The NSR’s Fate

[Heteromorph]

From the DPS Facebook page:

 

 

The Upper Trinity Regional Water District has received a permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers to construct Lake Ralph Hall on North Sulphur River.

The Fannin County Leader
February 6 at 1:41 PM · 
UTRWD Receives Federal Permit to Build Lake Ralph Hall
Board of Directors Received USACE’s Section 404 Clean Water Act Permit
LEWISVILLE, TX – Feb. 6, 2020: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has issued a Section 404 Clean Water Act Permit to the Upper Trinity Regional Water District (UTRWD) for Lake Ralph Hall, one of the first major reservoirs to be built in Texas in 30 years. This is the final federal permit required to construct the lake. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality granted UTRWD a water rights permit for the proposed reservoir in December 2013. Named after longtime U.S. Congressman Ralph Hall, the reservoir will be located in southeast Fannin County on the North Sulphur River and will provide essential water to North Texans.
“After nearly 15 years of working with USACE, we are excited to receive this permit as it moves us one step closer to building this critically important new reservoir to meet the water needs of our growing communities,” said Larry N. Patterson, UTRWD Executive Director. “After many technical studies and extensive field investigations by both federal and state agencies, the Environmental Impact Statement was completed leading to USACE’s Record of Decision for Lake Ralph Hall. This is the culmination of a lot of hard work by UTRWD staff, its consultants, USACE, collaborating agencies and our local partners in Ladonia and Fannin County,” Patterson said.
UTRWD’s water demand within its growing service area is anticipated to increase nearly threefold over the next 50 years, additional water supplies are needed to meet this anticipated future demand. Once complete and fully operational, Lake Ralph Hall will provide residents and business of UTRWD’s service area and southeast Fannin County an additional 54 million gallons per day (MGD) of raw water. 
“Design of the Leon Hurse Dam is near completion and construction is expected to begin later this year in order to have the new lake in operation by 2025,” states Mr. Patterson. “Lake Ralph Hall will provide a reliable water supply for many generations.” “We appreciate our Members and Customers demonstrated support throughout the permitting process and the diligent effort by USACE to finalize the studies and issue the permit,” Mr. Patterson continued.
Here are a few facts about Lake Ralph Hall:
• USACE’s Environmental Impact Statement confirmed that the North Sulphur River near the City of Ladonia is a good reservoir site - - limited wetlands, no oil or gas wells or electric transmission lines.
• Will inundate about 7,600 acres (similar in size to Grapevine Lake) but will yield about 30% more water because of greater rainfall in the Sulphur River Basin.
• Helps address severe erosion on the North Sulphur River and will provide a significant aquatic and terrestrial habitat in Fannin County, one that doesn’t exist today.
• Pipeline that now delivers UTRWD’s water from Chapman Lake was built with enough capacity to carry the water from Lake Ralph Hall to UTRWD’s service area.
• Provides economic benefits to Fannin, Denton, Dallas and Collin Counties.
• The Texas Water Development Board’s State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) program will be used to fund the project, estimated cost of $490 million.
For more information and to stay up-to-date on the construction of Lake Ralph hall, visit our website at www.lakeralphhall.org.
About Upper Trinity
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 services, 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.
For more information, please contact Jason L. Pierce, Manager of Governmental Affairs & Communications at 972-219-1228.

 

UTRWD Receives Federal Permit to Build Lake Ralph Hall Board of Directors Received USACE’s Section 404 Clean Water Act Permit
 

Lake Ralph Hall

[DPS Ammonite]

Better go collect NSR fossils soon. Sort of reminds me of the movie Deliverance where a group of guys raft a river before it is dammed and turned into a lake. Be wary of gun toting landowners, wild pigs and banjo players.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deliverance

 

If you can’t make it to the NSR before it floods, you can order New! Fossil Collector's Guidebook to the North Sulphur River Volume 4 (2nd Edition) to look at lots of eye candy:

https://www.dallaspaleo.org/Store

 

For those of you that investing in real estate, Bug Tussle looks like it will be prime shore front property on the deep end of the lake.

[Wrangellian]

Wow.

 

Hey, banjo players aren't all bad!

Speaking of that, wasn't Bug Tussle a town in the Beverley Hillbillies?

[Bob Saunders]

1 hour ago, Wrangellian said:

Wow.

 

Hey, banjo players aren't all bad!

Speaking of that, wasn't Bug Tussle a town in the Beverley Hillbillies?

Their home town where he struck oil.

[minnbuckeye]

5 hours ago, DPS Ammonite said:

banjo players.

 

@DPS Ammonite, if you are a Deliverance liker, watch "Hillbillies" on Amazon Prime video. We had the pleasure of enjoying this movie at a local short film festival yesterday!!  The boy playing the banjo was interviewed in the movie. At the time, the director walked into the local school and said he needed 2 children to play a role in his film. The banjo boy was one of the children chosen. He is now a weathered old man, but you will recognize him. That scene will forever be one of Hollywood's greatest. And this child received a measly 500 dollars!!!!!  He did not escape the poverty of Appalachia. 

 

 Mike 

[acme]

This is one of our favorite rivers to hunt (Hwy 38 bridge at Bugtussle).

Many great finds from Shark Teeth, Mossasaur, Mammoth and Mastadon, Clovis/Dalton/Scottsbluff points, etc...

 

Your comments about back woods banjo players are taken light hearted, so no offense taken  but just so you'll know, the people in our community would be the first to stop and make sure you're ok if we saw your car stopped on the side of the road or give you the shirt off our back if you were in need --> Regardless of the license plate or political bumper sticker on your car

 

Yes, we hope the new lake on the NSR opens up new opportunities for collecting....

 

 

[Texas_Unearthed]

Any word on when the construction will "officially" start or if/when they will deter local folks from searching?  Hoping to get up there now that the rains/flooding have died down a bit - I have yet to get out on the NSR...

 

Also, anyone know if the Covid-19 has affected the project timeline - delayed?? New retail/residential development around the NSR/Ray Hall lake seems like a really bad idea right now, lol  

 

Thanks!