STOP
LAKE RINGGOLD NOW
An exorbitant cost for a project that isn't needed, forces people from private land, and destroys our way of life.
THE ISSUE
We all want a secure water future. We all want a sound economy. We all want the City of Wichita Falls and the entire Texoma region to prosper.
But building Lake Ringgold won’t help us reach those goals.
Building Lake Ringgold will saddle the residents of Wichita Falls and its customer cities with $443 million in debt – for a reservoir they don’t need! That’s nearly $3,000 for every man, woman, and child in Wichita Falls and its customer communities.
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The City of Wichita Falls is barreling ahead with getting a permit to build the reservoir without putting the issue to a vote by the people.
City officials say, “Oh, it won’t be built for years.” But Wichita Falls citizens are already paying for the engineering work - and have been for several years.
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YOU can help stop Lake Ringgold!
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The Wichita Falls City Council can vote at any time to withdraw from the Lake Ringgold project.
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If you live in Wichita Falls,
tell your city council member that you don’t want Lake Ringgold.
4 REASONS TO OPPOSE
The four main reasons to oppose the proposed Lake Ringgold project
Don't Need It
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State Water Plan projects that Wichita Falls will need 32,305 acre-feet/year in 2070. The City’s current supply through 2070 is more than 45,000 acre-feet/year.
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If the Wichita Falls ever needed more water, there are cheaper ways to develop it than building another reservoir in the same watershed as its current lakes. The City has already delivered creative, successful, cheaper solutions to water needs such as the world famous Water Reuse Project.
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This money could be used for other things Wichita Falls and area residents do need, including school and infratructure.
Loss of Productive Land
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Approximately 41,000 acres will be taken out of production - 24,000 acres to build the reservoir and pipelines, 17,000 acres for "mitigation", to compensate for lost wildlife habitat.
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16,000 acres will be inundated, much of it the river and creek bottoms essential for wildlife and ranching.
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Rare tallgrass prairie grassland habitat and hardwood river bottoms vital to turkey, deer, quail, duck and many other species will be under water.
High Cost
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Ringgold’s estimated cost of $443 million will balloon to over $800 million with interest.
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Residents of Wichita Falls and its customer cities will pay for it through water rate increases.
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These costs do not include the costs to Clay County or the City of Henrietta to provide for construction and maintenance of new roads and increased law enforcement.
Destroy Way of Life
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Everyone in the region will feel the impact of increased water rates, lost agricultural production, and loss of prime wildlife and riparian habitat.
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Ranchers will be forced to sell their land, in some cases land their families have had for generations, ruining the ranches’ productivity.
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Everyone in Clay County will be impacted by lost tax revenues, increased road costs, and a change in their rural way of life.
Wichita Falls is planning to build this reservoir without a vote by its citizens. The local residents and businesses of Wichita Falls and its customer cities will pay higher water rates and the landowners in Clay County will be forced to sell land. All for something we don’t need.
WE URGE YOU TO OPPOSE CONSTRUCTION OF LAKE RINGGOLD!
Deborah Clark
Birdwell & Clark Ranch
"The people of Wichita Falls and its customer cities will be paying hundreds of millions of dollars for something they simply don't need."
About Texoma Stewardship Coalition
Texoma Stewardship Coalition began as a group of concerned ranchers, property owners, and citizens adamantly opposed to the proposed Lake Ringgold Project because of its impacts on ranching and the economy of Clay County.
What we quickly learned is that building Lake Ringgold would be bad for the people of Wichita Falls and other cities in the region as well.
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The residents of Wichita Falls, Burkburnett, Iowa Park, Electra, Archer City, Holliday, and rural areas in Wichita County will be hit with increased water rates to pay for a reservoir they don’t need.
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Texas Stewardship Coalition invites you to join the Coalition and learn more about the proposed Lake Ringgold Project. We welcome your help in spreading the word about the cost, lack of need, and tremendous negative impacts this project will have on the water ratepayers, the economy, the land and wildlife, landowners, and our region’s ranching heritage.
Please contact us below for more information or to join the coalition of concerned citizens that oppose this unnecessary expense and impact on our way of life.
See the Birdwell Clark Ranch in Action
Wichita Falls City Council Members
Mayor Stephen Santellana
1300 7th Street Room 105
Wichita Falls, TX 76301
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 1431
Wichita Falls, TX 76307
Office: 940.761.7404 or 940.761.7409
Fax: 940.761.8833
District 2 Councilor DeAndra Chenault
P.O. Box 1431
Wichita Falls, TX 76307
Phone: 940.444.8447
Fax: 940.761.8833
deandra.chenault@wichitafallstx.gov
Councilor At Large Bobby Whiteley
P.O. Box 1431
Wichita Falls, TX 76307
Phone: 940.733.4273
Fax: 940.761.8833
bobby.whiteley@wichitafallstx.gov
District 3 Councilor
Jeff Browning
P.O. Box 1431
Wichita Falls, TX 76307
Phone: 940.781.1895
Fax: 940.761.8833
jeff.browning@wichitafallstx.gov
District 1 Councilor Michael Smith
P.O. Box 1431
Wichita Falls, TX 76307
Phone: 940.692.5288
Fax: 940.761.8833
michael.smith@wichitafallstx.gov
District 4 Councilor
Tim Brewer
P.O. Box 1431
Wichita Falls, TX 76307
Phone: 940.224.9953
Fax: 940.761.8833
tim.brewer@wichitafallstx.gov
District 5
Steve Jackson
P.O. Box 1431
Wichita Falls, TX 76307
Phone: 940.631.9910
Fax: 940.761.8833
steve.jackson@wichitafallstx.gov
Join the Fight
Get involved now. There really is no time to waste. ​
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Tel: 940-448-0803 | info@texomastewardshipcoalition.com
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