City considers eminent domain rule for Mary Rhodes Phase 2 Pipeline

” A 41-mile water pipeline expected to carve a 4-foot-wide path between the Lower Colorado River and Lake Texana is moving forward with the city gearing up for negotiations to acquire about 200 parcels of land.

Plans are moving forward to negotiate with landowners in 11 counties to acquire property rights. The land purchase process is expected to take a year, and construction would follow. Councilman Mark Scott said the city is monitoring the drought conditions and should they worsen would ramp up the timeline to build the pipeline.

“We’re monitoring the water situation,” he said. “And if we need to pull the trigger, we’ll pull it at the right time.”

Residents are under Stage 2 drought restrictions, which limits lawn watering before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. Combined lake levels on Tuesday were at 38.4 percent capacity, below the Stage 2 trigger point of 40 percent.”

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Corpus Christi Caller-Times