$1.2 billion dam, reservoir near Bonham

​​​FANNIN COUNTY – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has given the green light to the state’s first new reservoir in 30 years.

Construction of the reservoir, named the Lower Bois d’Arc Creek Reservoir, will start spring 2018, northeast of Bonham.

The $1.2 billion project will be a key source of water for 1.7 million people living in 80 North Texas communities, a population expected to double over the next 50 years.

The project will include a reservoir dam and intake, a raw water pipeline, a water treatment plant, an environmental mitigation area, and roadway improvements and a bridge. 

Officials also expect the project to spur economic growth and recreational opportunities like fishing and boating.​

The reservoir will measure more than 16,600 surface acres, making it a tad smaller than Jim Chapman (Cooper) Lake, north of Sulphur Springs.​