About Jim Chapman (Cooper) Lake and White Oak Creek Mitigation Area
The project was originally named Cooper Lake after the nearby town of Cooper, TX. In 1998, an Act of Congress officially renamed the project to Jim Chapman Lake, named in honor of former Congressman Jim Chapman from nearby Sulphur Springs. The project is still known locally as Cooper Lake, and the state park at the project retains the original name of Cooper Lake State Park. Jim Chapman Lake is in the Sulphur River Basin and is located in Delta and Hopkins Counties. The project is a multi-purpose reservoir for flood control, water supply, fish and wildlife management, recreation, and mitigation within the White Oak Mitigation Area. In addition to these primary missions, USACE has an inherent mission of environmental stewardship of project lands and works closely with the stakeholders to provide regionally important outdoor recreation opportunities.
What is a Master Plan?
The Master Plan is the strategic land use management document that guides the comprehensive management and development of all recreational, natural, and cultural resources of the lake throughout the life of the water resources project. The Master Plan does not entail facility designs, daily project administration details or any technical discussion regarding flood risk management, water quality, water supply, shoreline management, or water level management. Many of these topics are covered in the many other Operational Plans that each lake and the district office develop separately from the Master Plan.
Why Revise the Master Plan?
The previous Master Plan for Jim Chapman Lake was updated in 1988 and the White Oak Mitigation Area Supplement was written in 1990. The Master Plan was revised in 2023 to address changes in regional land use, population, outdoor recreation trends, and USACE management policy. Key topics addressed in the revised Master Plan include revised land classifications, new natural and recreational resource management objectives, recreation facility needs, and special topics such as invasive species management and threatened and endangered species habitat. Public participation was critical to the successful revision of the Master Plan.
October 2023
February 27, 2023
Jim Chapman Lake and White Oak Creek Master Plan Presentation
Comment Form with Instructions
Public Notice
News Release
March 18, 2022