Corpus Christi faces a critical water shortage, with reservoirs projected to run dry by May 2026, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) officials said.
Executive Director Kelly Keel and Deputy Executive Director Steven Schar emphasized, “Emergency measures are essential to ensure residents have access to safe and reliable water.”
Lake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon Reservoirs, which supply most of the city’s water, have dropped below 10% capacity after five years of drought.
“Residents’ health and safety are our top priority,” Governor Greg Abbott said. “The State will not allow regulatory barriers to delay access to water during this disaster.”
In January, the city requested a TCEQ permit to convey additional water down the Nueces River.
The governor has now suspended state rules limiting temporary permits, allowing Corpus Christi to access up to 29,034 acre-feet of groundwater per year from the Gulf Coast aquifer.
Mayor Paulette Guajardo said, “This emergency measure ensures our community can continue to rely on safe, reliable water while we address long-term solutions.”
Drought conditions in Nueces County have been included in a disaster proclamation first issued in July 2022 and renewed monthly.
The emergency suspensions apply only to Corpus Christi’s use of the Nueces River and are intended to provide immediate municipal water relief.