AUSTIN (KFDX/KJTL) — After decades, lots of controversy and push back from local residents, Lake Ringgold is one step closer to becoming a reality after the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality decided to approve the City of Wichita Falls’ application to move forward.

The City of Wichita Falls knows you can’t do much without water, especially since the multi-year drought that began in 2011.

Since then, lots of ideas have come to fruition about ways to make sure our need for water doesn’t get that dire again.

One of those ideas is creating a new reservoir, Lake Ringgold, which could soon be happening.

“People always ask, ‘Why isn’t Wichita Falls growing? Why isn’t the population and business economy growing?’ and I would contend that one of the reasons, the main reasons, is the uncertainty of our water security,” City Manager Darron Leiker said.

The uncertainty of our water supply could soon become more certain after a decision made by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality officially issued the City the water rights permit for Lake Ringgold, a permit that Leiker said is long overdue.

“It’s evidence that the City of Wichita Falls met our burden that we meet all the state rules and regulations for this water permit for Lake Ringgold,” Leiker said. “Most importantly, I feel good because this is one step further to ensuring that we have future water supply for more than 150,000 residents of Wichita Falls and its surrounding community.”

But those in the surrounding community of Clay County — where the reservoir will be built — would beg to differ.

“It was disappointing to see that they overruled the judge’s opinion; you very seldom see that,” Clay County Judge Mike Campbell said. “It’s discouraging but not defeating.”

Residents of Clay County who would lose land also oppose the reservoir.

“We have far too much at stake, not just from the private property owners, but from the County of Clay, the region, the Texoma region, we have far too much at stake, so this is just one roadblock,” resident Deborah Clark said.

The project’s process began years ago, and on Friday, the TCEQ approved a modified version of the City of Wichita Falls’ water use permit, allowing the city to divert and use up to 65,000 acre-feet of water per year from the future reservoir.

Its size means it would overtake ranches like the O’Malleys, which have been working this land for years.

“The lake will take quite a bit of our family ranch, and our oldest now, he’s old enough to understand what this decision means,” Shelley O’Malley said. “He’s pretty upset, and this is where he wants to live and grow up, and some day he wants to be a rancher just like his father. So to have that at the moment taken away from us, it hurts.”

With this permit, you may be wondering what exactly is next?

“To concentrate and work on the federal side of the project, you may have heard the reference of a 404 permit from the Corps of Engineers — that’s in reference to the federal side, so that’s what we’ll be focused on at this point,” Leiker said.

Those who oppose have other plans.

“We are going to sit down with attorneys and with each other and talk about the options that are available to us in the future,” Clark said.

One of the immediate options is to file an appeal, according to the attorney for the opponents, Lauren Ice.

“There’s absolutely an opportunity to appeal, so we’ll be talking to appeal, and we’ll be talking to our clients and landowners about next steps and if we do want to pursue that appeal,” Ice said.

Attorneys for those who are against the reservoir said constructing the reservoir could be a lengthy process even after this permit has been granted, and an appeal could take a while, too.

“The length of the appeal process doesn’t put us off the idea of it,” Ice said. “We’ll know within a few weeks whether or not that is something we are going to pursue, and then we will stick with it as long as it takes.”

Meanwhile, the City would want the reservoir functioning as soon as possible.

“We would hope that within the next 15 years, we would have the reservoir in use at Lake Ringgold,” Leiker said.

“We hope that the right thing will happen,” Judge Campbell said.

“Let us not build a half a billion dollar reservoir that’s subject to evaporation in the next drought,” Clark said.

“[The City is] empathetic to those land owners and those that might be impacted negatively,” Leiker said. “We believe there’s a greater good, and that is for the 150,000 residents and water users in North Texas.”

As the story of property rights versus public needs continues, make sure you follow along with the proposed Lake Ringgold project online and on air.