Stage 3 drought restrictions on the way? This is what city officials say.

Corpus Christi’s yearslong drought could see lake levels dip even further by late summer, according to city officials.

Stage 1 drought restrictions went into effect in June 2022 and continued through March 12, when Stage 2 drought was declared in Corpus Christi for the first time in about a decade.

Stage 1 drought means the combined levels of Choke Canyon Reservoir and Lake Corpus Christi have slid below 40% of their total capacity. Stage 2 drought restrictions go into effect when the combined lake levels sink below 30%.

If modeling stays on-target, the combined lake levels could within a matter of months drop to below 20%, city officials said this week –at Stage 3, considered a “critical water storage condition,” according to Corpus Christi’s Drought Management Plan.

A drought monitor “shows an increase in drought conditions over our watershed just in the last several weeks from March 26 to April 23,” wrote City Manager Peter Zanoni in a memo Tuesday.

“With increasing temperatures and very little rain predicted, an increase in evaporative losses is likely, which will contribute to decreasing levels of our Choke Canyon and Lake Corpus Christi reservoirs,” he wrote. “Based on modeling projections, combined lake levels may drop to 20% by mid-August.”

As of Wednesday, the combined lake levels stood at about 27.6%, according to city data. When the drought was declared in March, lake levels were measured at about 29.4%.

Stage 2 drought restrictions primarily impact landscape irrigation, restricting certain types such as automatic sprinklers to one day every other week.

Among Stage 3 drought restrictions – should the city enter into those conditions – is a prohibition on landscape irrigation entirely.

What is allowed under Stage 2 drought restrictions that are currently in effect?

Allowed anytime: Watering by hand with a bucket of five gallons filled by a faucet, a hose with a positive shut-off nozzle or a drip-irrigation system, which also requires a positive shut-off device, according to a news release.

Allowed one day every two weeks: Outdoor watering with sprinklers or an automated irrigation system, except for the hours between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., and only on your trash pickup day. An exception to the rule is Calallen. Calallen’s designated watering days coincide with the last digit of the property’s address, according to city officials.

Any other days or times outside those designated windows is considered a violation.

Violations following repeated warnings could lead to a citation, city officials have emphasized.

Categorized as a Class C misdemeanor, fines for may reach as high as $500.

Residents may find their designated watering day on the city's site at www.cctexas.com/conserve.

More: THROWBACK: Drought in South Texas

More: Here are the rules for Stage 2 drought restrictions – and why they are in effect.

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Corpus Christi's continued drought may reach Stage 3 within months