Corps delays lake study

MOUNT PLEASANT, Texas—A study to determine if, and how high, Wright Patman Lake could be raised has been delayed again by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Tentatively Selected Plan, which representatives from the Corps’ Fort Worth District said in August would be complete by April 2018, is now delayed at the federal level.

John Jarvis, consultant for the Sulphur River Basin Authority, told board members Wednesday the Corps now wants to get an exemption to the contract they have with SRBA prior to completing work to reach the TSP.

“Now they have decided they want to have the exemption before the TSP, and this puts the TSP even further out,” he said. “Fort Worth is trying to get things under control. Meanwhile, we’ve determined the best thing to do is to help them get their act back together.”

SRBA has an accelerated funding agreement with the Corps and paid them $375,000 in August after the Corps sent a letter stating the TSP could be completed with the

amount and not need an exemption to its Smart Planning Process.

That process requires studies to be completed within three years and a budget of $3 million.

SRBA has been in-kind partners with the Corps since 2005 on the study, also known as the Sulphur River Watershed Feasibility Study. The study contract was amended in 2012 to include the accelerated funds agreement. Earlier this year, the Corps requested an exemption at the federal level so that the study could be completed, but additional funds were not allocated for it in the Corps’ 2018 budget.

SRBA Vice President Wally Kraft said he and Jarvis sent an email to the Fort Worth District two days ago asking the Corps to stop the study immediately and schedule a meeting with SRBA for the board to determine exactly what’s been done with the $375,000.

“Our idea is let’s get this train back on track, be sure where we’re spending our money before we proceed with this new plan,” Kraft said. “Our next action is to meet with the Corps. We just want to make sure we get everything back on track because we’ve prepaid. It would be different if we haven’t prepaid but we have.”

The funds SRBA sent were from the Joint Commission for Program Development, comprised of five water districts in the Dallas Metroplex. JCPD funds the river authority and the studies performed in the basin to determine if more water could be made available in Wright Patman and the environmental impact if the water level is raised.

Jarvis said the Corps does have the ability to tweak some internal policies to get the study back on track.

“The key for it to happen is to get representatives from headquarters, division, Fort Worth District and the local sponsor together and get it in writing and let’s go,” he said. “Getting to this milestone, the TSP, is crucial in the timing of everything SRBA’s been trying to do in relation to water development.”

He said the email he and Kraft sent was urgent and that it basically told the Corps they wanted the group to adhere to what they said they were going to do two months ago.

“Let’s stick with the plan and quit playing around,” Jarvis said.

In other business, the board approved the 2017 audit report performed by Wilf & Henderson and approved a $3-per-hour increase in the salary of SRBA Administrator Nancy Rose.

Rose said the board is not expected to meet in December, but will reconvene in January, unless other business arises.