The Toledo Bend Water War: Why Louisiana Just Said No to a Texas Firm’s $ Deal

Construction of the Toledo Bend dam began in 1964 as thousands of acres of trees were cut for the massive reservoir that sits on the Louisiana/Texas border with the Sabine River serving as the border between the states.

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By 1969 this joint effort by Louisiana and Texas began paying dividends when Toledo Bend's powerplant began generating electricity that, for years, has been purchased by utility companies like Entergy Louisiana, CLECO, and SWEPCO.

And for those unaware, this hydroelectric power generation was just one of the main purposes for this incredible undertaking. The other benefits the lake would afford both Louisiana and Texas came in the form of water supply and recreation, providing a vital water source for municipal, industrial, and agricultural needs while also becoming a major tourist and fishing destination.

And while the lion share of national attention Toledo Bend has received over the past six or seven decades has been about the incredible bass fishing the lake offers anglers, it's the actual water itself that's been the subject of many conversations of late.

The Need For Water In Fast Growing Texas Cities Was The Source For This Issue

To get you caught up on this real life drama, a Texas-based firm lobbied hard to purchase up 200,000 acre-feet each year from Louisiana's share of Toledo Bend water and pipe it to a number of Texas' growing cities.

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However, concerned citizens, lake area residents, and many anglers were extremely vocal with their opposition to the possible sale, citing their fears of lower lake levels, harm to recreation, and reduced property values.

These citizens were vocal enough, Louisiana's Sabine River Authority (SRA) has halted these water sales discussions and now, a Vernon Parish legislator wants to make sure it never happens again.

Louisiana Lawmaker Vows To Introduce Bill That Would Never Allow These Water Sales

In an article from the Louisiana Radio Network, we learn that Hornbeck Republican Rodney Schamerhorn says he will be filing a bill that would block any future water sale. Schamerhorn stated, "If industry needs our water, they need to bring it to Louisiana to provide for our people to be able to maintain a workforce and a good living in Louisiana.”

Schamerhorn added that if Louisiana gives Texas water from Toledo Bend, people who bought property along the lakefront and paid a premium for it may ultimately not get their money’s worth. According to Schamerhorn, “If a drought comes, and you have a contract that you have to provide water in some way or another that contract will not let you shut it off for any reason, you could have a mud hole instead of a beautiful lake.”