The United States is currently experiencing two significant water crises, intensified by climate change and industrial overuse. One crisis is unfolding in a Texas city facing a drought emergency, while another involves a long-standing political conflict over the Colorado River, which is crucial to several states. As summer approaches, these water issues in the West are expected to dominate, prompting experts to advise other regions to prepare for similar challenges.
A winter marked by unprecedented heat led to record-low snowpack across mountain ranges in the American West by February. March continued the trend with even higher temperatures, setting new records across the region.
“March was extraordinary, unsettling, and frankly unbelievable — temperatures unlike anything we’ve seen before, which wouldn’t have occurred without human-induced climate change,” stated Brad Udall, a senior water and climate researcher at Colorado State University’s Colorado Water Center. “Our already poor snowpack deteriorated drastically in just three weeks.”
The rapid snowmelt is severely affecting the Colorado River, a vital water source for 40 million people across seven states. The river’s flow in certain areas has diminished to a trickle recently due to the early thaw.
Beyond being a key water source, the Colorado River also generates power for over 25 million individuals via dams at Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the two largest reservoirs in the U.S. Currently, Lake Mead is just 17 feet above its lowest recorded level, set in July 2022, signaling potential problems for electricity production.
This exceptionally dry season is also exacerbating a long-standing political dispute over the Colorado River. States that draw water from the river have long been at odds over equitable distribution as agricultural expansion and climate-driven droughts threaten the water supply. The largest water consumer is alfalfa for cattle feed, which consumes more water than all cities along the river combined. States have missed crucial deadlines, including one in February, to revise the 1922 Colorado River Compact governing regional water distribution. The agreement stipulates equal division between an upper and lower basin.
In response to grim forecasts for the summer, the U.S. Interior Department recently announced a series of measures to maintain hydropower at Lake Powell. However, the government acknowledges this might reduce hydropower at Lake Mead and water availability in downstream states.
Amid all this turmoil, Udall suggests there’s a possibility of an unprecedented event where upper basin states could fail to provide enough water to lower basin states, breaching the 1922 agreement and potentially leading to legal battles between states.
“It’s frustrating for people like me, who have long anticipated this scenario,” Udall remarked. “Many of us, especially those familiar with the Colorado River Basin, have seen this coming for quite some time.”
Despite the severe circumstances, it’s improbable that the millions relying on the Colorado River will face Day Zero, a term for when municipal water supplies run out. No U.S. city has reached that point yet.
However, Corpus Christi, the eighth-largest city in Texas, may be approaching such a crisis. Officials announced last week that the city is expected to encounter a Level 1 drought emergency by September, defined as 180 days of water demand exceeding supply. Some forecasts suggest that without significant rainfall, municipal water sources might dry up by the following year.
Residents of Corpus Christi are already subject to water use restrictions, including limitations on lawn watering and car washing. Residential water bills have also risen by an average of just under $5 this year. City officials have indicated that industrial clients will be asked to reduce their usage by 25 percent in September.
“We’re trying not to damage our economy,” said Corpus Christi city manager Peter Zanoni to NBC News regarding the decision to delay a Level 1 drought emergency declaration until September, which would require industrial customers to cut back on usage. “We don’t want operations to shut down.”
Corpus Christi’s water is primarily sourced from surface water. The Choke Canyon Reservoir and Lake Corpus Christi, two key local sources, have been at critically low levels in recent years due to persistent drought. As of Tuesday, these reservoirs were only 7.4 percent and 8.7 percent full, respectively.
The city’s challenges are largely due to industrial water consumption. Corpus Christi is a significant petrochemical center, and the largest industrial water user, according to permit data from Inside Climate News, is a joint venture between Exxon Mobil and Saudi Basic Industries Corporation at a plastics plant. This facility consumed an average of 13.5 million gallons of water daily between 2022 and 2024. Comparatively, the typical residential customer uses 6,000 gallons monthly. (Exxon Mobil did not respond to a request for comment.)
The city has considered constructing a desalination plant to supply water to industrial clients, including the Exxon facility, which began operations in 2022. However, the projected costs have soared to over $1 billion, and residents have voiced concerns over potential ecological consequences. Last year, regulators rejected the project, leaving no alternative water supply plan. Recently, the Houston Chronicle reported that Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s office denied additional funding for a separate desalination facility.
“An important takeaway for many cities, especially in the Southwest, is that delaying water infrastructure projects only increases costs,” said Shane Walker, director of the Water and the Environment Research Center at Texas Tech University. “Expecting to find a cheaper option later is misguided.”
Walker emphasized the tension city planners face between economic growth and water resource management. As more Texas cities experience population growth and grapple with water planning, they must consider long-term strategies.
“A 20-year planning horizon should be seen as urgent,” Walker advised. “If you depend on groundwater, remember it’s finite. Lakes are susceptible to drought. What’s your backup supply?”
Short- and medium-term relief might be possible for both Corpus Christi and the Colorado River. During a recent water update briefing, Zanoni noted that recent rains have positively impacted the region, raising water levels in Lake Texana, another city water source. Udall mentioned that recent wet conditions have helped stabilize some situations in the West. Additionally, the upcoming El Niño, predicted to be one of the strongest on record, could bring a robust monsoon season to the West this summer.
However, both Corpus Christi’s municipal situation and the Colorado River’s regional crisis share common traits: a failure to address slow-developing issues, worsened by industrial use. Climate change is driving these water crises to a critical point.
“Globally, we’ve observed large-scale climate change events,” Udall said regarding the Colorado River crisis. “This might be the first global climate change challenge that necessitates substantial policy decisions and changes in operations. Seven states, two countries, over 40 million people, numerous farmers, and major cities must reconsider how they utilize this resource.”
