America’s largest oil export hub is so starved of water that it’s been illegal to have a green lawn for 2 years

Corpus Christi, Texas, home to the nation’s largest oil export hub, and its surrounding Coastal Bend area are in a water shortage that has residents, businesses, and industry carefully monitoring their water use and worried about a growing crisis. Since August 2024, the city’s 318,000 residents have been unable to water their lawns and have been restricted in their ability to water gardens or wash their boats and cars. Without significant rainfall, the city’s government may have to declare a water emergency as soon as December 2026. This would require households to limit their water use to 6,000 gallons per month (22,700 liters), two-thirds of the average U.S. household’s water use. I study hydrology and water resources at the University of Texas at Arlington. As part of my research, I am developing computer models to inform flood and drought planning in the Coastal Bend region. Officials have been exploring solutions, including some with the potential to at least temporarily ease the water crisis. But solving the region’s long-term water problems will likely require major investments, particularly as its industries expand. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); Fickle supplies The city of Corpus Christi provides 65% of the region’s water supply, serving over 500,000 residents and large industrial customers. Most of the city’s water comes from rainfall and runoff in three river basins: the Nueces, the Lavaca-Navidad and the Colorado. Water is stored in Choke Canyon Reservoir and Lake Corpus Christi in the Nueces basin. This is supplemented by water transported via the Mary Rhodes Pipeline from the Colorado River channel and from Lake Texana in the Lavaca-Navidad basin. The Nueces basi