties. The new reservoir will be located in southeast Fannin County, north of the City of Ladonia, along the North Sulphur River and can be completed in time to avoid a future water crisis.
Local residents have expressed their support for Lake Ralph Hall as well. In a joint letter to TCEQ, Senator Troy Fraser and Representative Allan Ritter, chairmen, respectively, of the Texas Senate and House Natural Resources Committees said, “For many decades, Texans have essentially been living off the largess of the visionary leaders of the first half of the last century. It is time to move forward with a new phase of water supply development in Texas.”
“The future of North Texas depends on having an adequate, dependable supply of water. We are glad the TCEQ and other state leaders share our vision for Lake Ralph Hall,” said Taylor.
About the Upper Trinity Regional Water District:
Upper Trinity is a regional water district created by the Texas Legislature in 1989 for the benefit of cities and utilities in the Denton County area. Its mandate is to develop regional plans for water supply, and to provide both water and wastewater services on a wholesale basis to cities and utilities within its service area, including all of Denton County and portions of Dallas and Collin Counties. Upper Trinity is a leader in public education regarding water conservation and water quality protection, and regularly conducts programs concerning drought tolerant landscape techniques, landscape practices and more efficient water use.
Recently, the Upper Trinity took further action to help protect the watersheds above water supply reservoirs. The Board of Directors created the Upper Trinity Conservation Trust to work with communities, landowners and developers in preservation of watershed and riparian assets. To learn more, please visit www.utrwd.com
Additional information about the Lake Ralph Hall project, is available at www.LakeRalphHallInfo.com.
For more information, contact Jason Pierce, Upper Trinity Regional Water District, 972-219-1228 or JPierce@utrwd.com.