The City of Three Rivers—located about 75 miles northwest of Corpus Christi—announced in a press release Monday that it was notified of a change in operations at Choke Canyon Reservoir due to inaccurate water projections.
“The City of Corpus Christi has notified the City of Three Rivers that they will be releasing more water from Choke to Lake Corpus Christi and soon leaving the City of Three Rivers unable to draw water from Choke Canyon Reservoir,” Three Rivers wrote in the release.
Three Rivers had been told in January 2026 that it would have access to Choke Canyon water through April and May of 2027.
“This development from Corpus Christi is unforeseen and unexpected because we have relied on the information communicated by them,” Three Rivers wrote.
Corpus Christi is under Stage 3 urgent water restrictions, with the combined capacity of Lake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon Reservoir dropping to just nine percent in February. Gov. Greg Abbott has stepped in as the city scrambles to avoid disaster.
As a result, Three Rivers says it’s being pushed to implement additional water sources sooner than expected—a situation officials described as “concerning.”
“City staff are working closely with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to ensure all regulatory requirements are met as the City of Three Rivers prepares to bring the second and third water supply options into operation,” Three Rivers wrote.
Three Rivers has been under Stage 4 water restrictions since 2024, as reported by The Progress. The city has been working to gain access to several other diversified water sources to address both immediate and long-term challenges.