Choke Canyon Surcharge Operations Modeling Spreadsheet

Choke Canyon, not to be confused with the 1986 United Films movie, Choke Canyon, is a Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) dam in the heart of southern Texas. This facility is a “transferred work,” with operations and maintenance performed by the City of Corpus Christi (City). The 26,000-acre reservoir is fed by the Frio and San Miguel Rivers in the Nueces River Basin and is home to the American alligator, alligator gar, and other fish species.
Unlike most Reclamation reservoirs, Choke Canyon does not have an authorized flood control component. This means that while operations in the “active conservation pool” are at the discretion of the City, when the reservoir water surface rises above elevation 220.50 feet, operational decisions are the responsibility of Reclamation’s Oklahoma-Texas Area Office (OTAO).