After the Texas coastal city of Corpus Christi was expected to enter a Level 1 water emergency, heavy rainfall has delayed that projection until September 2027.
According to a memo from Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni, sustained rainfall over the past 30 days has significantly increased lake levels across the region.
“Given rains over the last 30 days (not including the past weekend’s rains), the now updated forecast shows a Level 1 Water Emergency being called in September 2027,” Zanoni wrote in the memo.
Over the past month, Lake Corpus Christi climbed from roughly 9% capacity to nearly 31.3% as of June 23. Lake Texana rose from approximately 53% to nearly 100%, while Choke Canyon Reservoir remains largely unchanged at around 8.7% capacity.
Despite the improved outlook and additional rainfall in the forecast, Corpus Christi Chief Operating Officer Nick Winkelmann water warned the city leaders against becoming complacent.
“This is not a point in time where we are to let up or to get comfortable,” Nick Winkelmann told the City Council on Tuesday. “We must continue to execute our plan to diversify the water supply.”
Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo also welcomed the news, calling it a major milestone for the community.
“This is such good news,” she said, “While the recent rains have bought us some time, we have to stay focused on our long-term water supply. This is a huge, huge milestone.”
Even with the recent rainfall, city leaders continue to weigh long-term solutions to diversify the region’s water supply. One proposal under consideration is a seawater desalination plant that would draw water from the Gulf of America and convert it into fresh drinking water. The city is expected to make a decision on the nearly $1 billion dollar project in September.
Additionally, Corpus Christi has drilled dozens of groundwater wells in rural Nueces County to help combat the ongoing drought and supplement the municipal water supply.
If additional long-term water projects are delayed, city officials project Corpus Christi could still enter a level 1 water emergency by September 2027.
