Fannin County, Texas -- Even before it opens to recreation, Bois d’Arc Lake is serving as a backdrop for education and awareness in Fannin County, spotlighting the importance of conserving and protecting local water resources.
“The District wants to be a good neighbor to those in Fannin County, and we want the lake to be a source of pride as well as recreation for locals and visitors alike,” said North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) Public Education Manager Helen Dulac. The lake provides a living classroom to discuss the importance of water.
Dulac draws upon decades of experience teaching sustainability and water quality to share the importance of conserving water so NTMWD can meet demands in one of the country’s fastest growing regions.
“The current drought is unique because our ability to deliver enough water is based on the limitations of our infrastructure and growing population rather than the general amount of water available,” she explained. “Where their water comes from and goes after it’s used is an important cycle that kids need to know so they make the best choices to protect the resource for their future.”
Dulac will be bringing the District’s water conservation outreach programs to Fannin County, including NTMWD’s Water4Otter program, which uses lake animal mascots to educate students about protecting local lakes and the animals who call them home. The program shares how students can reduce their water use, the amount of grease/oils/fat that go down the drain and other forms of pollution. Dulac is retooling the program to make it specific to Bois d’Arc Lake for students in Fannin County.
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Educating about the lake’s watershed has been another key initiative. Bois d’Arc Lake’s water quality can be adversely affected by pollutants and sediments traveling through nearby land and into the lake. David Cowan, NTMWD Watershed Manager, has worked with local stakeholders to develop a Watershed Protection Plan to protect and improve the lake’s water quality.
Cowan has also collaborated with Dulac and local partners to provide unique educational offerings about the lake’s watershed and the importance of conservation. This summer, they participated in Ag Days using the District’s stream trailer — an educational 10-foot trailer filled with sand and water to demonstrate how streams work.
“There were around 300 fourth graders at different stations representing different organizations — even a cow-milking demonstration,” Cowan said. “We demonstrated how land can be managed in ways that avoid erosion and protect rivers.”
The team also successfully competed with a helicopter and firetrucks for the attention of kids and parents at the Bonham Public Library's Touch-A-Truck event. “It was cool to see that an educational tool could garner so much interest at an event focused on fun,” Dulac said.
Dulac and Cowan are excited to offer the Lake Operations Center as an education hub to host classes for children and adults. The building’s classrooms are being outfitted with science equipment for student field trips, including hand lenses, nets and trays. Adult education classes will be offered in collaboration with Texas Parks & Wildlife, with topics from boater safety and angling to smart landscaping.
“I am excited to teach classes on creating drought-tolerant gardens — especially after this summer,” Dulac said. “Smart landscaping saves money and provides natural habitat for wildlife. Plus, native plants need less fertilizer and herbicides, which means that there are less of those to end up in Bois d’Arc Lake.”
Ultimately, it all comes down to protecting and enjoying the new lake, something that will benefit everyone in the area.
“We want to offer people that awareness and empower them to make good choices about how they use water,” Dulac said. “That is a legacy for the future.”