A plan to sell Toledo Bend water to Texas is off for now, and a Vernon Parish legislator wants to make sure it never happens. The plan would have called for the reservoir to supply 200,000 acre-feet from Louisiana’s share per year to Texas in order for that state to address potential water shortages in its metro areas. Hornbeck Republican Rodney Schamerhorn says he will be filing a bill that would block any future water sale. He says if Texas wants Louisiana water, it can supply Louisiana with some of its jobs.
“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 said.
Schamerhorn notes that the populations of Texas and Louisiana are going in opposite directions.
“Texas is growing by thousands every day, and they’re running out of water. Louisiana is losing population, and we have an abundant of water,” Schamerhorn noted.
Furthermore, Schamerhorn says 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.
“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,” Schamerhorn explained.
