April 16, 2024
The Leader’s Website & E-Edition Access
● Classifieds page 18, 21 ● Recipe page 5 ● Legals and Emp pages 19, 20, 21, 22 ● Faith page 7 ● Sports page 17 ● Obituaries page 19
224 N. Main St., Bonham, TX 75418 fcleditor2020@gmail.com www.fannincountyleader.us Ph: 903-583-3280 • Fax 903-583-3945
Serving all of Fannin County For 51 Years Locally owned & operated Circulation 15,000+ - Bailey, Bonham, Dodd City, Ector, Gober, Honey Grove, Ivanhoe, Ladonia, Leonard, Randolph, Ravenna, Savoy, Telephone, Trenton & Windom
The Paper Of Record for Fannin County Texas
WE INSTALL & SERVICE GENERAC GENERATORS AUTHORIZED GENERAC SALES & SERVICE DEALER
ASK US ABOUT OUR GENERATOR SPECIALS!
903-583-4018
Mention our ad to receive a 10% discount on your precision TUNE-UP! Expires 5/3/24
4/16/24
www.toproof.net BONDED/FULLY INSURED
Serving North Texas Area Since 1981
903-821-7663 Tommy Stapleton, Owner
INSURANCE CLAIMS SPECIALIST
Bends in the River: Stream Hall project. North Texas. The project’s Picture This--Literally: In the 1920s, the natural path newest video showcases its Mitigation Begins Over the last two months, Tex- of the North Sulphur River was location, construction and Lake Ralph Hall in Animation operations through detailed as Mitigation Solutions (TMS) straightened and channeled to started work restoring a key help protect farmland along animation. Watch it below:
07/02/19 www.lakeralphhall.com
April 2024 - Lake Ralph Hall involves many different com-
ponents to deliver water to homes and businesses across
portion of the North Sulphur River as part of the Lake Ralph
Bonham Building Supply 2430 N Center • Bonham, Texas • 903-583-1874
Round Wood Plant Caddy, 12-In.
Preen Garden Weed Preventer, 5.65-lbs.
Green Thumb Colored Mulch, Red, 2-cu.ft. 200426 REG. 99
$5
SALE 59
689867 206317
REG. 49
$3
SALE
49 $14 $17 Polyethelene Lawn Edging, Black, 5-in. x 25-ft.
REG. 99
SALE
$19 $1399 Bonnie Vegetables Miracle-Gro All-Purpose Garden Soil, 1-cu.ft.
764688 202527
REG. 49
$14
SALE
$12
49
NOW CARRYING:
SALE 99
$7
Green Thumb Lawn & Leaf Rake, Steel, 22-in. Head
& Fruit Plants
Hanging Baskets
STARTING AT 99
$12
Terra Cotta Planters & Plastic Planters
REG. 99
$25
SALE 99
$17
146483
Sale Dates: Apr 15 through Apr 20 OPEN: Mon. - Sat. 7 AM - 6 PM
the river from periodic flooding. The original channel was 16-20 ft. wide and 10 ft. deep. Since that time, massive erosion has expanded it to 350 ft. wide and over 60 ft. deep– nearly ten times its original size. Wetlands, quality habitat and multiple state highway bridges have been destroyed in the process. The mitigation project is returning a section of the river downstream of the dam to its natural, meandering path. The first phase of construction involves digging out the pathway for each tributary, making sure each has sufficient bends to slow down the flow of water. “We are working on five main tributaries and have started on two of those,” shared Dustin Fitzgerald – Mitigate Texas Project Engineer and Texas Mitigation Solutions lead on stream mitigation for the Lake Ralph Hall project. Downstream, a subcontractor is working on the area where the new tributaries will connect into the existing North Sulphur River, removing soil so water will flow naturally into the existing riverbed. “We’ve finished 1000 ft. on one tributary and 4000 ft. on another,” Fitzgerald explained. “Our team uses bulldozers and trackhoes to cut the channel.” Then they remove earth to create “a space for each tributary’s floodplain,” or the land area that floods with water during heavy rainfall. The tributaries range from around 8-10 ft. wide with floodplains from 100-180 ft. wide. To keep the new riverbends from eroding, crew members are also installing “woody riffles,” or logs laid across the stream bottom in a pattern that naturally slows the water. “In natural channel design, there are a lot of different structures that go in the channel for many reasons, including stability and habitat. To date, we’ve put in 5-6 riffles for river stability,” Fitzgerald explained. “Ultimately we will incorporate riffles every 250 ft. along each new stream. These slow the water and help it stay deeper and slower in curves to protect the stream banks. They also create more habitat by holding water longer, raising the water table and supporting bugs, plants and ecology in general. This is naturally supposed to be a wet area in the floodplain, so the stream work is helping it get back to that again.” Continued See Lake Ralph Hall on page 5