Upper Trinity works on water access

By Abigail Allen

Editor & Publisher

The growth throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth Area has water access concerns on the forefront.

       Comparing the historic growth rate, which hovered around 5% to 6%, to the recent growth figures of 15% to 23%, the strain on the existing infrastructure is increasing.

       “In those rapid spikes, you have infrastructure issues, you’ve got supply issues,” said Jason Pierce, the manager of governmental affairs and communications for the Upper Trinity Water Regional Water District.

       How to tackle that question is something Upper Trinity has been focused on since 1989.

       Part of the answer is Lake Ralph Hall, the Fannin County lake-in-progress that has been in planning since 2003 and under construction since 2021.

       “It took us close to 20 years just to get a single permit to build the lake,” Pierce said.

       The lake, which is on the North Sulphur River, will produce around 54 million gallons of water daily, split between 35 million gallons of raw water and 19 million gallons of reuse water.

       “We need more water supply beyond that,” Pierce said.

       That’s because of the development in the more than 20 members—cities and utility entities—continues to grow.

       Members such as Aubrey, which does not fully take its water from Upper Trinity now.

       However, the city has worked with Upper Trinity to be able to make that switch in January 2028.

       “They told us two years ago, which is great, because it takes us from ground up, with no right of way, … it takes a while,” Pierce said.

       Pilot Point and Celina are also members of the district, as is the Mustang Special Utility District, and Providence Village is a customer of Upper Trinity.

       Beyond water access, the construction of the Lake Ralph Hall is intended to provide an economic boost and a recreation draw connected to Ladonia in the northeast Texas county.

       There will be two boat launch areas, a fossil hunting facility, visitors center and possibly a marina, Pierce said.

       The dam, named after former Ladonia Mayor Leon Hurse, is under construction.

       “[He] went around, trying to find out what he could do for his city to bring people back for an economic driver,” Pierce said.

       Hurse and Congressman Ralph Hall discussed the idea of creating a lake with a partner who could expand the footprint of the lake.

       “That’s how we married the relationship, formed that relationship,” Pierce said.

       As of now, UTRWD owns the entire shoreline and will allow controlled access to the lake once it is ready.

       Also in Fannin County is the new Bois d’Arc Lake, which is owned and managed by the North Texas Municipal Water District.

       Bois d’Arc began producing water for NTMWD in 2023, according to boisdarclake.org.

       Lake Ralph Hall is set to be ready for Upper Trinity to draw water starting in 2026, with the entity depending on natural sources to fill the reservoir.

       The lake will fill the area that was previously a channelized area of the Sulphur River, which means it will be a deep but narrow lake.

       “The deepest part of the lake at the dam will be about 90 feet,” Pierce said.

       Unlike Jim Chapman Lake, which Upper Trinity draws from along with the city of Irving, Upper Trinity will be the only entity drawing water from Lake Ralph Hall.

       Similar to the Lake Ray Roberts Planning and Zoning Commission that handles zoning requests around Ray Roberts, both Ralph Hall and Bois d’Arc have zoning districts set up.

       “So as development occurs, it can be orderly,” Pierce said.

       Upper Trinity will connect a 32-mile pipeline from Lake Ralph Hall to the existing 80-mile line from Chapman.

       That saves Upper Trinity from having to construct a pipeline the entire distance from the new lake to the Tom Harpool Water Treatment Plant in Providence Village and the Tom Taylor Water Treatment Plant in Lewisville.

       In Providence Village, Upper Trinity has constructed a new diurnal pond that adds extra holding capacity for 19 million gallons of raw water.

       The pool has a concrete lining.

       “We just have to find ways of parking water over here just in case the pipeline goes down, or a valve breaks, … that we’ve got additional storage on site to be able to pump it out,” Pierce said.

       The pond can draw from and be pumped into Lake Providence in addition to being able to be filled by the pipeline from Chapman and eventually Ralph Hall, based on need and other conditions of the system.

       Planning ahead is also something Upper Trinity prioritizes.

       “Generally what we try to do with our facilities is we try to build in some extra capacity,” Pierce said. “Our pipelines are usually built for 25-to-30-year capacity where we can and where we can afford it.”