The first new major reservoir in Texas in nearly 30 years officially opened Oct. 14 as part of the North Texas Municipal Water District’s supply system, which serves Richardson. The 16,641-acre Bois d’Arc Lake is located northeast of the city of Bonham in Fannin County and began collecting water in April last year.
The dam creating the reservoir is two miles long and 90 feet tall. As of October, lake levels were showing well under half of the future conservation pool elevation of 534 feet. Once water levels rise, Bois d’Arc Lake will start to offer public recreation opportunities such as boating and fishing. Currently, the lake is about 36 percent full.
“After nearly 20 years of planning, permitting, and construction, Bois d’Arc Lake is now becoming a reality,” said NTMWD Executive Director Jenna Covington at the grand opening. “Today we celebrate and honor all who have made this new, vital resource possible. A secure regional water supply is critical for the public health and safety of the communities we serve.”
Water from Bois d’Arc Lake will be treated at a new water treatment plant in the final phases of construction in Leonard, Texas. When operational next year, the plant will be able to treat and deliver up to 70 million gallons of drinking water per day to the NTMWD’s service area.
As part of the project, more than 17,000 acres of nearby land was mitigated to pre-agricultural conditions, including planting 6.3 million trees, enhancing 8,500 acres of wetlands, restoring 70 miles of streams and planting 3,200 acres of native grassland.
For more information about the Bois d’Arc Lake project, visit www.boisdarclake.org.
