An enormous new lake is slowly emerging in rural North Texas—the first major reservoir constructed in the Lone Star State in almost three decades. When it reaches capacity next year, the Bois d’Arc Lake will encompass 26 sq miles and provide drinking water to more than 2 million residents of one of the fastest-growing regions in the nation.
The $1.6-billion project is being built by the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) as part of its efforts to meet the needs of its rapidly growing customer base in 80 communities. In addition to the construction of the two-mile, 90-ft-tall dam that created the lake, the project required building 11 miles of roadways with nine new bridges, 60 miles of pipelines, a water treatment plant and an ambitious mitigation effort.