NASA has released satellite images that tell a dramatic story about the impact of the long-term drought that is straining water resources in the southern part of Texas.
Water levels in two large reservoirs that supply the Corpus Christi area have steadily declined for the past several years.
City officials have warned that a water emergency requiring additional restrictions on outdoor water use could take place by the end of next year.
The satellite images below show the change in the Choke Canyon Reservoir and Lake Corpus Christi between October 2021 and October 2025. Water levels in both reservoirs have dropped over the four years between the two images.
According to data compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center and published by the Texas Water Development Board, the water level in the Choke Canyon Reservoir declined from 47 percent to 11 percent full between October 2021 and October 2025, while in Lake Corpus Christi it decreased from 87 percent to 14 percent of capacity.
As of Monday, the two reservoirs had a combined 10.8 percent capacity. But officials have said that some of that water may have limited usability due to high sediment loads that risk damaging filtration and treatment systems.
As of November 11, much of the Corpus Christi area is reported to be experiencing severe drought, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
In mid-October, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported that 60 percent of the area was experiencing moderate or severe drought conditions, a slight increase from the same time last year. Year-to-date rainfall totals through October in Corpus Christi were found to be less than 60 percent of normal, according to the NWS.
Water restrictions for residents and businesses began in mid-December last year, when the combined capacity of Choke Canyon Reservoir and Lake Corpus Christi hit below 20 percent.
This led the city to enforce Stage 3 water restrictions, which restricted the watering of lawns and limited other outdoor water usage to certain days and times.
City officials say that Corpus Christi may need to declare a water emergency as early as November 2026. The emergency stage is initiated 180 days before the demand for water is forecast to exceed supply in the two reservoirs.
If an emergency is declared, mandatory restrictions could be extended to industrial and high-volume water users, as well as to residents and businesses, as per the city’s drought contingency plan.
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