A city of just over 1,000 residents about 75 miles southeast of San Antonio issued a disaster declaration as a result of the ongoing drought.
“This action is intended to ensure the City has the flexibility to marshal resources and expend funds in the procurement of services and equipment necessary to respond to drought conditions,” Three Rivers Mayor Felipe Martinez said in a social media post Friday announcing the disaster declaration.
Corpus Christi officials have warned the city could run out of water and will release more reservoir water into Lake Corpus Christi to stave off the crisis, according to a news release Three Rivers issued on March 23. Lake Corpus Christi does not provide water for Three Rivers.
The disaster declaration gives Three Rivers officials additional authority to impose regulations or restrictions, or to adapt local policy to respond to the crisis. In some cases, declarations can open the door for state funding streams to address the problem at hand.
Corpus Christi pushed back against media coverage of the crisis and downplayed the severity of the issue. Officials said they had made a “$1 billion investment” in “drought-proof water infrastructure.”