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<br />REPORT OF THE STATE OF TEXAS TO THE
<br />12.7th MEETING OF AWRBIAC IN
<br />UTTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS
<br />JUNE 5-6, 1991
<br />
<br />STATE WATER PLAN
<br />
<br />In December 1990, the Texas Water Development Board unanimously adopted an update to the
<br />Texas Water Plan, Water for Texas. Today and Tomorrow. The last update of the Plan was in 1984,
<br />As distinct from previous Texas efforts, the 1990 Water Plan placed significant emphasis on
<br />management strategies to efficiently use, supply, and protect the State's water resources, as well as
<br />addressing the inter-related needs of our neighboring states and Mexico, A wide range of water-
<br />related considerations were addressed including water supply, water quality and wastewater
<br />treatment, flood protection, and environmental requirements, Over 100 policy issues and
<br />recommendations were discussed incorporating concerns about alternative water supply techniques,
<br />protection of surface and groundwater quality, regionalization of utilities, infrastructure financing,
<br />balancing water development with environmental and land management concerns, and water
<br />research and plannif]Q matters,
<br />
<br />Fourteen major water supply reservoirs, five chloride control projects, four reallocations or
<br />modifications of existing reservoirs, and 29 major water conveyance systems were identified as
<br />needed in the next 50 years, Of particular note to the AWRBIAC members, chloride control projects
<br />were recommended for the Canadian and Red River Basins and two new reservoirs were
<br />recommended for the overall Red River drainage basin (New Bonham - Red River Basin and Little
<br />Cypress - Cypress River Basin), Also recommended as backup projects should the primary
<br />recommended projects prove infeasible or the Board's demand forecasts be too low are the possible
<br />George Parknouse or Marvin Nichols reservoir sites in the Sulphur River Basin. Consideration of
<br />interstate compact provisions were made in the analyses that led to these recommendations,
<br />
<br />POlicy recommendations to the Texas Legislature included suggestions to create a new state
<br />Infrastructure financing program that would provide low interest loans to accommodate projects that
<br />have been historically borne by the federal government, such as chloride control and major flood
<br />protection, Recommendations were also made addressing the improvement of water quality and
<br />environmental considerations in water rights permitting that could improve the quality and quantity
<br />of flow of water from Texas to neighboring states,
<br />
<br />STATUS OF PALO DURO. LITTLE CYPRESS, AND NEW BONHAM RESERVOIR PROJECTS
<br />
<br />Impoundment of water in Palo Duro Reservoir was initiated on May 11, 1991, The reservoir is located
<br />on Palo Duro Creek, a tributary of the North Canadian River in Hanford County, Texas, As of the first
<br />of June, the reservoir held over 30 feet of water and was still filling. When full, the reservoir will
<br />Impound a maximum of 60,900 acre-feet of water, of which the permitted yield of 5,630 acre-feet will
<br />be used annually to augment the ground-water supplies of several cities in the northern panhandle
<br />of Texas.
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<br />.The Utile Cypress Utility District has a State permit issued by the Texas Water Commission to
<br />construct a reservoir on Utile Cypress Bayou in Harrison County, Texas, The project could supply
<br />129,000 acre-feet of surface water per year to the Cities of Marshall, Longview, and Kilgore; Gregg,
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