[This note is to provide the historical background for the following satire. A number of years ago Corpus Christi sought to lock in its long term water supply by creating Lake Choke Canyon. This site was one of three possible sites: it had the lowest average rainfall of the three.

In order to satisfy environmental concerns, Corpus Christi had to agree to monthly water releases from Lake Corpus Christi, its main water supply. This flow of fresh water would then support the marine life in Corpus Christi Bay. Subsequent revelations have shown that these releases were to continue no matter what the salinity level in the bay might be. In recent years Corpus Christi won a concession allowing the water releases to be stopped because of our drought like conditions.

The rain has fallen this year! As a result, Lake Corpus Christi has risen from about 30% capacity to about 75% capacity, with floodwaters still rolling down the feeder rivers. The speculation was that Lake Corpus Christi might actually fill up. No dice. Apparently there is a bulge in the concrete of the dam.  [a final update on this story is that the bulge has been fixed]

This bulge, discovered at least 4 years ago and just now brought to the public's attention, has caused officials to release water to prevent the Lake from rising above 77% capacity. There is no way of knowing at this time whether or not the bulge has just shown up or if it has been around in the past when the lake was over 90% capacity. So the water keeps rolling down the river and now the satire begins. The above is NOT satire, but is true in essence, and I haven't even mentioned the pipeline project!]

Dam Bulge Threatens Bay

(SPA) Corpus Christi, Texas--June 23, 1997 The Texas Natural Resources Commission (TNRCC) today expressed concern about the rate of fresh water flowing into the bay from the Nueces River. Normally this water would be captured by the Wesley Seale Dam that created Lake Corpus Christi, but engineers have recently revealed a presence of a bulge in the dam concrete.

Dam officials have decided that in order to prevent damage from the dam bulge that water will be released to prevent the lake level from rising above 77% capacity. Water is flowing down the Nueces River causing homeowners along the river to travel by boat, prepare for evacuation or both. In addition, fresh water flowing into Corpus Christi Bay has caused an alarming drop in salinity in the bay.

Officials from the TNRCC noted that the low salinity level in the bay would harm marine life accustomed to a higher salinity level. "If the salinity level drops any farther, it is likely that we will order the City of Corpus Christi to introduce minerals into the bay to maintain an appropriate level of salinity."

In further TNRCC action, board members voted to order officials at the Wesley Seal Dam to resume monthly water releases. "The drought conditions that once plagued the Corpus Christi area have ended. Therefore we are ordering a resumption of the water releases from Lake Corpus Christi."

Reporters asked officials if these two orders might seem to be contradictory. Officials sniffed, "We're following the law. We're not worried about contradictions."

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Satirical Press Associates (SPA) is a group of writers (or one) writer with multiple personalities who have (has) a warped sense of reality. None of their (his) reports should be construed as factual, although they (he) have (has) been known to take factual situations and distort them. You are invited to gain a free trial membership by writing Bob James. Trial memberships last until they end. Those who wish to support this endeavor may be crazier than the author(s) but are welcome to e-mail the earlier address for information.

©1997 by Bob James. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to distribute this article to others without charge as long as it is distributed in its entirety and this notice is attached. This article may not be distributed commercially either individually or as part of any anthology without the express written consent of the author.

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