Engaging Texas Youth in Water Conservation

Rubena Casas,
Madison Hallmark

Faculty Advisors: Mark Besonen, Ph.D., Lisa Comparini, Ph.D., Ruby Mehrubeoglu, Ph.D., Jennifer Smith-Engle, Ph.D.
Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences

CORPUS CHRISTI DROUGHT CRISIS

As of March 17th, 2026, Corpus Christi city officials project the city will enter a level one water emergency by May 2026. Corpus Christi Water projects that by Spring 2027, both Choke Canyon Reservoir and Lake Corpus Christi will be depleted.

About this Gulf Impact Project

This Gulf Impact Project proposed to conceptualize, organize, and structure a pilot youth-focused program in the Gulf Coast region that raises awareness and fosters engagement with drought resilience and water conservation among young audiences. To achieve this goal, a presentation for World Water Day, celebrated annually on March 22nd, was created; the event included a presentation component and a hands-on activity component. The event was hosted by a local community center, Owen R. Hopkins Library in Corpus Christi. At the event, subject matter experts in water conservation were invited to speak to youth about the importance of water conservation. After the presentation, hands-on activities, including letter writing and a youth art exhibition, were provided to further engage youth in water conservation discussions. The expected outcome of this project is to pilot a program that engages the future of the Gulf Coast region in environmental awareness.

World Water Day Celebration

Event for youth ages 7-14 discussing topics such as Texas hydrogeology, the sources of Corpus Christi drinking water, drought and its causes, and the importance of water conservation.

“Letters to the Lake”: Youth-Based Water Conservation Solutions

After the presentation, youth participants were encouraged to write a letter to the lake, outlining ways the community can promote water conservation and protect the lake.

“Ways to Save Water” Art Exhibition

Art exhibition to promote water conservation discussion for youth audiences; the theme is “ways to save water”.

World Water Day Celebration

The World Water Day Celebration was hosted on Saturday, March 7th, at Owen R. Hopkins Library in Corpus Christi, Texas. The Center for Water Supply Studies (CWSS) at Texas A&M University provided an aquifer model and spoke about how reservoirs function. Environmental scientists from the CWSS conducted Q&A session about water with the youth. Outreach from Corpus Christi Water provided information about water conservation.

“Letters to the Lake”: Youth-Based Water Conservation Solutions

After the informational session, the program segued into the “Letters to the Lake” segment. Participants were provided with 3” x 5” white unlined index cards and writing utensils, including pencils, pens, and colored pencils. The participants were asked to write a letter to Corpus Christi Lake, outlining ways the community can protect and conserve its water amid droughts. After this time, the notebook cards were picked up. Parents and guardians were asked for permission to display the letters in the library. A selection of letters from the event:

“Dear Lake Corpus Christi,
Water is important for our everyday lives. It helps with plants, animals, insects, and all other living things. The way I can help is to conserve water with buckets and rain barrels. Collect the water to water my plants and yard. One thing I learned about water is what a water table is and the importance of a watershed.” “Dear Lake Corpus Christi,
I'm now going to be more considerate of how I am affecting the water system by taking shorted showers and saving water for other potential uses.
Sincerely, D.C.” “Dear Lake Corpus Christi,
Water is needed everyday by our community. Water is important for our well-being and animals. We can conserve water by being more thoughtful of the way its used.
Sincerely, M.E.” “Dear Lake Corpus Christi,
I'm a very clean person, so I thank you for letting me use your water. I conserve water by taking shorter showers. I learned that the city is suffering from drought and needs our help.
Sincerely, Jorge” “Dear Lake Corpus Christi,
Water is essential for human life since we use it for about almost everything and we cannot live without it. We build cities around water, but with building these cities comes the burden of having to build the necessary structures for run-off water because the materials that we build sidewalks and roads out of is impermeable and doesn't allow water to penetrate into the soil. Building these cities and reducing the amount of groundwater ends up changing the water cycle.
Sincerely, Mason” “Dear Lake Corpus Christi,
I hope one day the lake levels will rise. I will try to do my part, conserving water. I can take my family one day to the great lake we once had.” “Dear Lake Corpus Christi,
I promise to save water and never waste water ever again. Today I learned to never ever waste water again.
Sincerely, R.A.R.” “Dear Lake Corpus Christi,
I hope everyone in the city does their part to help us in our need for water. We care.” “Dear Lake Corpus Christi,
Water is needed to live. I will take 5 minute showers and conserve cold water. I learned about aquifers.
Sincerely, M.S.” “Dear Lake Corpus Christi,
Some water I can conserve waster is by taking short showers. Water is very important because water is what we need to survive.
Sincerely, V.S.” “Dear Lake Corpus Christi,
I learned that conserving water is important because without enough water we would have no plants, food, or water to live!
Sincerely, Bella” “Dear Lake Corpus Christi,
I had fun learning about water and learning how to save water. I learned how to never waste water because it is important to us to live.
Sincerely, M.M.G.” “Dear Lake Corpus Christi,
I think that more people should collect rain water to use to water their plants so we can conserve the water.
Sincerely, Kathy”