Wichita Falls council approves contract steps toward Lake Ringgold federal permit

The Wichita Falls City Council voted 02/04/2025 to authorize the city manager to execute a professional services agreement with Freese and Nichols Inc. to prepare a Section 404 permit application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the proposed Lake Ringgold reservoir, in an amount up to $3,053,000.

Council action advances a long-running city effort to secure an additional surface water supply. City staff told the council the work will include project management, agency coordination, environmental/resource evaluations, pipeline routing, mitigation planning, and preparation and submission of the federal permit application.

The council majority framed the agreement as the next technical step after a state water‑right process. City staff said the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) issued a water right to Wichita Falls in August 2024 after a contested‑case process and that federal Section 404 permitting with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the next milestone to develop the reservoir. The contract was presented as payable in phases as work is completed, not as an up‑front expenditure of the full amount.

Opponents at the public hearing urged delay. Shane Cody of Henrietta asked the council to wait because state proposals under consideration could offer a different regional approach; he also raised potential conflicts in state legislation and questioned the project's total cost. Resident Deborah Clark and other nearby landowners said the council should pause to review proposals expected soon from state leaders and to update older feasibility studies before committing more city funds. Speakers asked how land acquisition, local tax impacts and environmental mitigation would be handled.

Supporters, including local business and military‑related leaders, urged the council to continue. Glenn Barham, president and CEO of the Shepherd Military Affairs Committee and a former mayor, cited the drought of record and said Lake Ringgold would protect military missions at Sheppard Air Force Base and regional economic stability. Kerry Maroney of Biggs & Matthews Consulting Engineers and other technical speakers described Lake Ringgold as the only remaining viable reservoir site in Region B based on multiple regional planning cycles dating back to the 1990s.

Council members emphasized the decision was procedural: the contract funds work on the federal permit application and can be stopped if the council later chooses. Mayor Tim Short and other councilors said they view the step as preserving options and keeping the city’s long‑term supply plan moving forward while noting that any later land purchases, construction or bonding would require additional council action.

The motion to authorize the agreement passed following a voice vote. The council directed staff to continue coordinating with Freese and Nichols and to provide periodic updates to the council as key tasks and invoices are completed.

Why it matters: Lake Ringgold is the most consequential water‑supply project the city has considered in decades. If built, it would supply Wichita Falls and a portion of the Region B service area; if delayed, the city risks slower permit timelines and rising costs, but several residents and outsiders urged the council to wait for possible state‑level proposals that may alter the regional water picture.

Next steps: Staff will begin the agreed tasks with Freese and Nichols, bill in phases as work is completed, and return to the council with updates and decisions tied to key milestones and expenditures.