79S20063 CME-D



By:  Staples                                                      S.R. No. 6  







R E S O L U T I O N

	WHEREAS, The Texas Water Development Board estimates that by 

2050 current water sources will fall short of meeting demand by 7.5 

million acre-feet per year, affecting 900 cities representing 38 

percent of the projected population; such a staggering shortfall 

would undoubtedly hold dire consequences for the people and economy 

of the State of Texas; and

	WHEREAS, To prepare for the growing water needs of Texas, 

studies have been conducted to identify sites favorable for the 

construction of reservoirs; one such site, located on the Neches 

River in Cherokee and Anderson Counties, merits consideration for 

the construction of a dam and reservoir by virtue of the storage and 

conservation advantages the location would afford the burgeoning 

population in the region and the state; and

	WHEREAS, The construction and development of such a project 

and the associated use of the unappropriated flows of the Neches 

River are in the public interest and would certainly constitute a 

beneficial use of the water; in fact, analyses indicate that the 

firm yield of Fastrill Reservoir may range from 140,000 acre-feet 

per year to 155,000 acre-feet per year; and

	WHEREAS, As a result, expected beneficiaries of the 

dependable water supply afforded by the development of the Fastrill 

Reservoir include users in Anderson, Cherokee, Henderson, and Smith 

Counties, as well as the City of Dallas; projections that 

population growth in the region will reach 50 percent highlight the 

importance of the development of Fastrill Reservoir; and

	WHEREAS, In addition to the water storage and conservation 

advantages related to the Fastrill site, the associated economic 

development opportunities and potential increase in property value 

for communities in rural East Texas cannot be ignored; and

	WHEREAS, Clearly, the Fastrill Reservoir Regional Water 

Supply Project is a critical resource that can help meet the water 

supply requirements of the region and state while offering 

additional economic benefits to the surrounding area;  now, 

therefore, be it

	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 79th Texas Legislature, 2nd 

Called Session, express its support for the site known as Fastrill 

Reservoir, located on the Neches River in Cherokee and Anderson 

Counties, as a key component of the state's water conservation 

plan.