Texas

Opponents tell North Texas leaders to drop any plans for ‘flawed’ Marvin Nichols Reservoir

Published

1 year ago

October 30, 2024

Opponents tell North Texas leaders to drop any plans for ‘flawed’ Marvin Nichols Reservoir

PITTSBURG – Roughly 200 people descended upon a regional water meeting in northeast Texas on Wednesday afternoon with “Stop Marvin Nichols” signs, custom T-shirts and handwritten speeches.

Nearly 40 attendees looked officials in the eyes and repeated the same sentiment: The proposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir project needs to be removed from all future water plans.

The meeting, lasting about four hours in Camp County, was specially called by the Region D water planning group whose jurisdiction includes the land that would be used to build the 66,000-acre reservoir to pump water more than 100 miles to North Texas. Some Region C water officials, who are part of the group calling for the project that would benefit the North Texas area, were also in attendance.

At one point, Region D chairman Jim Thompson sat beside Region C chairman Kevin Ward at the front of the room.

Ward talked about Marvin Nichols being just one of the many alternatives that leaders are looking at to meet water needs in North Texas and said having the project in the plan isn’t a “green light” to start developing but rather a placeholder for if it’s needed in the future. He noted the permitting process could take decades to complete.

He said he doesn’t know of any other strategy in the state that’s had so many studies and analysis completed, calling the reservoir a “lightning rod for the entire state of Texas.” He said the voice of northeast Texans has been heard far and wide.

“All these years it’s been heard in the halls of the Legislature down in Austin, it’s been heard by your state representatives here, by your senators and by those members out there in Region C as well,” Ward said. “We’ve heard it so you’ve got to believe that if we thought there was another way to do what we’re trying to do right now … we’d certainly latch onto it as fast as we could.”

Jim Thompson, the chair of the Region D planning group, listens to Region C chair Kevin Ward address a meeting of the North East Texas Regional Water Planning Group D regarding the proposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Pittsburg, Texas.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)

Much of the crowd was attentive but unsympathetic. Thompson responded later in the meeting, reiterating that he is willing to work together to find additional supplies in the Region D area that could help Region C.

“That does not, in my opinion, in any way, form or fashion mean that I’m going to agree to Marvin Nichols because I never am,” Thompson said. “It’s a flawed project. It should not go forward. It should be removed from the state water plan.”

A majority in the room applauded Thompson’s comment. The men eventually shook hands before Ward took a seat in the audience and Thompson presided over the 38 public comments made about the plan.

For decades, Region C water planners in North Texas have suggested the reservoir is one of the best solutions to quench Dallas-Fort Worth’s growing water needs that continues to increase as its population continues to grow.

Discussions around the project have occurred since the 1960s when it was first included in the state water plan but are being revamped as the regional groups prepare their latest plans, which are completed every five years. Tensions began boiling in the last 20-some years as the need for water in North Texas became even more apparent with the population boom.

Many, including Ward, said Wednesday’s meeting drew the largest crowd of any Marvin Nichols meeting they’d been to in the last couple decades.

Proponents for the manmade lake have recently called for it to be online by 2050 and a recent estimate put the cost at $7 billion. The Texas Water Development Board recently completed a review of the project, concluding that it was feasible.

Those opposed to the project – including residents in portions of Red River, Franklin and Titus counties whose generational land, homes, churches and cemeteries where their family members are buried would be flooded – have spoken out against the reservoir repeatedly, including at a Region C meeting in Arlington at the end of September.

Photos: Northeast Texas residents pack public meeting to speak out in opposition to proposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir

They’ve said the project would destroy their small, rural communities that are made up of blue-collar workers who are the backbone of not only Texas but the U.S. They also say the negative impacts of the project beyond where its footprint would be haven’t been adequately portrayed, including detrimental effects to the Rivercrest ISD and thriving timber industry.

“Here we are again,” Gary Cheatwood Jr., 48, told the water planners. Cheatwood’s family has been in the Red River County community called Cuthand for more than a century and throughout his entire adult life he’s watched his dad, 85-year-old Gary Cheatwood, battle the reservoir plans.

Cheatwood said in the decade or so he’s been speaking at meetings, he typically talks about data and numbers but he chose to switch up his approach Wednesday. Instead, he talked about his dreams of living in Cuthand and a desire of continuing to raise his kids there.

Those hopes are something that can’t be taken from him, he said, adding that he won’t leave. “Amen,” someone from the audience said before people applauded. Cheatwood said the deal was a land grab before anything else.

“I will sit on my land until I’m dead or Jesus comes back, whichever comes first,” he said.

A handful of other residents in the area that would be drowned agreed that they would be either buried on the land or taken off it in a body bag but giving it up for the reservoir wasn’t an option.

More than a dozen people referred to the project as “thievery,” “theft” or “stealing.” One man called it “interregional imperialism” and a woman compared the fight to David and Goliath.

Though a lot of the public commenters were familiar faces who have been traveling to meetings across the state for decades, others said they recently learned about the project and felt compelled to speak up.

Tawnya Cagle, 50, said her family moved from Rockwall to northeast Texas in 2017 and had never heard of the Marvin Nichols Reservoir.

“There are people who are literally pouring their foundations right now and they know nothing about this,” she said. “So imagine our surprise when we came out here.”

Now, as she’s learned more, she’s joining the movement to call for the project to be scrapped.

“It’s about our kids and our grandkids and our legacy we want to leave them,” Cagle said.

Photos: Residents in the Sulphur River Basin fear their land will be inundated if Marvin Nichols Reservoir in northeast Texas is built

Some Region D members also voiced concerns.

One called for more active water conservation in Dallas-Fort Worth, comparing it to not buying more cattle if there’s not enough grass. Another called for Region C to look elsewhere for water, like the Gulf of Mexico.

Robert Hurst, of Delta County, said he grew up in North Texas so he appreciates the water needs but wanted to make one thing clear.

“Frankly, it’s growing out our way too,” he said. “We need the water, too. Y’all are not the only ones.”

He said his county is also planning what it’s going to do to handle the expanding population.

“We’re not trying to be ornery but we’re trying to self preserve and we all need our land, we need our water and we’re going to be seeing the growth you’re seeing also,” Hurst said.

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Texas

Texas A&M avoids sweep taking Game 3, 9-7, hands Texas rare home loss

Published

11 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Texas A&M avoids sweep taking Game 3, 9-7, hands Texas rare home loss

No. 15 Texas A&M walked out of Austin with a hard‑earned win on Sunday, taking Game 3 of the rivalry series 9–7 to avoid the sweep in what felt every bit like a postseason matchup. The Aggies built an early lead, added crucial insurance late, and held off a furious seventh‑inning push from No. 1 Texas to snap the Longhorns’ nation‑leading win streak.

A&M once again struck first, continuing a trend from the entire weekend. Kennedy Powell’s speed immediately created pressure, turning a single into extra bases after a throwing error. Ariel Kowalewski followed with an RBI double, and Micaela Wark delivered a two‑run home run to give the Aggies a 3–0 advantage before Texas recorded its third out.

The Longhorns answered with a run in the bottom of the first, but KK Dement erased it with a solo shot in the second inning. A&M’s pitching and defense kept Texas quiet for the next three frames until a two‑run double trimmed the lead to 4–3.

With momentum shifting, the Aggies responded with their biggest inning of the series. Frankie Vrazel doubled, Powell doubled her home, and after a walk to Mya Perez, Kowalewski punched a two‑RBI single through the infield. Texas appeared ready to escape the inning, but consecutive defensive errors extended the frame and allowed three more Aggie runs to score, pushing the lead to 9–3 entering the seventh.

Texas refused to fold. The Longhorns put two on with no outs and pushed across a pair of runs, one on a sacrifice fly, another on a groundout. Down to their final out with no one on base, Texas launched back‑to‑back solo home runs to suddenly cut the deficit to two. Sydney Lessentine steadied the moment, inducing a pop‑up to the catcher to close out the win.

Across all three games, the rivalry delivered exactly what it promised. Intensity, high‑level softball, and postseason energy. While Texas claimed the series, the Aggies leave Austin with a top‑25 win, a snapped streak, and a performance that reinforced their ability to compete with anyone in the country.

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Texas chose John Cornyn as a principled conservative, not a Trump lackey | Opinion

Published

23 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Texas chose John Cornyn as a principled conservative, not a Trump lackey | Opinion

Voters deserve better than scorched-earth partisan politics that divide our country.

Getty Images

Not for us

In 35 years as a loyal Republican, I watched my party become unrecognizable. Now, Sen. John Cornyn’s transformation from principled conservative to full-throated Donald Trump sycophant is complete.

In the span of a week, Cornyn reversed his longstanding defense of the Senate filibuster, trying to appease Trump and secure his coveted endorsement. He also co-sponsored the SAVE America Act, which would force Texans to present passports or birth certificates that match their current surnames. Texas voters deserve better than scorched-earth partisan politics that divide our country and paralyze effective governance.

– Malcolm Jacobson, The Woodlands

Real fraud

I am sick and tired of hearing about voter fraud. There isn’t any to speak of, and what has been found was not perpetrated by people in the country illegally. Donald Trump has consistently claimed that there’s rampant fraud. Please show us your evidence, Mr. President. You can’t, because there is none, but people still believe him.

Please wake up to what this man is doing to our country.

– Zelda L Blalock, North Richland Hills

Death penalty

Texas is nearing its 600th execution since the death penalty was reinstated, with three already this year and three more scheduled. It should give us pause to know that four of the offenders are not white.

Legislators and district attorneys should step up, lock up the worst of the worst criminals and end the senseless barbaric practice of the state killing in our name.

– Bob Michael, Grapevine

What reason?

For more than 80 years, nuclear deterrence has kept the world safe from nuclear war, largely because of the power of the U.S. military, skilled diplomacy and moral leadership. Even hostile nations have understood the risks of nuclear engagement.

In just a few weeks, the United States’ war on Iran has cost billions, displaced millions and killed thousands of civilians, according to United Nations and Iranian officials. U.S. military stockpiles are degraded, energy prices are rising and the Iranian people are suffering increased repression.

The Iranian regime and military have been set back, but the country still has much enriched uranium and an even stronger incentive to develop nuclear weapons. It is difficult to understand the need for or benefits of this war.

– Karen Myers, Fort Worth

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Ted Cruz praises Trump, blasts Democrats as Texas takes center stage at CPAC

Published

1 day ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Ted Cruz praises Trump, blasts Democrats as Texas takes center stage at CPAC

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz warned on Saturday that Democrats would dismantle Republican victories and try to impeach President Donald Trump if they win control of Congress in November.

Speaking to the Conservative Political Action Conference in Grapevine, Cruz said Republicans have gained historic victories, from a sweeping crackdown on immigration to changes in the tax policy, since Trump took office in January 2025.

Democrats, Cruz said, “want to tear this country down.”

Cruz was among a slate of Texas lawmakers and politicians to address CPAC, one of the most influential conservative gatherings in the country, on the final day of the conference. They sought to frame Texas as both the nation’s leader and its ideological brainchild.

Cruz portrayed the Republican party as a group of blue-collar workers and populists, blasting Democrats as coastal elites who are out of touch with the average American.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, pauses as he shares his remarks during the final day of the Conservative Political Action Conference, on Saturday, March 28, 2026 at Gaylord Texan Resort and Conference Center in Grapevine.

Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer

The senator did not mention Democrat James Talarico, a Texas state representative who is running to flip the Senate seat currently held by incumbent John Cornyn. Instead, he singled out California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who he joked “should be named Texas realtor of the year.”

“Nobody in history has sold more homes in the state of Texas than Gavin Newsom,” Cruz said.

Cruz is considered a potential Republican contender to run for president in 2028; Newsom is one of the leading contenders on the Democratic side.

In his address Saturday, Cruz repeatedly praised Trump — who skipped CPAC this year for the first time in a decade — on foreign policy, jobs and economic prosperity and national security.

“The world is safer when the president is strong and our enemies are afraid,” Cruz said.

Republicans could face a difficult landscape in November, with the party in power typically losing seats in the House of Representatives and often the Senate in midterm elections. A Reuters/Ipsos poll in March found Trump’s approval rating fell to 36%, the lowest number since he returned to the White House in January 2025.

In a statement, the Democratic National Committee’s rapid response director Kendall Witmer said rising gas prices, the Iran war and Trump’s tariffs have soured voters on Republicans.

“Donald Trump has broken one promise after another — and even his own supporters are fed up,“ Witmer said. ”Trump told Americans he would lower prices, create jobs, and put an end to forever wars — and he’s delivered on none of it.”

A group of attendees watch as Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks during the final day of the... — A group of attendees watch as Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks during the final day of the Conservative Political Action Conference, on Saturday, March 28, 2026 at Gaylord Texan Resort and Conference Center in Grapevine.
Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer
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Former U.S. Rep. Mayra Flores, who represented South Texas, said Republicans will lose in November if they do not make inroads with Latino voters, who she called the “future of the Republican party.” Flores urged the Trump administration to hire a Hispanic outreach coordinator.

“There is no future for the Republican party if we do not invest in the Hispanic community,” Flores said to little applause. “We are people of faith, family and hard work.”

U.S. Rep. Keith Self, a McKinney Republican, said the GOP must ban Sharia, the moral code laid out in Muslim scripture. Like many at the conference, Self warned that Sharia was seeping into Texas and the country, posing a risk to Americans.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has said “preventing Sharia law” in Texas will be among his major priorities for the next legislative session.

“Sharia has no place in America,” Self said, calling it a “religion of the sword.”

In previous statements, the Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations has accused state leaders of a “publicity stunt” and “inventing imaginary threats.”

One speaker after another stressed the importance of Texas to the country’s future. On Friday, Trump ally Steve Bannon called Texas the “crown jewel of the union.”

“Where Texas goes, so goes the nation,” Bannon told the crowd to cheers. “And where the nation goes, so goes the world.”

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