LUBBOCK, Texas — The Jim Bertram Lake, also known as Lake Seven, has been an idea for the city since the 1970s.

Recently, the plans have gotten some “new energy” and a completion timeline.

The 774-acre lake, named after a former Lubbock city employee, will be placed outside the east loop and connected to Buffalo Springs Lake by a dam.

Lubbock City Manager Jarrett Atkinson said the project will not be cheap and could cost at least $250 million. The lake is expected to be completed in 17-20 years.

In 2007, the passage of Senate Bill 675 led to the desginaton of the lake as a “unique reservoir” that would be used as an additional water supply for the City of Lubbock. Atkinson said the city will own the water rights for the lake.

Jim Bertram Lake is still in the approval process by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The next step will be getting approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“There are lakes around us. We’re able to drive to them if we choose. This one again is about five minutes from outside of the east loop. It’s very, very close to us. It’s in a canyon that I think is just gonna be incredibly, incredibly beautiful,” Atkinson said. “It’s gonna offer us so much quality of life in addition to the main benefit of guaranteeing the future availability of our drinking water system.”