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HLS 26RS-785 ENGROSSED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 20
BY REPRESENTATIVE MCCORMICK
WATER/RESOURCES: Urges and requests the Department of Conservation and Energy
to study industrial use of water from Caddo Lake
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To urge and request the Department of Conservation and Energy to study the industrial use
3 of water from Caddo Lake and to report its findings to the House Committee on
4 Natural Resources and Environment.
5 WHEREAS, the ever-increasing demand for data storage and processing capacities,
6 especially for intensive computational tasks such as artificial intelligence (AI) development
7 and deployment, has led to construction of massive data centers throughout the country; and
8 WHEREAS, the operation of these data centers raises the temperature of the ambient
9 air and requires cooling strategies to keep them functional and protect the costly equipment;
10 and
11 WHEREAS, moving water through a piped cooling loop that exchanges heat with
12 the environment achieves higher efficiency at the larger scale required for massive AI
13 centers; and
14 WHEREAS, data centers consume massive amounts of water for cooling, with large
15 facilities using between one and five million gallons of water a day; and
16 WHEREAS, Caddo Lake is a twenty-five thousand-acre lake and wetland on the
17 border of Louisiana and Texas; and
18 WHEREAS, preserving an adequate and safe water supply for Caddo Parish is of
19 paramount importance to the welfare, safety, and health of the citizens of Caddo Parish; and
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HLS 26RS-785 ENGROSSED
HR NO. 20
1 WHEREAS, the residents of Caddo Parish would like to ensure that Caddo Lake
2 continues to be a sportsman's paradise that is available to the public as long as they respect
3 the rights of North Caddo Parish and Louisiana residents; and
4 WHEREAS, the availability of water during times of drought is a major concern for
5 the population of Caddo Parish; and
6 WHEREAS, lake capacity has likely diminished since the last study was conducted,
7 and fears regarding the buildup of additional silt from natural runoff and aquatic weeds
8 dominating the lake exist among residents within the area of Caddo Lake; and
9 WHEREAS, the people of North Caddo Parish are concerned that environmental
10 groups such as Sierra Club could utilize issues surrounding the industrial use of water from
11 Caddo Lake and attempt to take control of the lake; and
12 WHEREAS, the people of North Caddo Parish are good stewards of their land and
13 waterways and want to maintain their capacity to steward Caddo Lake well.
14 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
15 Legislature of Louisiana does hereby urge and request the Department of Conservation and
16 Energy to study the industrial use of water from Caddo Lake and the impact of such use on
17 the lake environment including but not limited to the buildup of silt and aquatic vegetation.
18 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Conservation and Energy
19 shall report its findings to the House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment not
20 later than sixty days prior to the convening of the 2027 Regular Session of the Legislature.
21 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
22 secretary of the Department of Conservation and Energy.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HR 20 Engrossed 2026 Regular Session McCormick
Urges and requests the Dept. of Conservation and Energy to study the industrial use of water
from Caddo Lake and its impact on the environment and to report its findings to the House
Committee on Natural Resources and Environment no later than 60 days prior to the
convening of the 2027 R.S.
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