Wichita Falls Sues Landowners for Access in Lake Ringgold Dispute

City Seeks Court-Ordered Entry

WICHITA FALLS, Texas — The city of Wichita Falls has filed a lawsuit against a group of Clay County landowners in an effort to gain access to their property for work tied to the proposed Lake Ringgold reservoir.

The suit, filed Tuesday in 97th District Court in Clay County, seeks a temporary injunction against three limited liability companies: Kildavnet Castle, Umnaill Valley and Rockfleet Castle. The companies were formed by several landowners whose property is part of the area eyed for the project.

The city says the landowners have refused to allow survey crews onto their property. Wichita Falls argues that it will be “irreparably harmed” if the landowners continue to deny access. The city told the court that, because it has the power of eminent domain, it also holds the “ancillary power to enter upon the property.”

Purpose of Entry

According to the lawsuit, Wichita Falls wants to enter the land with a pickup truck and a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Crews would take photographs and notes, observe wildlife and vegetation, and collect soil samples with a sharpshooter shovel. The city says it needs this information to complete the work required to move forward with the Lake Ringgold project.

Without access, the lawsuit argues, the city cannot finish the studies needed for the proposed reservoir. Wichita Falls also asks the court to require the landowners to pay its legal costs for the lawsuit and any appeals. The suit was filed on the city’s behalf by the law firm Saunders, Walsh & Beard of McKinney.

Longstanding Project Plans

Wichita Falls has studied Clay County as the site of a major reservoir for more than 70 years. The proposed Lake Ringgold would sit along the Little Wichita River and would be similar in size to Lake Arrowhead. Interest in the project increased after the 2011–2015 drought, which strained regional water supplies.

The city argues in the lawsuit that it “will be unable to meet the water needs of its increasing residential population” without the new reservoir. Wichita Falls already owns part of the land needed for the project and has also applied for a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. That permit is required before construction can begin. A 2020 estimate put the reservoir’s cost at more than $440 million.

Opposition Continues

Local landowners and conservation groups have long opposed the reservoir. They lost their challenge before the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in 2024, but the opposition has continued in court. They have sued in state district court to stop the project, with a hearing in that case set for July.

Frank Douthitt, a Clay County resident, retired district judge and opponent of the reservoir, said he believes the city will likely win access to the land. “Sometimes they're trying to get on there just on a fishing expedition,” Douthitt said.

What Comes Next

The new lawsuit focuses only on gaining temporary access. The broader legal fight over whether Lake Ringgold can be built is still underway. For now, the city is seeking court permission to finish the preliminary work it says is essential to the project’s future.