TEXAS, USA — The Texas-Oklahoma border under Lake Texoma has been redrawn to return a pump station that helps provide drinking water to millions back to the Texas side after 24 years.
The redrawn boundary, adopted by Oklahoma’s Contingency Review Board Oct. 30, is part of an equal swap of 1.34 acres of land between the states.
The North Texas Municipal Water District says the boundary between the states was previously redrawn in 2000, with most of the North Texas Municipal Water District’s pump station being placed on the Oklahoma side.
Neither state owns the land, though. It’s owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the agency responsible for Lake Texoma. Lake Texoma is the primary water source for fast-growing Sherman and Denison and provides about 20% of the North Texas Municipal Water District’s water supply for more than 2 million North Texans in the area.
“We’re pleased we’ve reached an agreement with our partners in Oklahoma ensuring continued use of our Lake Texoma pump station to provide water to our rapidly growing service area,” said Jenna Covington, executive director and general manager of North Texas Municipal Water District. “This agreement secures a vital water supply for the region, as Lake Texoma accounts for approximately 20% of NTMWD’s permitted water supplies that serve more than two million North Texans.”
“As Texas Land Commissioner, it is my honor to work on behalf of all Texans and bring solutions to the table to benefit our great state. This redrawn boundary line will ensure that millions of north Texans' water comes from a secure source in Texas,” said Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham. “I am proud of the GLO’s surveying team for playing such a significant role in settling this boundary issue by using their mapping skills and expertise. Surveying has been a vital part of the GLO since the establishment of this agency in 1836.”
As part of the new deal, the North Texas Municipal Water District will remit $10 million to the Oklahoma State Treasurer. The Oklahoma Red River Boundary Commission approved the redrawn boundary Oct. 9 after the Texas Red River Boundary Commission approved the boundary change back in 2021. The Texas General Land Office Commissioner approved the agreement Oct. 22.
The North Texas Municipal Water District says it plans to increase use of its permitted water supply from Lake Texoma over the next decade. Specifically, they say they plan to build an additional pipeline from Lake Texoma to its Leonard Water Treatment Plant by 2030 to help increase water supply to the fast-growing region.
“The new pipeline will allow Lake Texoma water, which is high in salt content, to be blended with water from Bois d’Arc Lake, increasing NTMWD’s available water supplies to keep pace with the region’s tremendous growth,” a press release from the North Texas Municipal Water District reads.
The tussle over the pump station and water from Lake Texoma goes back years, though.
The pump station was built in 1989 in the Texas side on the southeastern portion of the lake.
The North Texas Municipal Water District has federal and state permits to draw water from the lake via the pump station, with Oklahoma having access to the same amount of water as Texas. Both states’ water rights are governed by the Red River Compact Commission, which allots water from the Red River to all bordering states, including Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.
The Red River Boundary Compact OK’d redrawing the Texas-Oklahoma boundary in 2000, with the pump station being placed mostly on the Oklahoma side.
Zebra mussels in the lake brought water pumping to a halt in 2009.
“The following year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service informed NTMWD that the pump station was partially located in Oklahoma, resulting in a conflict with the Lacey Act, which prevents the transport of invasive species across state lines. A congressional exception to the Lacey Act allowed NTMWD to restore pumping from Lake Texoma in 2014. To regain access to the Texoma supply, NTMWD constructed a pipeline extension to convey water directly into its Wylie water treatment facilities."
Water from Lake Texoma is currently blended with water from Lavon Lake at the Wylie Water Treatment Plant because of elevated levels of total dissolved solids in Lake Texoma, according to the district. A blending ratio of 80% Lavon Lake and 20% Lake Texoma is typically used, but the ratio can vary based on real-time water quality conditions.
