Drought Information Statement for South Texas Valid July 5, 2025 Issued By: NWS Corpus Christi, TX Contact Information: sr-crp.webmaster@noaa.gov This product will be updated by August 7, 2025 or sooner if drought conditions change significantly. Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements. Please visit https://www.weather.gov/crp/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. Drought conditions remained the same or improved during the month of June across the region. June had average to slightly below normal temperatures. Precipitation was mainly above normal across South Texas. Slightly elevated chances for below normal precipitation and greater chances for above normal temperatures through July. U.S. Drought Monitor Drought intensity and Extent D4 (Exceptional Drought): None D3 (Extreme Drought): Small portions of northern McMullen county. D2 (Severe Drought): Portions of Bee, Live Oak, Webb, and Duval counties. All of McMullen and La Salle counties. D1 (Moderate Drought): Portions of Bee, Live Oak, Webb and Duval counties. D0: (Abnormally Dry): Portions of Webb, Duval, Jim Wells, Nueces, San Patricio, Refugio, Bee and Goliad counties. Recent Change in Drought Intensity Four Week Drought Monitor Class Change. Drought Worsened: None. No Change: Western counties of South Texas. Drought Improved: Portions of Webb, Duval, McMullen, Live Oak and the rest of South Texas except Calhoun and a portion if Victoria counties. Precipitation A few pockets of inland locales received less than 100% of normal precipitation. A few pockets northeast, received over 300% of normal and the rest of the region got around 150-300% of normal precipitation. A few northeastern locales received over 8” of rain while most of the region received up to around 2-4” throughout the month of June. South Texas Rainfall Temperature 7-Day max temperatures were mainly normal across the board. Extreme northeastern and southern areas saw temperatures 1 to 3 degrees below normal. Max temperatures across the region were normal with a few pockets that were a few degrees above and a few degrees below normal over the month of June. Summary of Impacts Hydrologic Impacts Stage 3 water restrictions remain in effect despite above normal rainfall over the watershed. Local lake levels continue to decline overall. Currently, the combined storage levels of Lake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon are sitting at 15.4 percent as of July 5th compared to 15.0 percent one month prior. Under Stage 4 water restrictions, outdoor watering is prohibited, but no date has been announced for if or when they will kick in. However, homeowners can still water their foundations by hand once every other week. Stage 4 is implemented when city officials determine a water-supply emergency exists. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation and said they will continue to keep the public informed as the drought conditions persist. Agricultural Impacts (https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/tag/texas-crop-and-weather-report/) Coastal Bend: Weekend rains delayed harvest preparations. Corn was drying down and beginning the dent stage. Some producers still needed water for earthen dams. Range and pasture conditions remained good, and hay harvest continued with fair to good yields. Livestock forages were in fair to good shape, and cattle conditions were overall good with adequate forage. Some producers were retaining replacement heifers rather than selling them to capitalize on high prices. South: Conditions were warm and humid, with periodic rain showers in some areas, but drought conditions persisted in others, and there was no water available in the local irrigation canals. Topsoil and subsoil moisture was adequate due to the scattered showers, but moisture was drying up due to the heat. The rains halted the grain sorghum harvest. Corn was in the denting stage, and cotton was setting bolls. Verde bugs on cotton were an emerging issue. Peanut planting was completed, with most fields in the pegging stage. Vegetable growers were harvesting. Strawberry fields were being prepared. Turfgrass harvest was underway. The watermelon harvest ended. Midge and sorghum aphid issues occurred on flowering sorghum. Hay fields and pastures were in excellent condition. Some grass was starting to dry out and turn yellow. Cattle supplementation decreased due to the improved range and pasture conditions. Beef cattle prices remained strong, and feed prices were still high. Livestock and wildlife were in good condition. Summary of Impacts Fire Hazard Impacts None. Other Impacts Corpus Christi under stage 3 water restrictions (https://www.cctexas.com/) Portland under stage 3 water restrictions (https://www.portlandtx.com/399/Drought-Management-Plan) Laredo under stage 2 water restrictions (https://laredoutilities.com/water-conservation-program/) Alice under stage 3 water restrictions (https://www.cityofalice.org/_T19_R185.php) Mathis under stage 3 water restrictions (https://www.cityofmathis.com/213/Water-Restrictions) Rockport under stage 3 water restrictions (https://www.rockporttx.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3440) Victoria under stage 2 water restrictions (https://moderator.droughtreporter.unl.edu/RSSfeed/ImpactView/60148) Other South Texas communities under restrictions can be found here Corpus Christi has lost some of its water supply that would normally come via the Mary Rhodes Pipeline. The Lower Colorado River was affected by severe drought, which affected water rights, and the city cannot access the river water. (https://moderator.droughtreporter.unl.edu/RSSfeed/ImpactView/60141) The Bernardo C. Sandoval Pool will remain closed for the summer of 2025 due to severe drought and water restrictions, after a unanimous decision by the Beeville City Council at its regular April 8 meeting. The pool holds roughly 240,000 gallons of water and requires periodic refilling during the summer. Mitigation Actions Please refer to your municipality and/or water provider for mitigation information. USGS 7-Day Avg Streamflow | Texas Reservoirs Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts Flows are below normal across western portions of the region. Portions of Live Oak, San Patricio, and Nueces are much below normal, while portions of the southern Coastal Plains and eastern counties are at a normal flow. Reservoir Pool Elevation (ft) Current Elevation (ft) Choke Canyon. 220.5 184.54 Lake Corpus Christi 94.0 80.01 Lake Texana 44.0 43.92 Coleto Creek 98.0 98.36 Canyon Lake 909.0 880.90 Lake Amistad 1117.0 1051.26 Reservoir values as of July 5, 2025 Soil Moisture | Crop Moisture Agricultural Impacts Soil moisture is near normal across much of the region. Crop moisture index is not available at this time. Fire Hazard Impacts Burn Bans in place across La Salle, Webb and Duval counties. Above normal significant wildland fire potential for most of South Texas through August. Seven Day Precipitation Forecast Up to 0.1-0.25” of rain is forecast over the next 7 days across South Texas with localized amounts up to 0.50”. Long-Range Outlooks The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage 33-40% chances for below-normal precipitation across South Texas during the month of July. 40-50% chances for above normal temperatures through July. Drought Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal drought outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage Drought conditions are expected to develop or persist across most of the region July through September.