Guest post by Janice Bezanson, Executive Director, Texas Conservation Alliance
In a victory for wildlife and the state’s water resources, the U.S. Supreme Court recently denied a request from the City of Dallas and the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) to hear their case against the Neches River National Wildlife Refuge.
Dallas and TWDB filed suit in 2007 to block development of the refuge, alleging that the U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service had failed adequately to meet National Environmental Protection Act requirements for assessing potential impacts. Dallas and TWDB wanted to keep the Neches River available for Fastrill Reservoir, which would supply about 3 percent of Dallas’ water after 2060. Both the federal district court and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals wrote strong opinions upholding creation of the refuge.
The implications of the decision are far-reaching.
The refuge will preserve a unique Texas ecosystem
Located in the heart of the North American Central Flyway, the Neches River Refuge will protect up to 25,000 acres of increasingly-rare bottomland hardwood forests, crucial habitat for migrating waterfowl, songbirds, and a wide diversity of animals. Fastrill 
Reservoir would have impacted as much as 45,000 acres of vital forest habitat. Diverting water out of the Neches Basin to Dallas would have had serious impacts on productive timberland and on downstream public lands – two national forests, a state wildlife area celebrated for duck hunting opportunities, one of Texas’ most popular state parks, and the famed Big Thicket National Preserve, a jewel of the National Park System.
Dallas should tap existing reservoirs, not build new ones
Taking Fastrill off the table will force Dallas to look at other options – which is a very good thing! Water planners in the Dallas-Fort Worth-North Texas region (called Region C in the state water plan) are calling for four new reservoirs to meet the region’s projected water demands by 2060, which are very inflated compared the rest of the state.
Reasonable water conservation, including increased water reuse, would substantially reduce this estimated demand. Even without increased conservation or reuse, there is more than enough water in existing reservoirs – Wright Patman Reservoir, Lake Texoma, and Toledo Bend — to meet projected future demands for Region C, without building any new reservoirs. A combination of conservation, reuse, and tapping existing reservoirs can ensure a cost-effective supply for the DFW region without the economic and environmental devastation of a major new reservoir.
Photo credit: Adrian Van Dellen
Janice Bezanson, Executive Director of Texas Conservation Alliance, has 25 years experience in conservation work. She has campaigned successfully for creating wildlife refuges and other natural areas, finding alternatives to expensive reservoir projects, and improving forest management on public lands. She has served on numerous non-profit boards and, among other accolades, was the recipient of the prestigious Chevron Conservation Award.