CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — State environmental regulators affirmed and approved an emergency order Wednesday impacting Coastal Bend reservoirs by suspending pass-throughs due to drought conditions.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Commissioners unanimously approved the Executive Director's Emergency Order to temporary suspend inflows into the Bays and Estuaries from Western Reservoirs for 120 days. The approval includes a review for renewal for an additional 60 days on December 23, 2026, based on the conditions of the Western Reservoirs at that time.
Wednesday's meeting sought to affirm, modify or set aside the emergency order, signed Aug. 25 by TCEQ Executive Director Kelly Keel.
The emergency order temporarily suspended pass-through requirements under a 2001 agreement between the City of Corpus Christi, the City of Three Rivers, the Nueces River Authority and the state. That agreement requires the city to release a portion of water flowing into its reservoir system, Lake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon Reservoir, downstream into the Nueces Estuary to support the health of Nueces and Corpus Christi bays.
Under the 2001 agreement, the amount of water that must pass through the system depends on how full the reservoirs are.
The City of Corpus Christi, the City of Three Rivers and the Nueces River Authority filed the application on Aug. 11 under the governor's drought disaster proclamation for Coastal Bend counties.
See some of our previous reporting on this topic in the video player above.
