Lake Columbia a Step Closer to Reality

EAST TEXAS — It’s been more than 30 years in the making. Lake Columbia can now move forward with the final permit process thanks to a new partnership. Once cleared, construction can begin, according to KETK. The proposed lake will run from Smith County, near Tyler, into Cherokee County. Plans for Lake Columbia began in 1978. But funding delays hindered the project’s development. One official says, “Once the federal permits are in hand, the rest of the process is rather fast and straightforward. I wouldn’t think it’d take more than 1 to 2 years to complete. It’s just taken 10 years to date to get the federal permits in process, and they haven’t been accomplished yet.” Lake Columbia is named in honor of the NASA shuttle that went down in East Texas back in 2003.