The city of Corpus Christi is facing a growing water crisis amid increasing demand from residents and businesses alike.
Corpus Christi provides more than 65% of the region’s water supply, serving more than 500,000 residents and large industrial businesses.
The region’s water resources typically come from three main sources: the Nueces, Lavaca-Navidad, and Colorado river basins. However, since 2021, the Nueces Basin has experienced widespread drought conditions, leading to critically low water levels at Lake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon Reservoir.
As a result of the drought, the three reservoirs in May 2026 held a combined 8% of their total capacity, forcing the city to draw water from the Colorado River and Lake Texarkana, which now supplies around 73% of Corpus Christi’s water. However, Lake Texarkana’s water levels also have been declining since 2025.
Beginning in 2012, the city’s port attracted petrochemical facilities, liquified natural gas export terminals, and manufacturing sites. Together, the plants require about 60.5 million gallons of water per day, placing additional strain on resources for residents in Nueces County.
The city had planned to develop new water sources through a desalination plant that would convert ocean water into fresh water. However, the project was later scrapped because of rising costs.
Corpus Christi officials have now placed the city under stage 3 drought restrictions, signaling an urgent need to secure additional water resources before conditions worsen into a full emergency.
In an attempt to prevent an official emergency declaration, the city has implemented several restrictions, including bans on lawn watering and washing vehicles with a hose, and limits when residents can water plants and gardens.
Even with restrictions in place for both residents and industrial companies, the city remains on track to become the first modern American city to completely run out of water.
City officials continue to explore options to address the crisis, including groundwater projects, wastewater reuse, and potentially reviving the desalination plant.
“Our strategy is to diversify the water supply…to make it sustainable for future generations,” said Nick Winkleman, chief operating officer of Corpus Christi Water.
