(August 14, 2009)

MATHIS--The decreasing levels at Lake Corpus Christi has created a water crisis for residents who depend on the lake as their main source for water. While two towns are hoping more water will soon be released from Choke Canyon, a third town won't have any problems.

We have done a few stories about the water problems for Alice and Beeville. Mathis, also, gets water from Lake Corpus Christi, but it's not in the same situation.

Mathis residents are talking about one thing in the small town. It's the lake levels at Lake Corpus Christi. The level is now at 82 and half feet, a nearly 50% drop from a year ago.

City leaders are the ones fielding the inquiries.

"We get questions everyday about the lake levels, what the lake levels are doing, what's going on?," said Joe Sandoval, the Mathis Public Works Director. "Are we going to have trouble and are we going to have to cut back on water usage?"

Recently at the Mathis pump where they get water from the lake, they saw the first effects of the drought. The dropping lake levels forced them to lower the pumps so they could pull water out.

"We were having problems due to the water level on the lake," Sandoval said. "So we had to make adjustments for our impellors to pull the water out of the lake."

Beeville and Alice are asking Corpus Christi officials to let water out of the Choke Canyon so they can provide service to their cities.

Their pumps stop working at 80 and 78 feet respectively, which could happen over the next two months, but Mathis is different as they prepared for a severe drought.

"About five years ago, we extended 15 to 20 feet, the suction pipe to pull more water in case these emergencies we are having," said Sandoval. 

Corpus Christi water officials warned all three cities to improve its infrastructure for a bad drought about 15 years ago. Mathis was the only city to invest in lowering their pumps, while others said it was too costly. Because of that, Mathis should have water for at least six months.

'I am hoping we get rain before that," Sandoval said "Hopefully, if everything goes right the pump keeps up we shouldn't have that problem."

--Manuel De La Rosa, Area 3 News, mdelarosa@kiiitv.com