The Upper Pecos Watershed Association (UPWA) was formed in July of 2006 to address non-point source pollution and related issues in the Pecos River watershed.
The Upper Pecos watershed covers over 400 square miles of drainage of the Pecos River and its tributaries. The area includes the Pecos Wilderness, the Wild and Scenic section of the Pecos as well as Cow, Bull and Glorieta Creeks and other tributaries north of I-25. This area provides over 100 miles of high quality cold-water fishing and as well as a broad spectrum of other recreational opportunities.
Our Mission
We are a community-based grass-roots organization with a common interest in protecting, maintaining and improving the health of both the watershed and the local economy and cultures. Additional purposes of the UPWA are:
- To provide information about the watershed and serve as a focal point for watershed issues, providing a forum for discussion and development of strategies to meet recreational needs, honor historical uses, and improve the health of the watershed.
- To seek additional funding to improve the condition and management of the Pecos watershed through the implementation of the Watershed Restorative Action Strategy, educational outreach and hands-on restoration projects.
- To organize volunteer projects such as river clean-ups and field trips that engage stakeholders and anyone with an active interest in benefiting the watershed.
- To engage in a process of improving the health of the river itself through monitoring issues of turbidity, excessive nutrient levels and temperatures.
- To review projects with the aim of correcting problems and replicating successful actions in other parts of the watershed.
We cannot do this alone! We are a group of volunteers limited only by our numbers. You can do a lot or a little; no effort is too small. Volunteer for a UPWA project, become a stakeholder, make a tax-deductible donation, attend one of our meetings.
UPWA Goals
- Protect and improve the health of the watershed
- Address significant ecological, and environmental issues in the watershed
- Preserve traditional and cultural uses and benefit the local economy
UPWA is the watershed’s coordinator for all the public and private entities with interests in the watershed; including the National Park Service, Forest Service, NM Department of the Environment, NM Department of Game and Fish, NM Departments of Parks, San Miguel County, Village of Pecos, advocacy groups as well as the numerous private landowners in the watershed.
UPWA receives funding from a mix of government and private grants, plus essential private donations, both in cash and in kind. Grants typically do not cover all of UPWA’s necessary administrative costs and we must rely on private donations to help cover maintaining our office in Pecos and part-time staff. Most UPWA grant funds must be matched with direct or in-kind donations. UPWA conducts events such as river cleanups, field days, and other volunteer projects and utilizes all volunteer hours for such events as match. Grants are typically “reimbursement only” funding which creates a need for “seed capitol” thus making fundraising even more critical for the organization.