ALLENS CREEK RESERVOIR PROJECT BETWEEN SEALY, WALLIS MOVING FORWARD

  

The Brazos River Authority (BRA) is proceeding with a reservoir project between Sealy and Wallis.

The BRA Board of Directors voted unanimously on Tuesday to accept a negotiated agreement with the City of Houston to purchase the city’s 70 percent ownership interest in the proposed Allens Creek Reservoir for approximately $45 million.

Covering approximately 9,500 acres of land, the projected amount of usable or firm water from the reservoir will provide about 100,000 acre-feet of additional water supply per year for the Brazos River basin, equaling the annual water use of about 260,000 families.  The estimated cost to build the reservoir is $500 million.

BRA General Manager and Chief Operating Officer David Collinsworth said the agreement between BRA and the City of Houston “is a win for the people of the Brazos River basin and the entire state of Texas.”  He said the water that will be supplied by the reservoir “has long been a substantial part of the State Water Plan,” and that the agreement “allows the federal permitting process and ultimately construction on the reservoir to move forward.”

Should a federal clean water permit be issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in a form consistent with the current water rights permit, the BRA will make an additional payment of $15 million to the city.  Once the reservoir fills, the city will have the option to purchase up to 30 percent of the permitted firm yield of the reservoir.

The water in the reservoir will be available for municipal, industrial, agricultural and mining use.  Recreation will be allowed on the lake, but it may be on a limited basis as levels are expected to fluctuate extensively to meet water supply needs.