In The News...
March 2003
SRBA cites details on Nichols project; Meeting open to those with invitations from board
By LYNN MONTGOMERY | East Texas Edition
March 20, 2003 -- "By invitation only" was the message sent by the Sulphur River Basin Authority (SRBA) during two informational meetings concerning Marvin Nichols Reservoir March 13 at the New Boston Community Center.
Invitations were sent to the media, county judges, council members, mayors, industrial boards and community leaders to "inform about the progress being made on the Marvin Nichols Reservoir Project."
Invitations had to be presented at the door for entrance into the meeting. Some, like representatives from Max Sandlin's office, were denied entrance at the first meeting since their invitation cited the second meeting.
According SRBA President Mike Huddleston, the first meeting was get the information out to the public and the second meeting was to invite people who are "day-in and day-out connected to the public and let the leaders of the community know what we have and then let them get that information out to the public."
"We have to have a setting so people could come and hear the facts; where people feel comfortable and not abused. Everyone should feel comfortable to ask any questions they want to ask without being subjected to ridicule and abuse. That's what we are trying to do," Huddleston said about the "invitation only" meetings versus public meetings.
"We have been trying well over a year to get our message out," Huddleston added, "and we have only been getting a negative hit."
Huddleston asked for the media's help and cooperation in getting the message out about "what we know to be facts." He added the facts would be backed up by a creditable source and the media and others would have the opportunity to look at the information and decide what was in their best interest.
"These figures presented today are not figures made up in our heads. They are facts," Huddleston continued.
"We have been very, very careful in what we say or do because we don't enjoy the luxury of the opposition. They can say anything they want to and get it printed. They don't have to present facts. They don't have to say whether it is true or not. All they have to do is say it. But, because we are a state agency, because we are looked as a public entity, whatever we say we have to be accurate. That's what we are going to do today is (convey) facts. You can verify them, take them and read them, look them up, you'll know what I am talking about."
The "invitation only" meetings did cite opposition.
Max Shumake, president of the Sulphur River Oversight Society, released a statement March 13 charging the SRBA and its associates of "shutting out the public in a public relations blitz to promote their sagging Marvin Nichols proposal to the media and the community leaders.
"To shut out the public is outrageous," Shumake said. "This reeks of backroom politics and is a flagrant abuse by a public agency using public funds."
Engineers from the Sulphur Basin Group (which consists of Texarkana consulting group Murray, Thomas & Griffin and Dallas-based Freese & Nichols engineering firm) presented information regarding the five-year feasibility study.
"According to the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), the population of Texas will double by 2050 from 20.8 million to 39.6 million," Bob Murray, Sulphur Basin Group engineer, began. "The population in Northeast Texas alone is expected to grow from 700,000 to 1.02 million. Water demand in North Central (DFW metroplex) and East Texas is also projected to double. I don't think there is any denying that there will be a need for water."
John Rutledge, another Sulphur Basin Group engineer explained that 58 percent of all unappropriated surface water in Texas is in the Sulphur River Basin. Rutledge disputed the opposition's statement of "the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is wasting water," citing statistics that DFW has the lowest per capita use of any of the 16 water planning regions. They are also the sixth lowest in non-agricultural use and have the fourth highest in municipal use.
"We're not saying one region is a glutton for water while another isn't. We just want to make fair comparisons using legitimate numbers," Rutledge added.
Another misconception, according to the Group, is Northeast Texas will lose large amounts to land mitigation when in reality, projections show only 1.5 to 2 times the reservoir area will be needed for mitigation - around 100,000 to 135,000 acres of grassland, wetlands, uplands and timber.
Representing the economic study team, University of North Texas professors Dr. Bernard L. Weinstein and Dr. Terry L. Clower explained, "Construction cost of the dam will be between $247 million and $301 million. This activity will support in the range of 1,700 to more than 2,000 person-years of employment with associated salaries and wages between $50.1 million and $62 million."
"We project over a 30-year period at least 2,400 new permanent homes around the lake and another 10,000 residence vacation/weekend/second homes, Clower said. "The construction of new homes will bring an average of over 500 jobs per year to the local economy over the development period.
"What would people say if a company came to your town and said that we'll stay here for at least 30 years guaranteed, and create 500 jobs each year. Would they turn them away?" the professor asked.
With 80 percent of the water going to the metroplex, a massive pipeline will need to be constructed.
"The proposed new pipeline construction project, with total costs ranging from just over $1 billion to almost $1.3 billion, will boost economic activity in Titus, Hopkins, Franklin, Hunt, Collin, Denton and Wise counties," Weinstein added. "Total gains in local economic activity will vary between $1.5 billion and $1.8 billion while supporting 12,000 to 14,700 person years of employment and raising local earnings in the range of $443 million and $541 million.
The economic study was reviewed by the Perryman Group, an economic and financial analysis firm. Dr. Ray Perryman commented the findings were "reasonable and appropriate." He also commented that the "negative impact on the timber industry is greatly exaggerated in the Texas Forest Service analysis."
Huddleston concluded by saying a complete copy of the studies will be posted on the SRBA website, www.sulphurriverbasinauthority.org, contact the SRBA office at 903-223-7887, to request a copy.
