Bois d’Arc Lake in Fannin County, an hour-and-a-half drive northeast from Fort Worth, is the latest reservoir in North Texas to open in 30 years.

Pronounced bo-da(r)k, the lake is named after the Bois d’Arc tree that grows in the area. The reservoir provides 82 million gallons a day of water for the nearly 2 million residents served by the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD). It covers roughly a 26-square-mile area with an average depth of 22 feet. The deepest part of the lake measures 70 feet. It officially opened for public use April 17. The lake was built at a cost of $1.6 billion, according to the water district.

“Bois d’Arc Lake is helping meet the water needs of more than two million North Texans, and it is stimulating economic and recreational opportunities at the same time,” according to the Bois d’Arc Lake website. “Construction alone increased economic activity in Fannin County by around $500 million, and recreation is expected to bring around $166 million annually for the county once the lake opens to the public.”

Visitors to the lake have three public access areas to launch boats for fishing and hunting. Go here to locate the boat ramp most convenient to use.

“As we celebrate the opening of Bois d’Arc Lake, we share in the anticipation and excitement this new recreational spot brings,” according to a water district news release. “We recognize that public access areas may be crowded in the upcoming weeks, especially during holidays and weekends. Throughout this time, we encourage patience and courtesy to fellow boaters, lake staff, and law enforcement.”

Construction on the reservoir began in 2018, and it started water delivery to residents last fall. The project includes a dam, 25 miles of pipeline, a pump station and the Leonard Water Treatment Plant. The treatment plant began distributing water early in 2023, initially treating up to 70 million gallons of water a day.

Water is a critical resource in North Texas — from sustaining the farming industry to quenching the thirst of nearly a million people in Fort Worth.

If Texas continues to see record heat in the summer months, farmers worry drought levels will worsen, depleting water wells across the state. In July 2022, 97% of Texas was in a drought, affecting 24.1 million Texans, per the U.S. Drought Monitor. As the heat persists, drought conditions in the state are only going to get worse.

To know how much water in is the reservoirs across Texas, check this map:

This story was originally published April 23, 2024 at 11:00 AM.