USA09 October, 20263 min read
Maya Guerra Gamble Overrules Texas Commission Permit for Lake Ringgold Reservoir in Austin
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Judge Maya Guerra Gamble overruled the Lake Ringgold permit in a ruling from the bench. Landowners win ruling opposing state permit, strengthening private property rights in Clay County.
Permit Overturned in Austin
Travis County District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble overruled the proposed Lake Ringgold permit in a ruling from the bench after oral arguments in Austin challenged the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s approval. The judge’s decision came after the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality approved the city’s permit for Lake Ringgold on June 27, 2024, clearing the way for construction of the reservoir in Clay County. The proposed reservoir would flood more than 16,000 acres of productive agricultural land and wildlife habitat, and it would be created by building a dam on the Little Wichita River about half a mile upstream from where it joins the Red River.
The city of Wichita Falls proposed the project to help secure water supplies for North Texas during future droughts, and the dispute centered on how Wichita Falls can secure a reliable water supply for the future and whether the proposed reservoir is justified given the amount of land and habitat it would affect. The Times of India described the project as a major setback nearly seven decades after voters in the water district serving Wichita Falls rejected the Ringgold project in 1958 when its estimated cost was $15 million.
Appeal, Arguments, and Voices
Wichita Falls Mayor Tim Short told News Channel 6 that the City of Wichita Falls has 30 days to appeal, and he said the city would discuss moving forward over the next couple of weeks.
Texas Conservation Alliance executive director Graham Jones called the outcome “a big win for property rights, conservation and thoughtful water planning based on common sense,” while describing landowners who “have stood up for their homes, ranches, communities and wildlife.”
Janice Bezanson, Senior Policy Director for Texas Conservation Alliance, said “Texas needs reliable water supplies and we need to make sound decisions about how we meet those needs,” and she argued that “A project of this magnitude must be justified by a demonstrated need and a thorough examination of its consequences.”
Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association president Stephen Diebel said, “This ruling is an important milestone and the result of many years of work to ensure agricultural land and natural resources are protected,” after a judge in the 459th Civil District Court reversed the previous ruling.
The Times Record News reported that 459th District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble tossed out the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s decision to issue a permit for construction of the reservoir, and it quoted Short saying, “We have 30 days to appeal, so we'll discuss it with counsel. Then I imagine we will appeal it.”
What Is at Stake Next
The ruling left the Lake Ringgold project facing a new phase of legal and planning uncertainty, because the City of Wichita Falls said it remains committed to pursuing long-term water security through the Lake Ringgold project. The Times of India said the city would need about 24,000 acres for the overall project, including the reservoir, pumping facilities and a transmission line to carry water to treatment facilities in Wichita Falls, and it said the city owned approximately 6,662 acres of the required land. The Times of India reported that opponents said more than 25 ranching families could be forced to sell all or part of their land if the reservoir went ahead, and it said the proposed lake itself would cover more than 16,000 acres.
Texas Conservation Alliance said the reservoir would flood thousands of acres of ranchland and wildlife habitat, including native tallgrass prairie and habitat along the Little Wichita River, and it said affected landowners challenged the permit following TCEQ’s approval. The Times of India described the project’s history as stretching back to the 1950s, and it said the idea returned to the forefront after a severe drought affected North Texas between 2010 and 2015, when Wichita Falls’ two main reservoirs, Lake Arrowhead and Lake Kickapoo, came close to draining.