CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A new battle over groundwater is taking shape in Nueces County, as Corpus Christi moves to expand its control over underground water — just as a group of residents pushes to form a competing groundwater district of their own.

On Tuesday, City Council voted to expand the Corpus Christi Aquifer Storage and Recovery District, a move aimed at keeping the city in charge of its emergency wells along the Nueces River, which could eventually pump up to 28 million gallons a day from the Evangeline Aquifer.

But residents behind the proposed Nueces County Groundwater Conservation District argue the city’s action is about political dominance, not water security.

“The Corpus Christi Aquifer Storage and Recovery District claims to focus on conservation,” said Trey Cranford, on

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