Harrison County adopts resolution opposing sale of Lake of the Pines water; creates county water advisory committee

Harrison County commissioners on Feb. 25 adopted a resolution opposing the sale or lease of water from Lake of the Pines to any water district outside the Northeast Texas Municipal Water District and voted to create a Harrison County Water Advisory Committee to coordinate county water providers and report back to the court.

The resolution passed unanimously, 5-0, after a public comment period that brought Judy Patterson, mayor of Uncertain, to the podium to outline scientific and hydrological concerns. "If the water went down from this sale, there would not be enough water for your intake from Big Cypress," Patterson told the court. "That's just a fact." She and local organizations said a proposed sale or transfer of water rights could leave downstream communities with insufficient raw water for municipal intakes and for Caddo Lake tributaries.

Patterson told the court she helped assemble a regional coalition that includes the City of Uncertain, the Greater Caddo Lake Association (Texas and Louisiana chapters), the Caddo Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, the Lake of the Pines Chamber of Commerce, the Caddo Lake Institute and the Caddo Biocontrol Alliance to oppose any sale. She said research and hydrology studies—some already in progress—support the coalition's position.

County officials described the advisory committee as a nonregulatory body meant to gather, share and report information among local water suppliers. Derek Todd, who the court identified as working with local water systems, told commissioners he had contacted water systems across the county and had "7 for sure interested, which is Gum Springs Water Supply Corporation, City of Halswell Water, Harleton Water Supply, Lee Water Supply, City of Marshall, City of Waskom, and West Harrison Water Supply." Todd said the group could meet quarterly or as needed to share operational information and coordinate responses.

The county judge introduced the advisory-committee measure, saying the group would have "no enforcement arm" and would instead educate itself and report recommendations back to the commissioners. Commissioners approved the committee by a 5-0 vote.

During discussion, public commenters and county officials raised procedural concerns about the Northeast Texas Municipal Water District process, including use of nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) and whether board deliberations had been adequately public. Patterson said some community members felt the NETMWD process lacked transparency and that citizens had limited access to underlying documents and financial proposals.

Both the resolution and the advisory committee direct county officials to continue outreach to local water providers and to provide residents with information about potential effects to municipal intakes and local water systems. The court did not adopt any binding restrictions on NETMWD actions; the actions approved were (1) a county-level resolution of opposition and (2) formation of an advisory committee to study and report on county water interests.

The court asked county staff and committee organizers to provide regular updates if new technical studies, government actions or board votes are released by NETMWD or by the seven municipalities with seats on that district's board.

Votes and next steps: the resolution and the committee creation both passed 5-0. Commissioners directed staff to accept committee membership invitations, to ask the committee to elect officers and to report to the court on findings and recommended actions.