JACKSONVILLE — The Angelina and Neches River Authority will hold public meetings Monday and Tuesday night, 5-7:30 p.m. at the Norman Activity Center in Jacksonville, 526 E. Commerce St.
Monday night's meeting is a public information meeting set by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Tuesday's will be a formal public hearing designed to gather public comments about the project.
The public comment phase continues until March 30. During this time, anyone who wishes may submit comments about their thoughts on the project to ANRA.
Comments may be sent to Brent Jasper, regulatory project manager, Regulatory Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District, P.O. Box 17300, Fort Worth, TX 76102.
The primary purpose of Lake Columbia is water supply. Lake Columbia is not a flood control reservoir nor is it envisioned to have any hydroelectric capabilities.
The lake will be located in the Mud Creek floodplain, primarily in Cherokee County, the northern limits of the lake will extend into Smith County, with the dam located approximately 5 miles southeast of Jacksonville, Texas, (see location map at right). It will be 14 miles in length, 1.5 miles wide; cover 10,133 acres; contain 187,839 acre feet of water; and provide 85,507 acre feet of water per year to water supply customers.

