Mandatory water use restrictions are in effect for customers throughout the Coastal Bend region. Lake levels in the Nueces River Basin slipped below 20% of total capacity in late 2024 triggering Stage 3 of the Drought Contingency Plan. The City of Corpus Christi, manager of the regional system, made Stage 3 official on December 16. According to the Plan the region will remain under Stage 3 water use restrictions until combined Choke Canyon/Lake Corpus Christi lake levels increase to 30% of capacity.

Stage 3 rules included fines for residential, commercial and industrial customers that violate the mandatory water conservation restrictions.

Stage 3 rules prohibit all watering of landscaping including watering with a handheld hose. Using water to wash vehicles is banned. Adding water to swimming pools to prevent damage is allowed. Watering of foundations is allowed only once every other week.

These mandatory restrictions apply to all customers who get their water from the regional supply system that includes Lake Corpus Christi, Choke Canyon Reservoir, Lake Texana and streamflow in the Colorado River.

By contract, the San Patricio Municipal Water District and all public water providers connected to the regional supply system must have adopted mandatory conservation plans that are at least as restrictive as the plan adopted by the City of Corpus Christi.  Public water systems are required to enforce these rules at all times. 

Stages 1-4 of Water Conservation

The regional water conservation plan sets out four stages of enforcement depending on drought conditions:

Stage 1 – Mild Water Shortage Watch: Initiated when combined lake levels of the Choke Canyon Reservoir and Lake Corpus Christi system (CCR/LCC system) fall below 40% of capacity.  Stage 1 restrictions are not lifted until combined lake levels return to at least 50%.  The region has been in Stage 1 since July 2022.

Stage 2 -   Moderate Shortage Condition: Additional restrictions are initiated when lake levels fall below 30% and remain in effect until combined lake return to at least 40%.

Stage 3 – Critical Water Shortage Condition: Stage 3 is initiated if combined water storage levels decline below 20%.  Additional restrictions on certain non-essential water uses will remain in effect until levels increase to above 30%.  Stage 2 then becomes operative.

Stage 4 – Emergency Water Shortage Condition: Stage 4 could be declared by the SPMWD District Manager in the event of an extreme water system production or transmission system failure.


Each city government or water provider may impose additional restrictions and is responsible for notifying customers and for enforcement. Various enforcement mechanisms can be used including the potential for disconnecting water service for repeat offenders.

The Drought Contingency and Conservation plans are intended to help ensure the region's water security and to strive to see that all customers are treated equitably across the seven counties that rely on the region's reservoir system. The plans set out how water use restrictions will be triggered and how they will apply to customers. Full copies of these SPMWD plans can be downloaded here:

Drought Contingency Plan

Water Conservation Plan

Water District customers include the cities of Odem, Taft, Gregory, Portland, Ingleside, Ingleside-on-the-Bay, Aransas Pass, Rockport and Port Aransas, Rincon Water Supply Corp., Seaboard Water Supply Corp., Nueces County WCID #4 (Port Aransas) and several industrial customers.