The deal’s not sealed, but more than $1.5 million in federal funding has been earmarked for the Lake Gladewater Dam.
Tied to Department of Homeland Security appropriations, the Community Project Funding for Gladewater’s aging spillway and earthen embankment will be a significant jump-start for long-term repairs.
The necessary bills have cleared the House of Representatives, but there’s a likely delay ahead. In particular, the shooting of civilian Alex Pretti by U.S. Border Patrol Agents in Minneapolis Saturday, Jan. 24, is a new hurdle for federal funding negotiations in D.C.
That’s all going to play out in time. For now, officials here are celebrating a boon for Gladewater’s coffers courtesy of coordination with area political leaders.
According to District 1 Rep. Nathaniel Moran, “Congress holds the power of the purse, and this year, we used it the way the Constitution intended,” the congressman announced Jan. 22. “With final passage of all 12 FY26 appropriations bills, we secured $17M+ for TX-01 while avoiding the waste and lack of oversight that come with continuing resolutions.”
Within that sum is about $1.56 million for the dam.
“This is regular order. Real oversight. Real results for East Texas.”
The effort to secure the funding got rolling during the Texas Municipal League Conference in October 2024 when Gladewater officials connected with Steve Hofmann of Lone Star Consulting Group.
Council members ultimately passed on an initial agreement with the consultant, Mayor Brandy Flanagan recalled, but Hofmann opted to pursue community funds for Gladewater on his own time.
“He talked about doing it pro bono to prove he could get this funding for us,” Flanagan said. “That’s what he did.”
In an eleventh hour push for federal assistance through the DHS-FEMA Subcommittee, local officials solicited support to make a case “for the critical rehabilitation and widening of the Lake Gladewater Dam, classified as a High Hazard Potential structure by TCEQ.” Letters from Texas Senator Bryan Hughes and Gregg County Judge Bill Stoudt joined one from Flanagan along with engineers’ reports on the state of the dam.
“We just got the word it was approved,” Flanagan confirmed Sunday. “We originally submitted for $2.8 million. We were granted $1.5, and we’re grateful for anything we get.
“We’ll identify what exactly we can use that funding towards. We’re hoping that will pay for the engineering plans.”