Both sides weigh in on Neches' endangered status

LUFKIN — Reactions came Tuesday from Angelina County natives living as far away as Doha, Qatar, in response to the national ranking of the Neches River as America's sixth-most endangered river.

While most reactions received by The Lufkin Daily News were sympathetic to maintaining the river's integrity — some simply seeking to be connected with a riverine protection conservation group — Upper Neches River Authority assistant general manager Monty Shank questioned the group's scope in developing the list.

"Obviously, I think they are on one side of the fence, and I hear what they are saying ... but what is their criteria?" Shank asked. "Do they want a river from its headwaters to the ocean dam-free?"

Ultimately, Shank said he didn't know enough about how American Rivers reached its decision to comment on whether proposed Fastrill Reservoir would impact the East Texas river enough to warrant being considered such a threat.

American Rivers, a national organization of 65,000 members dating back to 1973, officially released its list of the top 10 most endangered rivers in America late Monday.

Selected rivers are chosen based on impending threats, not existing conditions such as pollution, the group's report stated.

Shank, through the water authority, has worked with the city of Dallas on the Fastrill Reservoir proposal. Dallas has said it will need the reservoir in 40-50 years to accommodate the population it anticipates to have doubled by that time. The city's major industry leaders, including a national brewery, testified last spring before the Texas Water Development Board that failure to designate several new reservoirs proposed by Dallas could lead to increased water rates and negatively impact the ability of these industries to compete in Dallas.

Although the high-ranking industry leaders and their lawyers were outnumbered by Fastrill opponents who traveled from East Texas to fight to maintain their rights to the land and water, Texas Water Development Board approved keeping Fastrill and other contested East Texas reservoirs in the state's water plan.

"What about our projected growth?" Angelina County Judge Wes Suiter said Tuesday. While not pleased with the negative shadow cast on East Texas by the ranking, Suiter maintained his stance that Dallas has no right to East Texas water and the state was out of line in its decision. "If they don't have the ability to sustain the growth in Dallas, then oh well ... come to where the water is."

Someday, Suiter said, water will be worth more than gold. When that day comes, he said, "He who has the water has the power."

Capturing water naturally destined toward the eastern portion of the state only to be piped northward to Lake Palestine and on to Dallas through an existing line will have more than economical impacts, wildlife biologists have repeatedly said. It will also hurt the region's culture, according to others.

Angelina County conservationist Ellen Temple spoke to the proposed reservoir's namesake, the community of Fastrill.

Fastrill was a logging town that, unlike most logging towns, persisted in its existence long after it had served its initial purpose. Descendents of this community gather for reunion each June, and have begun posting memories and photos to a special online exhibit featured by The History Center Web site, www.TheHistoryCenterOnline.com.

"The families whose names create the word Fastrill played an important role in Southern Pine Lumber Company's early history," Temple said, referencing the online exhibit. "The name should not be used for a dam that would inundate the site of that most famous of all the SPL lumber camps where the descendants still hold annual reunions."

Access to the site for the annual reunion as well as Fastrill Cemetery is made possible through the Texas Forest Service which leases the land from Temple-Inland, said Texas A&M plant geneticist Tom Byram.

What even fewer realize is Fastrill has a modern heritage as well and is still contributing to forestry in the state of Texas, he said.

Since 1952 Texas A&M University researchers have planted and studied pine trees at the Arthur Temple Sr. Research Area, which is located on the old Fastrill Logging Camp Site. The Texas Forest Service leases this land from Temple-Inland, Byram said.