04/11/2025
With great pride, I am announcing to East Texas:
WE DID IT! WE SAVED OUR LAKES!
The North Texas Water District Board has negotiated a deal to get water from resources closer to them and they have abandoned their proposal to buy the water rights to Lake O’ the Pines! This was a huge group effort by the most amazing folks in Texas!
The following cities and counties acted quickly to protect their communities and passed resolutions against the sell of water rights: Jefferson, Daingerfield, Uncertain, Longview, Lone Star, Marion County, Morris County, Upshur County, Gregg County, Harrison County and Cass County. Thank you to these local leaders and thank you to all the community members who showed up repeatedly to speak at commissioners court and city council meetings!
I want to also thank Lake O’ the Pines Chamber for their tireless efforts and leadership, as well as The Caddo Institute for their support. The work by these individuals, organizations and entities will serve as a warning flag for any future attempts to take our water. We have put the entire state on notice that we are not for sale!
Additionally, here in Austin, early this morning during the budget hearing, I successfully added an amendment prohibiting TCEQ from spending any money reviewing or approving inter-basin transfer of water out of the Cypress Basin (us) to Region C (metroplex) for the next two years, which is the life of this budget cycle.
Great work everyone! I’m so proud of our region and what we have accomplished by working together!
