A dispute over water infrastructure has intensified between newly-elected State Representative Mike Olcott and Mineral Wells City Councilwoman Beth Watson regarding the Turkey Peak Reservoir project being developed by the Palo Pinto County Municipal Water District #1.
Rep. Olcott (R-House District 60) distributed a letter to constituents last week addressing what he called “dishonest allegations” made by Watson during a joint session of the City Council and Water Board regarding the Turkey Peak project. She claims the representative’s staff is hindering the project and causing delays and price increases.
“Mineral Wells Councilwoman Beth Watson, without ever contacting me or my office, chose to misuse and outright abuse her authority during the middle of a joint City Council/Water Board Meeting to malign me with dishonest allegations regarding the Turkey Peak project,” Olcott wrote.
The representative, who has been in office for one month, defended his involvement in the water project, stating he began working on the issue “even before taking office, because I know how important it is to our district.”
At issue is the relocation of Farm-to-Market Road 4 (FM 4), which would be partially submerged by the proposed reservoir. According to Olcott, the water district lacks a signed agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) regarding the road.
“According to Commissioner Salazar, there was no verbal agreement between the water district and TxDOT regarding FM 4 — only an unsigned Memorandum of Understanding from 2016,” Olcott wrote.
Olcott expressed concern that proceeding without proper agreements could result in legal challenges, stating that “if that had happened TxDOT would have undoubtedly filed an injunction against the project, which would have delayed the project indefinitely by tying it up in a legal battle over FM 4.”
In response, Councilwoman Watson defended her position and provided a detailed timeline of the project dating back to 2009, emphasizing the extensive research, planning, and public documentation that has gone into the reservoir project over decades.
“I am unbothered by Rep. Olcott’s letter. He is late to the party on this issue, having latched onto the discontent over proposed changes to FM 4 among a small group of residents near the lake,” Watson stated.
Watson emphasized that “the city, water district, Water Development Board, Texas Department of Transportation, and Palo Pinto County have been working on Turkey Peak more than 15 years” and that “meeting notes and correspondence indicate that the district and TxDOT have maintained a working plan on how to reroute FM 4 traffic for at least that long.”
Her timeline included specific entries dating back to May 5, 2009, when City Council Minutes show the “water district engineer discusses FM 4 relocation and working with TxDOT.” She also referenced an August 20, 2009 letter where the “Water District writes letter to TxDOT district engineer including the statement: ‘Please accept this letter as the District’s request to begin the process of transferring FM 4 in the vicinity of the proposed Turkey Peak Reservoir to Palo Pinto County.'”
Watson also highlighted several additional documented instances of public discussion about the FM 4 relocation:
- May 24, 2010: Mineral Wells Index reported that a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers public comment period closed with seven comments received, and FM 4 closure and reroute to Ward Mountain Road was discussed.
- 2015: The water district’s funding application to Texas Water Development Board mentioned coordination between TxDOT and Palo Pinto County on FM 4 relocation.
- February 2018: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit letter mentioned loss of portions of FM 4 and upgrades to Ward Mountain Road.
- April 2018: Council Member Doyle Light and Mineral Wells Public Works Director discussed FM 4 relocation at a TxDOT community meeting in City Hall.
- December 28, 2021: TxDOT spokeswoman Bethany Kurtz told the Weatherford Democrat the agency was “working with Palo Pinto County on future plans for FM 4.”
- December 2023: State Sen. Phil King’s newsletter mentioned meeting with Mineral Wells and water district officials, noting: “The drought has taken a particularly hard toll on Mineral Wells, and these are the kinds of projects needed to address current critical water shortages as well as to ensure water need for future growth.”
“The plan for the FM 4 reroute to Ward Mountain Road has been generally known for a long time, and there is plentiful free information online about Turkey Peak, including maps showing water covering the existing FM 4 that are nearly a decade old,” Watson said.
Watson stressed that extensive public documentation exists showing that inundating 3.5 miles of FM 4 and rerouting traffic to Ward Mountain Road has been the consistent plan throughout the project’s development.
“This isn’t a new idea or a surprise. There are years of public documents, meeting minutes, funding applications, and engineering reports all showing the same solution for FM 4. The 2015 Water District application for funding included maps clearly showing water covering the existing FM 4,” she explained.
The councilwoman emphasized the urgent need for the project’s completion, noting that “people who buy water from Mineral Wells and the surrounding water supply companies are paying for Turkey Peak.”
“If Rep. Olcott is so concerned about water rates in the area, as well as government efficiency, he would encourage timely completion of Turkey Peak Reservoir and a prompt, cost-effective solution with TxDOT that doesn’t strain water customers’ pocketbooks even further,” Watson stated.
“When the council voted to raise water rates to fund Turkey Peak and other projects in 2023, we had no indication we’d have any sort of challenge with the State of Texas over the FM 4 issue,” Watson added.
“There were numerous public meetings and opportunities to comment, and as a candidate, Rep. Olcott did not participate in any of our meetings warning that he had a problem with the reservoir.”
Both officials expressed concern about rising water costs for residents. Olcott highlighted “skyrocketing water bills” as a key issue during his campaign, while Watson pointed out that further delays would “strain water customers’ pocketbooks even further.”
“Rep. Olcott needs to advocate for cost-effective, long-term water solutions for our area, not send out mailers attempting to undermine a new drinking water supply for his constituents,” Watson concluded.
The Turkey Peak Reservoir project, in development for multiple decades, is intended to bring water security to the region. Governor Greg Abbott has made water infrastructure an Emergency Item for the current 89th Legislative Session.
Rep. Olcott represents House District 60, which includes Parker, Palo Pinto, and Stephens Counties.
This article contains information from political communications distributed by Rep. Mike Olcott’s campaign and statements provided by Councilwoman Beth Watson.