May 2018
Construction Starts on Newest Lake in North Texas
WYLIE, TX 鈥� The North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) celebrated the groundbreaking of North Texas鈥� first major reservoir in nearly 30 years. The official start of construction marks an important milestone to ensure vital water supplies for the rapidly growing North Texas region.
Archer Western will serve as construction manager on the project that the NTMWD and its 13 Member Cities have been working together over a decade to plan and permit.
鈥淚t鈥檚 taken a tremendous team effort with support from so many over the years,鈥� said Tom Kula, NTMWD Executive Director. 鈥淭he District truly appreciates the support of all who have been involved in making this long-awaited project a reality.鈥�
NTMWD will build, own and operate the new 16,641-acre lake. A 90-foot dam will create a lake capable of storing 367,500 acre-feet of water (120 billion gallons) and serving 1.7 million North Texans 鈥� a population that is expected to double over the next 50 years. Supplies from the North Texas Municipal Lake will provide a vital supplement to the District鈥檚 diligent water conservation efforts as part of a comprehensive long-term plan to meet the fast-growing region鈥檚 needs.
In addition to providing an important source of water, the new lake is also anticipated to provide a host of recreational opportunities, as well as habitat for wildlife and a local economic boost of $509 million during construction and $166 million each year once complete.
Related project components include constructing a pump station, installing a 35-mile raw water pipeline, improving various roads in Fannin County and building a mile-long bridge across the future lake. The District will also plant over 1.6 million trees, introduce 2,900 acres of other herbaceous plants and improve 40 miles of local streams.
Construction preparation activities have begun with grading of access roads and clearing of brush at the dam site. Major construction activities will be underway this summer. It is expected to take three summers to complete construction of the dam. Depending on rainfall, it should take nearly two years to fill the lake to an operational level. NTMWD expects to begin delivering water from the lake in 2022, and subsequently yield up to 108 million gallons of water a day for residents and businesses served by NTMWD for decades to come.
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