Environmental water releases, also known as pass-throughs, that deliver fresh water from Lake Corpus Christi to Nueces Bay estuaries can be paused, at least for the next few weeks.
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Executive Director Kelly Keel signed an emergency order Aug. 25, granting a request filed by the city of Corpus Christi, the city of Three Rivers and the Nueces River Authority to put a temporary hold on the required releases.
A 2001 agreement calls for water releases from Lake Corpus Christi when the combined capacity of the lake and Choke Canyon Reservoir is above 30%.
The amount of water required to be directed toward the estuary isn’t a hard and fast rule; it is determined through several factors, including by lake storage
volume and the volume of inflows, if any, into the lake.
The intent is to foster the health of the estuaries, which are at risk of becoming hypersaline environments that can inhibit certain species from reaching adulthood.
Under the emergency order, the city will not be required to perform the water releases for as long as six months.
The aim, city officials have said, is to help build water supply after a long period of severe drought.
The combined capacity of Lake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon Reservoir measured about 42% as of Aug. 25, according to city data.
Although the emergency order is effective immediately, it will go to the TCEQ commission in September for a vote.
Kirsten Crow covers city government and water news. Have a story idea? Contact her at kirsten.crow@caller.com.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: State OKs hold on environmental water releases from Lake Corpus Christi
