By BJ Austin, KERA Reporter
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-778777.mp3
Dallas, TX – Dallas is joining a regional plan to pump water into North Texas from Oklahoma. KERA's BJ Austin says the Dallas City Council gave the massive pipeline project the green light today.
Dallas City Council member Linda Koop says an adequate water supply for the fast-growing Dallas and Fort Worth region is critical, as important as transportation improvements to keep attracting industry and development.
Koop: Our area is the fourth largest metropolitan area in the United States. We are growing and will continue to grow. And as part of those growth plans, we have to have an excellent water plan for the future and also an excellent mobility plan.
This water plan calls for a $3 billion pipeline to bring water into North Texas, primarily from the Kiamichi River basin near McAlester. There is no timeline for any of this. First up, the Tarrant County Water District is leading a legal challenge to Oklahoma's moratorium on out-of-state water sales.