BONHAM, Texas — Far away from the hustle and bustle of the Metroplex in a quiet corner of Fannin County, a transformation has taken place.
Dry land is now submerged in water.
Bois D’Arc Lake has arrived -- 16,000 surface acres of water stretching for 15 miles outside of Bonham. It's the state’s first major reservoir in 30 years.
“Bois D'Arc Lake is about 77% full as of today. Leonard water treatment is online and treating water from Bois D'Arc Lake and putting it into the system," said North Texas Municipal Water District Assistant Deputy of Water Resources Galen Roberts.
NTMWD built the lake as a water source for communities primarily in Collin, Kaufman, Hunt and Dallas counties.
But the calm waters of Bois D'Arc Lake and the congestion and construction of the Metroplex are very connected.
“We are actively planning for future growth and needs. We serve approximately 2 million people today," Roberts said. "Our latest estimate is we are adding over 55,000 people to our service area alone every year. As they say, no one is bringing water with them.”
That’s the mission of NTMWD -- how do you meet the water needs of a rapidly expanding North Texas population?
One answer is planning for the future. Not just next month or next year, but decades from now.
“Based on our current population projections we anticipate Bois D'Arc Lake will meet our region’s needs for our service area thru about 2040," Roberts said.
That’s definitely thinking ahead, but right now, NTMWD and other water providers across the state are planning as far ahead as 2070.
Because new reservoirs aren’t just built overnight. In fact, the planning and permitting for Bois D'Arc Lake started about 15 years ago trying to anticipate the water needs of today.
And Bois D'Arc Lake isn’t the only lake being built in North Texas.
About 15 miles south of Bois D'Arc Lake in southern Fannin County, construction has already begun on what will become Lake Ralph Hall. The Upper Trinity Regional Water District is building this lake.
When it’s finished, it will provide water for communities across Denton County.
While Bois D'Arc Lake and Lake Ralph Hall are Texas’ newest reservoirs they’re the first of many recommended to meet our water needs.
Texans have a responsibility to play in the state’s water plan.
“Conservation and reuse is a significant part of that future strategy," Roberts said. "We anticipate it is going to represent 30% or more of the region’s needs in the future. But C/R alone are not going to meet future demands based on the population growth we’ve seen.”
One thing is for certain. As the Texas population changes, the landscape will too.