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House rejects amendment to remove Marvin Nichols reservoir from state water plan after clash over private land and regional needs
Summary
Members defeated an amendment that would have barred financing for projects on the state water plan older than 50 years, including the long‑planned Marvin Nichols reservoir. Debate split urban water demand advocates and East Texas lawmakers worried about eminent domain and land loss.
A proposed amendment that would have blocked financing for state water‑plan projects listed more than 50 years ago failed on the House floor, leaving the Marvin Nichols reservoir — a decades‑old option for North Texas water supply — in the Texas Water Development Board planning toolkit.
The amendment from Rep. Van Deaver was framed as a protection for private property: he said the proposal would stop the state from financing projects that had sat on planning lists for half a century, and argued it would protect families who have lived for generations on land that could be flooded for a reservoir.
Representative Gonzales of El Paso, speaking for opponents of the amendment, said…
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