Rising Lake Corpus Christi water brings new life to businesses, real estate

Higher water levels are bringing renewed activity to Lake Corpus Christi, from small businesses to waterfront real estate listings.

MATHIS, Texas — After years of struggling with low water levels, businesses around Lake Corpus Christi are seeing more customers return as the water comes back.

For Paul Brittain, owner of The Tacklebox, the change is especially noticeable. The business, an institution between Mathis and Sandia for decades, struggled as drought conditions caused the lake to recede.

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Brittain bought The Tacklebox four years ago because he saw potential in the longtime business. But after he expanded the store, the lake dried up.

“When I enclosed this front porch, we added like another 350 square feet. As soon as we did, the lake dried up,” Brittain said.

Brittain said he continued operating even as the business lost money.

“I’ve made a lot of personal sacrifices. I’ve lost a lot of money over the past two years, and I dang sure couldn’t have done it for another two years, no doubt,” he said.

Now, with water returning to Lake Corpus Christi, Brittain said he’s seeing signs of a business rebound.

“All of our boating people were gone,” he said. “We sell towable tubes, and three years ago I sold 20 of them in one summer, and this year is the first year I’ve sold any in like two and a half years.”

The renewed water levels are also affecting the lakefront real estate market, although it’s still too early to know whether the increase in water has translated into more home sales.

Corpus Christi-area realtor Star Garza said she is seeing more homeowners put their lakefront properties on the market while water levels are high.

Garza said she reviewed MLS data for lakefront properties and found that, during the first week of August, listings had already reached about 80% to 90% of the total listings recorded during each of the previous three full months.

“So, if those statistics keep growing, we’re going to have a strong listing month … while the water levels are high,” Garza said.

Garza said low water levels had made lakefront homes particularly difficult to sell because potential buyers could see the properties’ waterfront amenities without actually seeing much water.

“The hardest part is taking a client to a house that has that price point because it’s waterfront and there isn’t any water,” Garza said. “You go out on the pier and it’s dry … but when you go out and you now take a client, it sells itself.”

For businesses like The Tacklebox, the return of the water is offering a welcome change after several difficult years.

And while it’s too early to know the full economic impact of the higher water levels, Brittain said the renewed activity around the lake is already noticeable.

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