CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — During the April 15 City Council meeting, staff pointed to falling levels in the area’s primary water sources.
“The drought of record in 2011 had inflows to Choke Canyon at 462 feet — last year we had just 434 feet,” said Drew Molly, CEO of Corpus Christi Water. “So are we in a drought of record? I might argue we are.”
At Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, hydrogeologist Dorina MurGulet has been tracking water level trends. Her research shows that reservoir levels at Choke Canyon and Lake Corpus Christi are even lower than they were during the last drought of record.
“The only miracle we can hope for is a summer tropical storm — and hope it’s not a devastating hurricane,” MurGulet said. “2011 should have been a lesson: Every time we commit to new users, we need to know where we stand.”
Activists say that lesson still hasn’t been learned — especially when it comes to prioritizing residents over industrial water users.
“If we keep going the way we are — prioritizing industrial greed over residential need — people should expect to turn on their faucets and find no water,” said Chloe Torres of the Texas Campaign for the Environment.
Some residents and a councilmember believe the city has over-relied on desalination as a solution.
“We’re in this mess because we put all our eggs in one basket — that’s desal,” said Gil Hernandez, City Councilman. “We need to go for the lowest-hanging fruit now that could get us water the quickest.”
In response, city officials say desalination is just one part of a broader water strategy. They note that groundwater, reuse and conservation projects are also being considered.
But with inflows down, wells offline and long-term projects, like groundwater still uncertain, the question may no longer be whether this is a drought of record — but whether the city is acting like it.
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