Texas water district amends lawsuit in attempt to buy billions of gallons of Oklahoma water

Texas water district keeps water lawsuit alive

OKLAHOMA CITY — A North Texas water district seeking to buy billions of gallons of water from basins in southern Oklahoma has filed an amended lawsuit against officials in Oklahoma.

The Tarrant Regional Water District filed its amended complaint Friday in federal court in Oklahoma City. The district is suing the Oklahoma Water Resources Board.

Officials with the water district that serves Fort Worth, Texas, and surrounding communities claim Oklahoma has 10 times the water it needs to meet its own needs. They say they want only 7 percent of the excess water that flows into the Red River separating Oklahoma and Texas.

Oklahoma lawmakers, particularly those in southeast Oklahoma, have opposed the proposed water sale, saying the state should first develop a comprehensive water study.