Upper Pecos Watershed Association

05/31/2026

🚽 Every summer, thousands of people enjoy the Upper Pecos Canyon and these portable toilets play an important role in helping protect the river, recreation sites, and water quality throughout the watershed.
Your support helps us pay for and maintain 10 portable toilet units throughout the canyon, and our goal is to keep them serviced and available through the end of September.

If you’re able to support this effort, every contribution truly helps:
👉 https://square.link/u/la6Rwgql

A big shoutout and thank you to Roybal's Septic Service for helping us make this happen on the ground each season 🙌
Because taking care of the Pecos means taking care of all of it.

05/30/2026

05/29/2026

🌲 Reminder: We still have a few positions left to fill for the upcoming Pecos Ambassador season!
Last year, our volunteers helped care for recreation sites throughout the Pecos Canyon by picking up trash, monitoring high-use areas, and supporting recreation access for everyone enjoying the outdoors.
This year, the program continues to grow and expand into Pecos Canyon State Park and Pecos National Historical Park.
If you’ve been thinking about getting involved, now is a great time to join us. Pecos Ambassadors help care for the public lands we all love while becoming part of a growing community stewardship effort.
To sign up or learn more:
📧 [email protected]
📞 505-757-3600

05/27/2026

Beavers support river resiliency to forest fires and recovery after them. New Mexico Highlands University undergraduate student Colman Lee studied the potential of beaver occupation as a fire buffer, habitat refugia, and an agent of recovery for streams in the footprint of the 2022 Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon fire. He (1) located beaver dams using satellite imagery; (2) calculated burn severity using the Difference Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR); (3) identified beaver dam capacities from the Beaver Restoration Assessment Tool (BRAT); and (4) compared burn severity in river reaches with and without beavers but having the same beaver capacity. The results were clear: riparian areas in the Gallinas Watershed with beaver dams had significantly reduced burn severity compared to riverscapes without beaver dams. Be a beaver believer! Support the Upper Pecos Watershed Association’s advocacy of beavers as fire fighters and watershed warriors.

Read more about Colman’s work at

https://nmgs.nmt.edu/meeting/abstracts/view.cfm?aid=3161.

05/23/2026

UPWA would like to congratulate all graduating seniors. We would especially like to congratulate Anastasia Gonzalez and Angelica Barbaro on receiving the first annual Ralph Vigil Scholarships.

The future of our watershed looks bright as our youth take interest in its health and maintaining its flow.

Thank you all apllicants and their mentors!

05/22/2026

💚 Become a Pecos Ambassador this summer!

Pecos Ambassadors help care for some of the most loved recreation areas in the Pecos Canyon by assisting with trash cleanup and supporting stewardship efforts throughout the season.

Volunteers commit to visiting their adopted site on a biweekly basis and are provided with gloves, grabbers, vests, bags, and training.
The program officially launches in mid-June, and volunteer trainings will take place on June 10th and 11th.

Interested in joining us?

📧 [email protected]
📞 505-757-3600

05/18/2026

🌲 The Pecos Ambassador Program is back for another season!

Last year, our volunteers helped care for recreation sites throughout the Pecos Canyon by picking up trash, monitoring high-use areas, and supporting recreation access for everyone enjoying the outdoors.

This year, the program is growing and expanding into Pecos Canyon State Park and Pecos National Historical Park.
Want to get involved? We are currently recruiting volunteers for the 2026 season.

To sign up or learn more:
📧 [email protected]
📞 505-757-3600

05/15/2026

Not glamorous. Essential.

The Upper Pecos Canyon sees heavy use and without enough restrooms, the river pays the price.

That’s why we’re installing 10 portable toilets for 5 months. It costs $135 to maintain one unit for a month, and we’re working to cover a total of $6,750 for the season.
Every dollar goes directly toward keeping the Pecos clean and protecting water quality.

Shoutout to Roybal's Septic Service for helping us get this done on the ground 🙌

If you’ve ever enjoyed the Canyon, this is your chance to give back:
👉 https://square.link/u/la6Rwgql

Because protecting the river means taking care of all of it.

05/13/2026

🌲 PECOS AMBASSADOR PROGRAM EXPANDS 🌲

The Pecos Ambassador Program continues to grow! After a successful first season, UPWA is excited to expand the program beyond Pecos Canyon and into both Pecos Canyon State Park and Pecos National Historical Park. 💧

Pecos Ambassadors play an important role in supporting recreation access, assisting visitors, monitoring recreation sites, and helping care for the public lands and waters that make this region so special. As visitation throughout the canyon continues to increase, the need for strong community stewardship continues to grow as well.
We are deeply grateful to all of our Ambassadors for the time, energy, and dedication they bring to this effort. Their presence continues to make a visible difference throughout the watershed. 💚

Interested in becoming a Pecos Ambassador this season?
📧 [email protected]
📞 505-757-3600

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05/11/2026

🐟 TROUT IN THE CLASSROOM 🐟

UPWA recently visited Pecos Elementary School to talk with students about all things river, from trout and aquatic habitat to the importance of protecting the Pecos Watershed. We were blown away by the curiosity, excitement, and thoughtful questions these young students brought to the conversation. 💧

We are extremely grateful to be providing chillers for the Trout in the Classroom project and are already looking forward to release day! Programs like this help students build a meaningful connection to the river they call home and inspire the next generation of river stewards.

A huge thank you to the dedicated teachers we met that day, your passion truly makes a difference. Special thanks as well to Mr. Jackson for helping make this connection possible.

Stay tuned for release day photos! 🌊🐟