Texarkana Opens the Door to Millwood Lake Water for Texas. Nothing Is Approved Yet.
A 6-0 board vote starts the state process for up to 110 million gallons a day. The Natural Resources Commission and the Legislature decide.
Texarkana did not sell Millwood Lake water. It voted 6-0 on Oct. 13 to start the state approval process for up to 110 million gallons a day to move to Texas.
The city manager says the vote commits the city to no sale, no transfer of water rights and no construction funding. Every binding decision still sits with the Natural Resources Commission and the General Assembly.
The Texarkana, Arkansas, Board of Directors voted 6-0 on October 13, 2026 to authorize an exclusivity agreement with Heartland Water Partners, the Southwest Arkansas Water District, and the cities of Hope and Ashdown and the town of Ogden. The ordinance also lets the water district apply to the state to move up to 110 million gallons a day of Millwood Lake water to Texas, per TXK Today.
City Manager Tyler Richards said the vote does not commit the city to sell water, transfer water rights, fund construction or pledge its credit. Under Arkansas law, the Natural Resources Commission must study any out-of-state transfer and the General Assembly must approve it.
What are the facts?
| Date | Step |
|---|---|
| Oct. 13 | Board votes 6-0 at a special meeting. Mayor Allen Brown was absent. |
| Oct. 19, 6 p.m. | Next regular board meeting |
| By Nov. 1 | Each city tells the district and Heartland in writing how much water it commits |
| November | The Natural Resources Commission announces the application and opens a public comment period of about two weeks. Review can take up to 120 days. |
| Nov. 18 | Commission meeting in Little Rock, the last chance to reach the January legislative session |
| Jan. 11 | General Assembly convenes. If lawmakers approve the transfer, the second payment is due. |
| Jan. 31 | If no application has been filed, any party can end the agreement on 30 days' notice |
Heartland would make reservation payments of about $550,000 each. The first is due when the application is filed, and the city keeps it even if the state denies the application. A draft described in an earlier TXK Today preview set the rate at $5,000 per million gallons committed.
Heartland is described as a Texas limited liability company with a Dallas office. Business records tie that address to a Dallas private equity firm, and the article says the board packet does not explain the relationship. Heartland has registered two Arkansas lobbyists for 2026: Robert Moery, a former aide to Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and Chris Caldwell, a senior campaign adviser to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Who is for it and who is against?
State Sen. Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana, has said he opposes the plan. Before the vote, a spokesman for Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said it was too early to comment. Supporters at the meeting included former mayor Danny Gray, who said the deal requires no tax abatements or incentives, and a director who said the city needs about $180 million for roads. One speaker, a Texas resident, opposed the plan and criticized the lack of an environmental study. A director asked that proceeds reach residents through water bills and infrastructure.
What is still unknown?
The drafts do not name a Texas buyer, a pipeline route or a price for any water sale. The article notes that no director asked who owns Heartland.
What does it mean for land?
110 million gallons a day equals about 40.15 billion gallons a year (computed). At $5,000 per million gallons, the 110 million gallon commitment matches the $550,000 reservation payment (computed).
The vote starts a state process. It does not approve a transfer. The Commission review and the legislative vote are the decision points. No source here measures any effect on land values or water rights.
Watch three things: the November 1 commitment letters, the Commission's November 18 meeting and comment period, and the January 11 session.
What should landowners do now?
Owners along the Little River or near Millwood Lake can ask the Natural Resources Commission for the application once it is posted and note the comment window. Ask whether any easement or pipeline route has been proposed. The drafts name none.
Frequently asked questions
Did Texarkana agree to sell water to Texas? No. The vote authorizes an exclusivity agreement and a state application. The city says it is not an agreement to sell water.
How much water is involved? Up to 110 million gallons a day, per the ordinance as reported.
Who decides? The Natural Resources Commission studies the application and the General Assembly must approve any transfer out of state.
The bottom line
One city board opened the state process for up to 110 million gallons a day, and every binding decision still sits with the Commission and the Legislature.
The November 18 Commission meeting is the date to watch.
Looking for land in Northwest Arkansas? Browse land and acreage listings.
References
- TXK Today, "Texarkana, Arkansas, board votes 6-0 to seek state approval for Millwood Lake water sale to Texas," Oct. 13, 2026
Cited for: the vote, the timeline, the payments and the reactions at the meeting - TXK Today, "Texarkana, Arkansas, board to vote Tuesday on emergency ordinance that would open Millwood Lake water talks with Dallas pipeline company," Oct. 12, 2026
Cited for: Heartland's background, the draft rate, the legal process and the pre-vote reactions
