The skyline of Corpus Christi Texas shot at dawn from offshore. The city and the Coastal Bend are facing a looming water crisis.
Photography by Steve Kelley aka /Getty Images
Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend are quickly hurtling toward a water catastrophe as reservoir levels continue to plummet to historic lows amid unrelenting drought. But just how fast that catastrophe will arrive, who’s to blame, and what can be done to fix it are all matters of dispute as Corpus Christi city leaders battle themselves, officials from other cities, and now, even the governor of Texas.
Here’s what to know about the looming environmental and economic disaster that has been years in the making.
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Is Corpus Christi running out of water?
The short answer is yes. Corpus Christi and the communities across seven Coastal Bend counties that are dependent on Corpus Christi Water (CCW) are at risk of running into severe water supply issues that will trigger shortages within the next year. City officials have said that the region could reach a “water emergency” as soon as this November.
Where does Corpus Christi get its water from?
Corpus Christi gets its water from four main sources that are divided by location. Lake Corpus Christi and the Choke Canyon Reservoir make up the so-called “western supplies.” The two waterways once made up the bulk of the region’s water supply, providing up to 70% of the city’s fresh water. But starting about three years ago, CCW began to source more of its water from the eastern supplies, which consist of Lake Texana and the Lower Colorado River. However, those two water supplies can hold only about one-fourth the amount of water as the western supplies.
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Why is Corpus Christi running out of water?
A massive drought has been afflicting Texas for several years. During a March 5 news conference on the banks of Lake Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni said no “meaningful” rainfall has occurred at Lake Corpus Christi in five years.
“The result of the (lake’s) decline is from a gripping drought that will probably be the drought of record for our region,” Zanoni said.
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What are the Coastal Bend’s reservoir levels now?
As of Thursday, March 12, the combined storage levels of Lake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon were 8.7% — the lowest levels since Lake Corpus Christi was impounded in 1958, accord to Corpus Christi Water. Lake Texana, meanwhile, is at about 55.8% full as of Thursday. That’s a decline of 11.5% since mid-December. In January, CCW officials said they expect Lake Texana and the eastern supplies to fall below 50% by next month.
Shown are the primary flood gates at Lake Corpus Christi.
Courtesy NOAA
When will Corpus Christi run out of water?
When, exactly, Corpus Christi will run out of water is a matter of debate. In January, Zanoni and CCW officials told the Corpus Christi City Council that falling reservoir levels could trigger a “level one water emergency” as soon as November. That milestone would make the point when the Coastal Bend is expected to be six months away from running out of water and would trigger mandatory curtailment, or usage restrictions. They further said that Lake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon could run dry as soon as May 2027.
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But over the last week or so, other Coastal Bend officials have begun to express concerns that those estimates are way off — and way too generous. State Rep. Denise Villalobos, R-Corpus Christi, told KIII 3NEWS that curtailment could begin as soon as May, six months earlier than previously estimated.
How is the Corpus Christi Water crisis impacting the rest of the Coastal Bend?
On Sunday, March 8, Inside Climate News (ICN) published a bombshell investigative report that detailed the potential consequences of Corpus Christi running out of water. Speaking with former Corpus Christi water officials, as well as other local water experts, ICN reported that Coastal Bend water shortages could impact jet fuel deliveries to airports across Texas and cause gasoline prices to surge.
Why is Gov. Greg Abbott weighing in on the Corpus Christi water crisis?
The reporting prompted sharp criticism from Gov. Greg Abbott, who threatened a state takeover of the city and its water woes.
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“Corpus Christi is a victim not because of lack of water. They’re a victim because of a lack of ability to make a decision,” Abbott told a gaggle of reporters at an unrelated news conference.
What has Corpus Christi done so far to address the water crisis?
The city’s efforts to address the water crisis have been bumbling, at best. Last fall, a divided city council voted down a plan to build a massive desalination plant that had been years in the making. The Inner Harbor Desalination Project had already received state and federal permits, and much of its billion-dollar price tag had been accounted for through state funding and municipal debt.
The city is working on four other alternatives, including two additional, smaller desalination projects, a reclaimed water project, and a groundwater project that involves the digging of dozens of wells.
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What will happen next in the Corpus Christi water crisis?
Mayor Paulette M. Guajardo took to social media this week to call on the council to hold an emergency meeting to push the Inner Harbor project through. Thus far, however, no such meeting has been scheduled. But the council is expected to discuss the crisis during its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, March 17. In the meantime, even the Catholic Church has gotten involved in the crisis. On Thursday, the Most Rev. Mario Alberto Avilés, who serves as the bishop of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, called on the faithful to pray for rain.