Regional water planners have reached a mediated agreement on the future of the proposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir in the Sulphur River Basin. The agreement is much awaited positive news for Northeast Texas landowners that have long fought the progress of the projected $7 billion reservoir that would force local landowners to abandon generational farms and ranches.
The agreement, that has already been ratified by Region D, includes a comprehensive study that will be an “Apples-to-Apples” monetary and non-monetary comparison of the Marvin Nichols and Toledo Bend projects. The study is to be conducted by firm(s) that can provide a fresh assessment, commence by March 2026, and be completed by July 2027.
Even bigger news for those in Northeast Texas is the agreement between the two that no application for permitting would occur for Marvin Nichols prior to 2030, and that Region C will advance the Marvin Nichols project to 2070 and include Toledo Bend as a recommended water management strategy in the current round of planning. Toledo Bend is now made a Recommended Strategy (alongside Marvin Nichols Reservoir) in the Region C plan so both can be explored.
