Williams County approves Dallas Lallam’s water intake and pumping-station permit

At a Williams County Commission meeting, commissioners voted to approve a zone change to agricultural zoning and a conditional use permit for a proposed water intake and pumping station on a roughly 10.1-acre parcel in Houghland Township filed as LUDash0085-25.

The applicant, Dallas Lallam, told the board he first applied in 2018 for water access and has a state industrial water permit (noted in the record) that was later extended. He described a design sized for the permit he holds — an intake tied to a 10,000 acre-feet allocation — and said engineers estimate a withdrawal rate of about 6,200 gallons per minute. "We applied back in 2018 for a permit out of the lake," Dallas said during the public hearing, and he told the board his team is at roughly a 60% design level and has begun the Corps of Engineers permitting process.

Michelle, the county planner, explained the land history and zoning constraints: the site was platted in 2003, moved to rural-residential in a countywide update, and must be rezoned to agricultural for an industrial pumping station because Williams County rules allow such facilities only in agricultural, light-industrial, or heavy-industrial districts with a conditional use permit.

Public comment raised operational and resource questions. Local resident Robert Velez asked whether the intake would effectively merge fresh intake with municipal systems and whether farmers’ access could be affected; staff and the applicant said the current proposal is for industrial water under the state permit and that any treatment or municipal hookups would be separate steps requiring additional approvals. Commissioners asked about noise and visibility; the applicant and his engineers said pumps would be electric, housed in an insulated 16-by-28-foot building with underground lines, and should be comparable to existing municipal intakes.

Board discussion noted potential economic-development benefits and asked the county park board to review recreational impacts at the shoreline near the proposed intake. Commissioners recorded a roll-call vote in favor; the motion carried with the full board voting 'Yes.'

The decision grants the local zoning and conditional-use approvals but does not replace state or federal permits. The next required step identified by the applicant is a Corps of Engineers construction easement/permit (the applicant cautioned the Corps review timeline is uncertain).