A river of hopes & dreams—and challenges.

What happens when a group of river lovers decide to bring attention to a degraded and forgotten stretch of the Pecos River?

Friends of the Pecos River was formed in 2021 as a 501c3 nonprofit organization with its primary focus on the Pecos River in Texas—from Imperial to Sheffield—the forgotten reach.

Our focus is on the cultural, societal, and natural aspects of this stretch of river as it travels along the Pecos County line.

The ‘forgotten’ segment suffers from withheld releases from Red Bluff reservoir, long-term proximity to the oil patch, lack of attention, regional groundwater depletion, and persistent drought.

The river’s health has consequences for people and wildlife around it and the waters downstream.

We are dedicated to connecting stakeholders, adding partners, and building community in this region.

We firmly believe an informed, engaged citizenry—when presented with recreational and educational opportunities—will learn to care about the river’s future and will support restoration activities.

Please join us. For the love of a river. For the health of our forgotten reach.

Priority objectives and programs:

  • Bring people, institutions and organizations together through collaborative programs

  • Act as the catalyst of good work along the river

  • Generate good science, data collection, and monitoring of the river

  • Provide educational opportunities through local schools

  • Promote outdoor experiences in communities along the river

  • Introduce riparian and rangeland restoration projects for water quality and quantity

  • Attract funding to the region to support a Watershed Protection Plan and other activities

 

Thank you for joining us at the 2023

Alley Oop Festival!

Friends of the Pecos River brought something new to Alley Oop this year—the STEM mobile lab with hands-on educational activities for students of all ages—in partnership with Sul Ross State University’s La Frontera Research Institute. Read all about it.

Thank you to Surge Solutions for sponsoring the Sul Ross Mobile STEM Lab for Alley Oop!

“When I was 3 years old, I fell into the Pecos River at Joe Chandler’s fishing camp while walking down the bank with my mother. My mother could not swim, but she could scream until my father fished me out. As soon as we got back to Odessa, my mother enrolled both of us in swimming lessons. My swimming instructor, who became my elementary school coach (Max Ford), asked me to join the Odessa Aquatic Team. The Odessa Aquatic Team was where I met my wife (Kathleen McCollum) of 49 years when I was 9 years old.”

- Michael J. McCulloch
DVM, Pecos River landowner

Stories from the Pecos

“I remember a bitter cold winter day in the early 1950s. My Dad and Tex Masterson took me and Tex’s son Bobby for a duck hunt on the Pecos River. We drove to a spot where we had permission and parked the car on the hill above the river. After walking down a little way, Bobby said he was going back to the car. Dad, Tex and I proceeded on. We could see lots of ducks landing on the river, and we moved as quietly as possible to a good hunting spot. Then the car horn started blaring. It was Bobby, who had grown cold and impatient. Well, all the ducks spooked and flew off, and we didn’t get a shot off that day.”

- Luke Shipp
Rancher, Crockett County
(center, with best friend Bobby at right)

Send us YOUR Pecos River story for the website! Up to 125 words—and a photo please. Email.