The $1.6-billion Bois d’Arc Lake Water Supply Program, spearheaded by the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD), represents a significant undertaking aimed at providing a crucial water source for over two million residents across 80 rapidly expanding communities in North Texas. Kleinfelder played a key role in the project’s success through quality assurance (QA) and construction materials testing services.

Growing Water Demands

Bois d’Arc Lake was constructed by the North Texas Municipal Water District to meet growing water demands in North Texas. The dam and accompanying constructed lake is Texas’ first new major reservoir in nearly 30 years. The two-mile-long reservoir is located northeast of the city of Bonham in Fannin County and impounds more than 350,000 acre-feet of water, providing stable, potable water to the region, while also supporting recreational activities such as fishing and boating. Water is piped from the new lake to a new water treatment plant 35 miles away in a raw water pipeline.

Quality Assurance and Materials Testing Services

Kleinfelder’s QA materials testing services spanned across various facets of the project’s scope, including a two-mile-long, 90-foot-tall earthen dam; a new raw water pump station; approximately 50 miles of large-diameter water transmission pipeline; and the construction of a new water treatment plant in Leonard, Texas. Additionally, 60 miles of raw and treated water transmission pipelines were laid to integrate into NTMWD’s existing distribution system. Kleinfelder’s approach to quality assurance helped to ensure the highest standards of quality and durability, which are essential for the long-term sustainability of the water supply system.

The program construction manager for the project commented, “Kleinfelder’s team of field and mobile laboratory resources has been very flexible and responsive, provides effective technical solutions to reduce overall costs, and committed themselves to the owner’s rigorous safety program and associated safety requirements.”

Project Results

The $1.6-billion Bois d’Arc Lake Water Supply Program started providing water for more than two million Texans in Spring 2023.

• The American Public Works Association (APWA) Texas Chapter honored the Bois d’Arc Lake Water Supply Program, naming it a 2023 Project of the Year.
• The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) national chapter also recognized the project with a 2024 Honor Award.
• The Bois d’Arc Lake Water Supply Program was also awarded the 2024 Texas Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement (OCEA) Award by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Texas Section, as well as a 2025 OCEA Honor Award at the national level from ASCE.
• The United States Society on Dams (USSD) honored the Bois d’Arc Lake Water Supply program as its 2025 Excellence in Constructed Project Award recipient.

Project Details

Location:
Bonham, TX
Owner:
North Texas Municipal Water District