The owners of a ranch beside Bois d'Arc Lake would have to remove five dams and pull their fencing back onto their own property under a settlement the North Texas Municipal Water District board is scheduled to consider Thursday.
The lake in Fannin County is one of the district's newest water supplies for its member cities and customers in the region, including Anna. The district owns all land around the lake below an elevation of 541 feet above sea level, and a shoreline management plan adopted in 2020 sets rules for what neighbors and the public may build there.
What the district says happened
According to a staff memo for the meeting, district employees found fencing and five ponds with dams on district property in the summer of 2024 that had not been authorized. The adjoining ranch, about 725 acres used for farming, was sent a cease-and-desist letter and asked for a restoration plan.
The ranch's representatives submitted one, but staff say they have not seen significant progress on the work.
After the district's lawyers said the district was ready to do the work itself and seek repayment, the ranch asked for mediation, which took place Oct. 5. The memo describes the problems as trespass and unauthorized impoundment of water along the shoreline.
Terms of the deal
Under the key terms listed in the memo, the ranch would:
