Tag: dallas reservoir

Neches River National Wildlife Refuge is a Go!

Neches National Wildlife Refuge versus Fastrill Reservoir 

Wildlife supporters have something to smile about. On Thursday, March 12, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court decision in favor of creating the Neches River National Wildlife Refuge. The court ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acted legally in creating the refuge and denied an appeal by the City of Dallas and Texas Water Development Board, in effect precluding their ability to construct the proposed Fastrill Reservoir in the same footprint as the wildlife refuge. A coalition of environmentalists quickly hailed the court decision as a victory, but noted the legal battle may not be over.

However, the Dallas newspaper reported March 13 it was “unclear whether the city will attempt to have the case heard again by the entire panel of 5th Circuit judges or seek a hearing before the U.S. Supreme Court.” We can only hope this ads to our great National Wildlife Refuge system.

New Dallas Reservoir Still in the News

News reports over the weekend indicate the City of Dallas is considering appealing a U.S. district judge’s decision last week that essentially blocked plans by the city to build a new reservoir in East Texas. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to create Neches River National Wildlife Refuge in the same area as the proposed Fastrill Reservoir. Conservation groups, East Texas communities and others in favor of the new wildlife refuge applauded the judge’s decision last week.

On Saturday, the Dallas newspaper quoted Dallas Assistant City Manager Ramon Miguez saying “We haven’t given up on Fastrill. Having said that, we’ve always subscribed to the philosophy that we’re not going to put all our eggs in one basket.” The Dallas story went on to say the city and Texas Water Development Board have not decided whether to appeal the judge’s ruling.

It also detailed other Dallas water supply and reservoir alternatives, including the proposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir on the Sulphur River. The story also quoted the assistant city manager saying “Conservation and reuse are an important part of our long-term water-supply strategy.”