Corpus Christi City Council members met Tuesday beginning with an update on water supply projects for the city and surrounding areas by Corpus Christi Water (CCW) officials.
As of Tuesday, Lake Corpus Christi sits at around 12.2 percent capacity and Choke Canyon Reservoir at 10.4 percent.
“Yesterday, we asked the National Weather Service, how long has the drought been happening here?” Zanoni said to city council and community members. “And believe it or not, it's been four and a half years. Yeah, so in the spring of 2021 that was the last significant rain event, and that's four and a half years ago. So this drought is crippling and long enduring. It probably will be the drought of record, but they don't tell you that until the drought is over.”
Zanoni said that, for weeks, council members and CCW representatives have visited as far as Falfurrias to engage communities about various projects, as well as the possibility of a Level 1 Water Emergency for the city in fall 2026.
“I want to just highlight, that we have been and will continue to be for these next several weeks in the community as we work on two groundwater projects that are very important to sustaining our water supplies and making sure we don't get into curtailment a year from now," Zanoni said. "And so that includes engaging ranchers and farmers and persons living in rural Nueces County when it comes to our groundwater projects.
Zanoni said there are two well fields, the Eastern Well Field – at County Road 73 – and the Western Well Field on County Road 666, in Bluntzer. He says officials have been engaging the community, on both ranch land and areas like the San Patricio County fairgrounds.
City Council and CCW members will meet with Rockport City Council on Wednesday in Aransas County, Aransas Pass City Council on Monday, and with Sinton City Council on Nov. 18. They also plan to attend a Lavaca-Navidad River Authority Board Meeting in Edna on Nov. 19.
“Rockport will be important because that city council and community indirectly gets water from us through the San Pat Water District,” Zanoni said. “And they're just as concerned as anybody in this Coastal Bend region that we serve.”
Corpus Christi Water Interim COO Nick Winkelmann presented updates on projects including the Nueces River Groundwater Wells, the Evangeline/Laguna Groundwater project and a well field monitoring program for area well owners.
“An important part of these projects is being a good neighbor,” Winkelmann said. “So one thing that has come up, and we've talked a lot about, is working with area well owners to help understand the operation of their wells, and if their wells are seeing any impact from our well field operations.
Winkelmann added the there are no wells pumping right now at the Western Well Field, but the Eastern Well Field is online. CCW has spoken to owners on to how to help them monitor the water levels in their well. Officials are currently working with seven well owners on that monitoring program initiative.
“And we've also said that we would take water quality samples so that they understand the quality of the groundwater that they're using at their house,” he said. “And we would provide that information to them as well.”
For more information on the well monitoring program initiative, area well owners can contact CCW at (361) 826-1600.
Discussions regarding the $1.2 billion Inner Harbor Desalination Plant project will be on the City Council agenda next Tuesday, November 18.
