Trout Unlimited volunteers Dan Muenzberg and David Howard scoop up invertebrates Tuesday from the Pecos River Muenzberg and Howard joined leaders from River Source and Pecos High School students as they studied invertebrates Pecos High School juniors and Trout Unlimited volunteers identify invertebrates captured from the bottom of the Pecos River near its intersection with Glorieta Creek as part of an outdoor watershed program Pecos students peer at invertebrates pulled from the river Pecos students wearing waders and carrying nets walk toward a bus after conducting research at two sites on the Pecos River including measuring water quality indicators identifying invertebrates and surveying the riparian habitat Pecos students on Tuesday visited Pecos National Historical Park including water quality sampling and riparian habitat evaluations Pecos High School students were on their second field trip Tuesday as part of a state-funded project to both test stream water and immerse kids in nature Email notifications are only sent once a day The clear water sample thickened and turned yellowish brown The solids weren’t present for long: Another solution was added and another student dripped liquid from a pipette into the sample occasionally shaking the bottle as the color faded back to clear The Pecos High School students were on their second field trip Tuesday as part of a state-funded project to both test stream water and immerse kids in nature The program is part of the juniors’ environmental science course The Upper Pecos Watershed Association had received a $14,900 grant from the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division’s Outdoor Equity Fund in 2023 and contracted watershed resilience nonprofit River Source to plan the educational trips Youth in the program visited the same sites on both trips and will create a presentation comparing their data the goal was to measure the oxygen content in the water near the intersection of the Pecos River and Glorieta Creek because if it’s above six parts per million of dissolved oxygen in the river trout can survive,” said River Source founder Rich Schrader Students also tested pH (a measure of acidity) water clarity and the presence of elements like phosphorous River Source and watershed association members said projects like these are critical to get kids interested in protecting the local environment said volunteers with the organization wouldn’t have the time or capacity to collect such data He also noted some kids in the community might only see the outdoors from the back of an ATV He said he hopes the program’s participants will be “future board members” of the association High school junior Jesus Horta was “panicking” to get his application in for a summer internship with River Source Past students have also returned to work on the river a Pecos High School graduate and River Source watershed educator is currently studying water conservation at Santa Fe Community College She likes to help students build their connection to the land Archuleta would like to see more young people stay in the area “Our families have been here since the 1500s so we know that they had a really close connection to this land,” Archuleta said we have a growing problem of a lot of people leaving because there’s no money but they’re losing a connection to their culture They’re losing a connection to their land.” She’s now working as an intern with River Source and interested in studying biology Quintana was tapped to manage the invertebrates station A group of juniors donned waders and slogged into the river was the second location students had visited that day a member of the Trout Unlimited Truchas Chapter said he learned to fly fish in the same area Muenzberg joined the Tuesday outing as a volunteer He recalls the Terrero mine spill in the 1990s which killed “just about everything” downstream Within a few minutes of entering the water the group had captured dozens of invertebrates But fears of future contamination still hung over the outing an assistant principal with the Pecos district remembers her grandparents talking about the mining spills in the 1990s some students haven’t even heard about the area’s mining legacy although they fish in and spend time around the Pecos River “Our kids have to learn about our water system,” Seaboy said Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - 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For current information, visit https://www.doi.gov/news/newsroom USFS initiate process to engage public on proposed 20-year mineral withdrawal for important New Mexico watershed while segregation is in place   Date: Thursday, December 12, 2024Contact: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov — Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland today initiated a two-year segregation period to temporarily withdraw approximately 165,000 acres of public lands in the Upper Pecos watershed in Santa Fe from new mining claims and the issuance of new federal mineral leases Forest Service will now initiate a process to propose that the Secretary of the Interior implement a 20-year withdrawal to help secure the region’s water and air quality for lands in San Miguel and Santa Fe counties would encompass multiple Pecos River tributaries The proposed withdrawal area includes approximately 163,483 acres of National Forest System lands and 1,327 acres of Bureau of Land Management-managed public lands pristine habitat—including habitat for Rio Grande cutthroat and rainbow trout—and helps deliver clean water to downstream agricultural users and local communities the Pecos River tributaries and nearby wetlands have been recognized as crucial Outstanding National Resource Waters by the State of New Mexico The lands also offer outstanding opportunities for recreation Lands in the Upper Pecos are of cultural importance to Indigenous Peoples including the Pueblos of Jemez and Tesuque who have relied on the abundant natural resources in the watershed since time immemorial and continue to utilize the area for ceremonial practices The greater Pecos River Valley is also home to traditional communities and acequia agriculture members of the New Mexico delegation have introduced legislation for a permanent withdrawal of the Pecos watershed; only Congress can effectuate a permanent withdrawal.  initiating a 90-day public comment period to gather input on the proposal the two agencies will host at least one hybrid public meeting virtual access and location information for the meeting at least 15 days in advance Trump’s directive to accelerate domestic critical mineral production the Department of the Interior is taking steps to streamline permitting processes and improve federal accountability by working with Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council to add critical minerals infrastructure projects to the FAST-41 program Border Patrol and Bureau of Land Management personnel at the Santa Teresa Station where the Department of the Interior is transferring federal land along the U.S.-Mexico border to the Department of the Army to advance President Donald J Trump's directive to secure the southern border The Department of the Interior will no longer require the Bureau of Land Management to prepare an environmental impact statement for approximately 3,244 oil and gas leases in seven Western states This page was not helpful because the content: The 2025 season will run from July 3 to October 31 There will be no fishing on Tuesday and Wednesday each week If you have a question that is not addressed here, please call the visitor center at 505-757-7241 or email us for more information A maximum of four people is allowed under a single reservation A maximum of two vehicles is allowed per reservation Parking at the access points for each beat is limited; when possible groups are strongly encouraged to carpool in a single vehicle from their original location or from the visitor center parking lot All anglers must check in at the visitor center before heading to their beat You can expect to drive no more than ten minutes to get to the access point for any given beat Note that Beats 1 and 2 begin only a few hundred yards from the parking area; accessing Beat 3 requires an approximately one-mile hike Requiring anglers to check in and out at the visitor center allows the park to review fishing licenses and ensure that all anglers have completed their fishing day safely Set opening and closing hours facilitates the protection of natural and cultural resources and ensures safety and enjoyment of visitors Fishing reservations are managed through www.recreation.gov and changes or cancellations must be made with them on that website or by calling 1-877-444-6777 Note that the $1 administrative fee is not refundable; however anglers are still encouraged to cancel their reservation if they are no longer able to fish to open up the spot for another reservation Only group members who are planning to fish must have a fishing license note that we do expect that fishing will be the primary purpose of the group’s visit to the river If the group is primarily interested in swimming and picnicking there are many other great locations in the area for these activities (see below) Please note that swimming is not permitted at the river The recreational fishing program at Pecos NHP is intended to promote the health of native fish populations and to manage non-native fish populations after spring runoff and spawning season for the Rio Grande chub fishing was managed through a special use permit system with resultant funds going to support the management of the fishing program the park is only requiring that anglers reserve a spot on a beat Recreation.Gov charges the park for using its services so this more modest reservation fee simply covers that administrative cost Pecos NHP is managed to leave natural and cultural resources unimpaired While the fishing program is intended to allow for recreational use and help manage non-native fish populations unrestricted access could lead to damaging sensitive riparian areas along streambanks Managing the number of anglers and creating a designated fishing season helps prevent significant vegetation damage allows the landscape to recover from these impacts in the off-season and ensures a high-quality visitor experience north of the town of Pecos; visit their websites for more information the Department of Game and Fish co-manages Monastery Lake Download the NPS app to navigate the parks on the go Metrics details PECOS is an ongoing study aimed to characterize long-term outcomes following pediatric SARS-CoV-2 infection This is a cross-sectional analysis of infected and uninfected cohorts at baseline Participants (0–21 years) with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were enrolled as infected Uninfected were defined as individuals without history or laboratory evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection cardiopulmonary evaluation and validated psychological and developmental surveys Primary outcomes were cohort comparisons for abnormalities on all measures 113 uninfected) completed baseline visits by June 30 Infected participants were more likely to report constitutional (OR: 2.24) Infected had worse scores in domains of Pain Mobility and Sleep disturbances when compared to uninfected controls using Patient Reported Outcomes Cardiopulmonary findings were similar among cohorts The first report of this ongoing longitudinal study demonstrates that infected participants were more likely to report symptoms compared to uninfected controls which may affect performance and quality of life of these individuals Longitudinal data will increase understanding of long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04830852 multi-center cohort of children with history of SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to an uninfected cohort to be followed for 3 years Cross-sectional cohort analysis at study entry showed infected participants were more likely to report constitutional and GI symptoms compared to uninfected controls Infected participants were more likely to have significantly worse parent-reported performance in 6 of 10 Patient Reported Outcome Measures domains Continued study of this cohort will help identify clinical sequelae of COVID-19 characterize the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and identify potential genetic/immunologic factors associated with long-term outcomes identification and management of pediatric PASC patients in underserved areas may help to prevent worsening disparities in health diverse cohort of pediatric participants with documented SARS-CoV-2 infection and uninfected controls to identify pediatric-specific long-term sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection we present a cross sectional analysis of the data at study entry for infected and uninfected cohorts longitudinal observational study is ongoing at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda and Children’s National Hospital (CNH) in Washington The primary objective of the study is to characterize long-term clinical manifestations and potential sequelae following recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection in children The protocol was approved by the CNH Institutional Review Board (IRB) (#Pro00015510) Written Informed Consent was obtained from all participants ≥18 years of age and at least one parent or legal guardian per participant <18 years of age Written Assent was obtained for all participants 12–17 years of age Participants (0–21 years) with laboratory-confirmed history of symptomatic or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection were enrolled at least 4 weeks from the onset of their acute illness or positive test as infected participants Laboratory confirmation included a positive SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) Uninfected participants including household contacts were defined as individuals (0–21 years) without past medical or current history of SARS-CoV-2 infection in conjunction with negative SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR and anti-nucleocapsid antibody testing at baseline visit Individuals enrolled as uninfected but found to have evidence of current or recent SARS-CoV-2 infection at the time of their first protocol visit were discontinued as uninfected and invited to enroll as infected participants Participants were primarily recruited from inpatient and outpatient units at Children’s National Hospital (CNH) and CNH Integrated Network as well as regionally using IRB approved advertisements at the NIH Clinical Center (CC) and in the community Participants could self-refer and were financially compensated for their time Infected participants provided details of their first and any subsequent COVID-19 infections and stool samples were collected and stored in the biorepository Cohort comparisons were made using generalized estimating equations (GEE) and correlation structure was assumed to be exchangeable an identity link was used; for binary outcomes Variable adjustment was done by including age and sex in the GEE model as additive terms For comparisons of binary outcomes where one group had zero outcomes the GEE model did not converge; to address this issue we chose the largest cluster in the group and set the outcome of the cluster’s median aged individual to one By slightly biasing the comparison towards the null we performed a complementary analysis using Fisher’s exact test where clustering was ignored and therefore the results would be expected to be biased away from the null Adjustment variables were specified prior to analysis based on a subjective synthesis of literature review and clinical experience the extent of which was reported in table and figure legends assumed to be missing completely at random All analyses were performed using R software version 4.3.0 (R Foundation for Statistical Computing) or Stata The study was initially designed to recruit a minimum of 710 infected and 355 uninfected participants given the ongoing exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection in the general population the recruitment rate for uninfected participants was lower than expected Post hoc analyses were completed to assess differences when comparing 6-minute walk test distance adjusting by age and laboratory abnormalities stratified by time of infection 8236 potential participants were contacted via email 1765 were screened; 82% (1445/1765) were found to be eligible of which 720 (74%) were infected and 258 (26%) were uninfected participants The number of infected participants completing the baseline visit was 559/720 of which 541/559 were categorized as acute COVID-19 and 18/559 were MIS-C cases Data summarized in this publication include 654 enrolled participants (541 infected and 113 uninfected) who had completed baseline visits between July 19 MIS-C cases are described separately and not included in subsequent analysis due to the small number Follow-up protocol study visits are ongoing Flow chart of overall enrollment from July 19 and flow chart distribution of acute COVID-19 illness and MIS-C cases among infected participants MIS-C Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Overall participant demographics were similar comparing infected and uninfected participants (Table 1) The mean age of the overall cohort was 9 years with broad and similar representation across all age bands in both cohorts 56% White (higher in uninfected; p = 0.03) and 25% Black (higher in infected; p = 0.02) 14% of participants identified as Hispanic ethnicity Breakthrough infection was defined when SARS-CoV-2 infection occurred at least 14 days after completion of the COVID-19 vaccine regimen Vaccine regimen completion was defined as either the date of the first Johnson & Johnson vaccine 149 (54%) of first infections in the 278 infected participants who met the criteria for completion of vaccine regimen were considered breakthrough infections Differences among infected participants were evaluated by race and ethnicity (non-Hispanics White vs Descriptive analysis showed similar distribution in the frequency of pre-existing medical conditions prior to 2020 (60% vs as well as the number of participants eligible for COVID vaccine (83% vs The percentage of unvaccinated participants who were eligible for vaccination was significantly increased in the minority group (23% vs 9%; p = 0.001) All MIS-C participants were hospitalized with 72% requiring Intensive Care Unit admission 11/18 (61%) were eligible for COVID-19 vaccination at the time of their baseline visit with 73% receiving 2 or more vaccine doses and 27% remaining unvaccinated Due to the small number of MIS-C cases enrolled these subjects were not included in further detailed analysis These results were not significantly altered when the model was adjusted for pre-existing medical conditions Percentage of participants reporting symptoms since recovery of SARS-CoV-2 infection (infected) or since 2020 (uninfected) with odds ratio reporting the odds of infected participants reporting symptoms comparing to uninfected P-values comparing odds of the findings between infected and uninfected are adjusted for age and sex Generalized estimating equations (GEE) are used to account for correlation between family members participating in the study There were no significant differences between cohorts with respect to abnormalities on physical exam. The most common abnormalities detected in both cohorts were enlarged lymph nodes and skin findings, with similar incidence in both (Supplementary eFig. 4) Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) coding was used for standardization and organ system grouping SARS-CoV-2 re-infections were excluded from the infections and infestations organ group Follow-up echocardiograms available in 2 of these infected participants were normal at the 12-month visit Baseline CRISIS surveys identified that uninfected participants were more worried about COVID infection than infected. (p = 0.02) (Supplementary eTable 13) We hypothesized that a 180-day cut-off would differentiate between early vs We describe the differences at baseline study entry between pediatric SARS-CoV-2 infected and uninfected participants enrolled in a prospective longitudinal observational study and did not report persistent symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection and difficulties with peer relationships were reported by parents and participants in a large and similar proportion in both cohorts thus reflecting the potential consequences of social isolation related to the pandemic other psychosocial domains revealed worsening symptoms unique to infected participants The design of this study allows a more refined understanding of psychosocial and developmental impacts specific to SARS-CoV-2 infection in contrast to more general effects on children as a result of living through the turbulent pandemic and post-pandemic period Of those in the total cohort eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccination the majority had received at least one vaccination at the time of the baseline visit We observed that significantly more uninfected subjects received 3 or more doses most eligible unvaccinated participants were within the infected cohort suggesting a potential parental/patient perception of decreased urgency for vaccination in this group due to the history of a prior COVID infection Participants in this study were self-referred and may result in a selection and reporting bias toward those more focused on the consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection the range of time between infection and baseline visit varied with some infected subjects enrolled more proximal to their infection than others The median time between infection and baseline visit was 7.3 months it can also be viewed as a window of opportunity to evaluate and compared uninfected and infected cohorts 7 months post infection Another potential limitation is that the period of time for which symptoms were reported by uninfected participants (beginning January 2020) was overall longer than the period for infected subjects who may have been sick anytime between January 2020 and May 2023 This may have resulted in a potential bias in the uninfected group for more symptoms or new conditions to have occurred (as a function of elapsed time) potentially masking any differences between cohorts (underestimating their prevalence in infected or overestimating prevalence in uninfected controls) over the full longitudinal follow-up period of 3 years We were unable to perform specific viral sequencing as infected participants enrolled at minimum of 4 weeks after their infection and the majority were PCR negative we are able to infer likely infection strain based on US SARS CoV-2 viral surveillance data We report on the design and characteristics at study entry of a large and prospective cohort of pediatric SARS-CoV-2 infected and uninfected participants to be evaluated longitudinally over 3 years infected subjects were more likely to report constitutional and GI symptoms compared to uninfected participants and more likely to score worse in validated survey domains of Fatigue Both infected and uninfected subjects described increased symptoms of anxiety and depression most likely a result of living through the turbulent pandemic and post-pandemic period Continued systematic longitudinal study of this cohort will help identify clinical sequelae of COVID-19 in children including the extent and duration of protective immunity Future studies resulting from the study biorepository will provide an opportunity to explore potential pathophysiologic mechanisms of disease and biomarkers of pediatric COVID infection The datasets generated during and or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due as the study is currently in progress and the datasets are continuously updated Individual patient/participant data will not be provided at the time of publication Organization, W. H. Who Covid-19 Dashboard, https://data.who.int/dashboards/covid19/cases (2024) Immune Responses to Sars-Cov-2 Infection in Hospitalized Pediatric and Adult Patients Neurologic Involvement in Children and Adolescents Hospitalized in the United States for Covid-19 or Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome CDC. Covid Data Tracker, https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home (2024) Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome of Children: Subphenotypes Characterizing Long Covid in Children and Adolescents Recover, C. Recover: Researching Covid to Enhance Recovery, https://recovercovid.org/ (2024) Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children and Long Covid: The Sars-Cov-2 Viral Superantigen Hypothesis Persistent Clotting Protein Pathology in Long Covid/Post-Acute Sequelae of Covid-19 (Pasc) Is Accompanied by Increased Levels of Antiplasmin Peripheral Neuropathy Evaluations of Patients with Prolonged Long Covid Distinguishing Features of Long Covid Identified through Immune Profiling Persistent Circulating Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Spike Is Associated with Post-Acute Coronavirus Disease 2019 Sequelae Mandel, H. et al. Long Covid Incidence in Adults and Children between 2020 and 2023: A Real-World Data Study from the Recover Initiative. Res. Sq. Preprint at https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4124710/v1 (2024) Long-Covid in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses Post-Covid-19 Conditions among Children 90 Days after Sars-Cov-2 Infection Postacute Sequelae of Sars-Cov-2 in Children Disparities in Covid-19 Related Outcomes in the United States by Race and Ethnicity Pre-Vaccination Era: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Post-Acute Sequelae of Sars-Cov-2 Infection in New York: An Ehr-Based Cohort Study from the Recover Program ‘I felt powerless’: Black Americans suffering from long COVID say they have trouble accessing care (NEWS Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (Promis): Efficient Standardized Tools to Measure Self-Reported Health and Quality of Life The Coronavirus Health and Impact Survey (Crisis) Reveals Reproducible Correlates of Pandemic-Related Mood States across the Atlantic Research Electronic Data Capture (Redcap)–a Metadata-Driven Methodology and Workflow Process for Providing Translational Research Informatics Support Pediatric Pulmonary Nodules: Imaging Guidelines and Recommendations Vaccine Effectiveness against Long Covid in Children Activity Levels and Mental Health Problems in Children with Long Coronavirus Disease: A Survey of 510 Children Long-Term Symptoms after Sars-Cov-2 Infection in Children and Adolescents Case Report: Immunological Characteristics of De Novo Ulcerative Colitis in a Child Post Covid-19 Two Case Reports of Newly Diagnosed Crohn’s Disease after Covid-19 in Pediatric Patients ATS Committee on Proficiency Standards for Clinical Pulmonary Function Laboratories Ats Statement: Guidelines for the Six-Minute Walk Test Cardiorespiratory Response to Six-Minute Step Test in Post Covid-19 Patients-a Cross Sectional Study Ongoing Dizziness Following Acute Covid-19 Infection: A Single Center Pediatric Case Series Cardiac Evaluation of Hospitalized Children with 2019 Coronavirus (Covid-19) Infection at a Single Large Quaternary Center Prevalence of Mental Health Problems among Children with Long Covid: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Epidemiology of Mental Health Problems in Covid-19: A Review Download references Clinical Center and Children’s National Clinical staff and nurses This research was supported in whole with funds from the Division of Clinical Research (DCR) Division of Intramural Research (DIR) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) with subcontracts through National Cancer Institute (NCI) The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Health and Human Services or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S Open access funding provided by the National Institutes of Health National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Center for Cancer and Immunology Research (CCIR) The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences Clinical Monitoring Research Program Directorate (CMRPD) National Cancer Institute Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research Division of Biostatistics and Study Methodology Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology Office of Clinical Research Training and Medical Education Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Division of Psychology & Behavioral Health Division of Pulmonary & Sleep Medicine National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences Institute for Clinical and Translational Science Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology (LCIM) Authors listed in this manuscript meet the Pediatric Research authorship requirements These authors contributed equally G.A.M.S. The authors declare no competing interests Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-024-03777-1 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Open Search  Mobile Menu < All Press Releases - The Bureau of Land Management and the U.S Department of Agriculture Forest Service are postponing the Feb public meeting for the proposed Upper Pecos River Watershed Protection Area withdrawal The agencies will notify the public when the meeting is rescheduled The public comment period for the proposal remains open The notice also initiated a 90-day comment period for the proposal and set aside the lands for two years to temporarily prohibit new mining claims and mineral leases while the withdrawal was considered The public is encouraged to submit comments on the proposal until March 17 Comments should be sent to the following address: BLM New Mexico State Office Attention: Jillian Aragon/Upper Pecos River Watershed Area withdrawal For additional information, please contact BLM Project Manager Jillian Aragon at jgaragon@blm.gov The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations An official website of the Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service seeks data and comments on the proposal to list the Pecos pupfish as threatened with an accompanying 4(d) rule and on the proposal to designate critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act The proposed rule also serves as the Service’s 12-month finding on a petition to federally protect the Pecos pupfish The proposed rule is now available in the Reading Room for public inspection and will be posted in the Federal Register tomorrow opening a 60-day public period through Jan The Pecos pupfish is a desert fish endemic to the Pecos River Basin The fish occurs in diverse water environments springs and the Pecos River mainstem. Historically the species was found in the Pecos River and adjacent floodplain from Chaves County Now the species’ range is limited to Chaves County New Mexico and an isolated population in Salt Creek in Reeves County which lead to the loss and decline of surface-waters and the degradation of water quality “The best available data indicate that the Pecos pupfish is threatened facing multiple risks to its survival,” said Amy Lueders “The most secure populations of the species are found across public lands in New Mexico and Texas if you get close to the sinkholes at Bottomless Lake State Park in New Mexico you may get a chance to see the rare pupfish.”  no bigger than two inches and varies in color from gray to-brown to shiny blue Individuals of the species vary in their appearances which may provide adaptation advantages in the various Pecos pupfish found in sinkholes have larger heads with mouths found lower on their heads compared to those found in marshland habitats These differences in body shapes allows for more efficient feeding.  The Service is proposing 136 river miles and 26,555 acres of five occupied units of critical habitat for the Pecos pupfish in Chaves and Eddy counties The river miles are lands surrounding the river and the proposed acres are numerous isolated sinkholes and wetland areas Three of the units overlap with existing critical habitat for six other federally listed species.  Critical habitat identifies geographic areas containing features essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species and which may require special management considerations or protection Designation of critical habitat does not affect land ownership nor does it establish a refuge or preserve and designation has no impact on private landowners taking actions on their land that do not require federal funding or federal permits.  The Service is committed to collaborative conservation, transparency, and science-driven ESA findings. Supporting materials, such as the species status assessment report, are available on the Service’s website at ecos.fws.gov/ecp/species/5162, at regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2024-0143 The Service invites comments or information from other governmental agencies or any other interested parties concerning this proposed rule The public comment period runs through Jan Native aquatic ecosystems contain some of the highest levels of biodiversity in the Southwest Their protection and conservation are critical to the survival of many species of aquatic insects When the health and stability of aquatic habitats is improved it benefits all life that depends on these water resources.  plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people Together, climate and hydrology shape ecosystems and the services they provide, particularly in arid and semi-arid ecosystems and across the Southern Plains (Woodhouse and Overpeck 1998) and surface water is key to assessing the condition of park natural resources—and often Groundwater conditions are closely related to climate conditions Because they are better understood together we report on climate in conjunction with water resources which begins in October of the previous calendar year and goes through September of the water year (e.g. WY2022 runs from October 2021 through September 2022) This article reports the results of climate and groundwater monitoring at Pecos National Historical Park in WY2022 There is often confusion over the terms “weather” and “climate.” In short weather describes instantaneous meteorological conditions (e.g. Climate reflects patterns of weather at a given place over longer periods of time (seasons to years) Climate is the primary driver of ecological processes on earth Climate and weather information provide context for understanding the status or condition of other park resources A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Cooperative Observer Program (NOAA COOP) weather station (Pecos National Monument #296676) has been operational at Pecos National Historical Park since 1916 (see Figure 1) This station typically provides a reliable climate dataset in WY2022 the station was missing data for 107 days climate analyses in this report use 30-year averages (1991–2020) and gridded surface meteorological (GRIDMET) data from the location of the station Subsequent reports may revert to the weather stations as the data source depending on future data quality Annual precipitation at Pecos National Historical Park in WY2022 was 17.65″ (44.8 cm; Figure 2) 1.56″ (4.0 cm) more than the 1991–2020 annual average while rainfall in winter (December–March) and early monsoon season (June–August) was greater than the 1991–2020 annual average was over three times the 1991–2020 monthly average of 1.18″ (3.0 cm) The mean annual maximum temperature in WY2022 was 66.8°F (19.3°C) The mean annual minimum temperature in WY2022 was 34.6°F (1.4°C) Mean monthly maximum and minimum temperatures in WY2022 differed by as much as 8.1°F (4.5°C; see February as an example) from the 1991–2020 monthly averages (Figure 2) Reconnaissance drought index (Tsakiris and Vangelis 2005) provides a measure of drought severity and extent relative to the long-term climate It is based on the ratio of average precipitation to average potential evapotranspiration (the amount of water loss that would occur from evaporation and plant transpiration if the water supply was unlimited) over short periods of time (seasons to years) The reconnaissance drought index for Pecos National Historical Park indicates that WY2022 was slightly wetter than the 1991–2022 average from the perspective of both precipitation and potential evapotranspiration (Figure 3) Reference: Tsakiris G., and H. Vangelis. 2005. Establishing a drought index incorporating evapotranspiration Groundwater is one of the most critical natural resources of the Southern Plains and American Southwest Groundwater levels in WY2022 were stable and relatively shallow (Table 1 and Figure 4) The average depth to water at WL-0206 was 41.68 ft below ground surface (bgs; 12.70 m bgs); however this includes measurements recorded when the well was pumping or recently pumped Pumping can cause temporary decreases in water level of up to 20 ft the WL-0206 static water level was likely a little higher than was measured on this date No water level measurement was collected at WL-0207 in WY2022; however a measurement was made shortly after the start of WY2023 and is included here Water level in WL-0207 was slightly higher than the previous two measurements Groundwater monitoring results in water year 2022 (WY2022) Pecos National Historical Park (amsl = above mean sea level; bgs = below ground surface) *WL-0207 measurement collected in water year 2023: October 6 Raymond, K., and A. Ray. 2023. Climate and Water Monitoring at Pecos National Historical Park: Water Year 2022. Southern Plains Network Water Year 2021 Climate and Weather Monitoring at Pecos National Historical Park. City workers walk a closed stretch of Old Pecos Trail between East San Mateo and Cordova roads Tuesday to make measurements to check the depth of the milling as work continued on the road Crews work on Old Pecos Trail between East San Mateo and Cordova roads on Tuesday Crews work on a closed stretch of Old Pecos Trail between East San Mateo and Cordova roads on Tuesday Roadwork has started on Old Pecos Trail from Cordova Road to Calle Medico promising closures and delays in a busy corridor A road upgrade project being funded by local taxpayers is underway on Old Pecos Trail from Cordova Road to Calle Medico bringing closures and delays to a well-traveled corridor that serves as a major artery into Santa Fe Concrete construction began Monday in preparation for repaving the roughly 1-mile stretch of road a project that is expected to take about two weeks to complete depending on the weather While the thrust of the project is to repave the road ramps for sidewalks will be upgraded to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards before the paving can start “Efforts will be made to minimize disruption to traffic and pedestrians detours and road closures will be imminent,” read a report on the city’s website this week “Please use caution in the area and seek alternate routes.” It is being paid for from a city fund devoted to infrastructure projects Wheeler guessed the bulk of the delays and rerouting will occur next week although some delays and rerouting are occurring this week as well The contractor for the project is GM Emulsion “We try to make it seamless so that you just drive along and follow the signs Noting the traffic volume on Old Pecos Trail is high Wheeler added the repaving work is being done because the condition of the asphalt on that section of road was showing signs of wear if we don’t make an investment like a pavement rehabilitation project it could degrade to the point where we have to completely reconstruct the road,” Wheeler said The city took to social media this week to post about the repaving and drew some skeptical and wry responses on Facebook about whether the work will get done “Should we expect completion sometime in 2028?” wrote one person followed by another who wondered if this would be a two-year affair Some indicated they believe roadwork needs to be done on Airport Road where the second phase of a reconstruction project that began in January 2024 is still ongoing Work is supposed to be completed this summer Finish what you start and THEN start something new!!!” one person wrote in response to the city post As roadwork in area has passed one year mark several companies say their sales are down 10% to 15% Business owners soldier on as a road project approaches its 17th month They worry it will continue for another tourist season WY2023 runs from October 2022 through September 2023) This article reports the results of climate and groundwater monitoring at Pecos National Historical Park in WY2023 A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Cooperative Observer Program (NOAA COOP) weather station (Pecos National Monument #296676) has been operational at Pecos National Historical Park since 1916 (Figure 1) in WY2023 the station was missing data for 208 days climate analyses in this report use 30-year averages (1991–2020) and gridded surface meteorological (GRIDMET) data from the location of the COOP station Annual precipitation at Pecos National Historical Park in WY2023 was 16.75″ (42.5 cm), 0.66″ (1.7 cm) more than the 1991–2020 annual average. Precipitation totals in October, January, February, March, and June were substantially higher than the 1991–2020 average by 58–172% (Figure 2) These surpluses were balanced out by substantially drier than average conditions in November While the monsoon started off strong in June the rest of the monsoon season (July–September) was drier than average 2.74″ less than the 1991–2020 average for the season The mean annual maximum temperature in WY2023 was 64.2°F (17.9°C), 1.5°F (0.8°C) below the 1991–2020 average. The mean annual minimum temperature in WY2023 was 34.3°F (1.3°C); a temperature that was comparable to the 1991–2020 average. Mean monthly maximum and minimum temperatures in WY2023 differed by as much as 7.3°F (4.1°C; see March as an example) relative to the 1991–2020 monthly averages (Figure 2) Mean monthly maximum and minimum temperatures in WY2023 were generally cooler than the 1991–2020 averages from October–June and warmer than average between July and September Groundwater is one of the most critical natural resources of the American Southwest Groundwater levels in WY2023 were stable and relatively shallow (Table 1 and Figure 4) The mean depth to water at WL-0206 was 41.42 feet below ground surface (ft bgs; 12.62 m bgs) slightly higher than the previous water year; however data after 24 August 2023 are not available so the mean is based on a partial water year The continuous depth-to-water measurements at WL-0206 include measurements recorded when the well was pumping which can cause temporary decreases in water level of up to 20 ft static depth to water at WL-0206 was likely slightly higher than the WY2023 mean The water level in WL-0207 was slightly lower than the previous measurement Groundwater monitoring results in water year 2023 (WY2023) *WL-0206 mean depth to water is based on a partial water year (01 October 2022 to 24 August 2023) Raymond, K., and A. Ray. 2024. Climate and Water Monitoring at Pecos National Historical Park: Water Year 2023. Southern Plains Network Our main campus provides primary care and specialty health services and the other health services we offer at North Las Vegas VA Medical Center Select a service on this page to check the hours Wheelchair availability:  wheelchairs available upon arrival for patients who need them to access the building Valet Services has been discontinued until further notice.  Phone: 702-791-9069 https://www.vetride.va.gov/app/home - request transportation through the app Dispatch Phone: 702-791-9000 RTC: 702-228-7433 Beneficiary travel benefits include round-trip transportation from your home to the medical center Find out if you qualify for beneficiary travel benefits Learn more about Environmental Health Registry Exam for Veterans by siting our website: Environmental Health Registry Exam For Veterans | VA Southern Nevada Health Care | Veterans Affairs Toxic Exposure Screening Phone appointment Phone: 702-791-9013 Learn more information on Toxic Exposure Screening  For more information on PACT Act visit the PACT Act and Toxic Screening.  The Emergency Department (ED) has a staff of emergency physicians on duty 24 hours a day. 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Our medical center and clinics provide consultation and treatment for a range of issues that may impact your behavioral health or emotional well-being Our confidential outpatient services include individual and group therapy for: Learn more and connect with a care coordinator We offer care for military sexual trauma in our mental (behavioral) health clinics Military sexual trauma refers to sexual assault or remarks that you experienced in the military Our goal is to help you improve your quality of life with strategies to manage emotions and memories related to your military sexual trauma Learn more about military sexual trauma we can help you get the services and benefits you need Our Minority Veterans Program serves all Veterans who are Black American and Native American (including American Indians Learn more and connect with a care coordinator Our team of kidney doctors (nephrologists) actively manage all aspects of adult kidney disease renal hypertension (high blood pressure caused by kidney disease) We provide inpatient and outpatient services We provide inpatient and outpatient services for chronic diseases and disorders that affect your brain Our neurologists read electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings which measure the electrical impulses brain cells use to communicate with each other We evaluate and treat many neurological illnesses and disorders such as: Our optometrists provide many eye-related services and treatments like: We use surgical and nonsurgical means to treat illnesses and disorders of the musculoskeletal system Acute (short-term) or chronic (long-lasting) pain can make it hard to enjoy life and other specialists to create a plan to help you manage your pain and improve your quality of life The VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System offers a number of different services at each level of this stepped-care model  Clinicians specializing in pain management are working continuously to develop and refine programs to improve the Veteran’s experience Pain Medicine Service provides a team-based approach to pain care with the following specialties: Our patient advocates work hard to make sure you receive the best possible care at our health care facilities Learn more and connect with a patient advocate Our pharmacy provides you and other Veterans with convenient efficient service to make it easy to get your medications and medical supplies Learn more about our pharmacy occupational therapy and kinesiotherapy can help restore movement and function if you have been disabled by injury or disease Our physical medicine and rehabilitation doctors and therapists focus on whole-body health and improve your quality of life with services like: Plastic and reconstructive surgery can restore function and appearance after damage from disease congenital and developmental conditions and other causes Our plastic and reconstructive surgeons perform surgery to improve body function or correct facial and body abnormalities caused by birth defects We also 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we make sure that your procedure and follow-up care are safe and high-quality We provide a wide range of surgical services: Other medically necessary services can be provided by other VA network facilities or community care We use the latest in secure digital technology to set up remote visits with our health care providers and store-and-forward telehealth that lets you securely send your health information to experts at VA facilities We offer telehealth visits with providers in: Learn more about VA Home Telehealth Virtual Care Learn more about telehealth If you’re traveling for VA-approved care we can repay you for the cost of using regular transportation that includes cars You may also be eligible for repayment when using ambulances or ambulettes (non-emergency medical transportation) Learn more about VA travel pay reimbursement and treat a wide range of urology diseases and conditions that include kidney stones and minimally invasive procedures for health issues that affect: Our expert team diagnoses and treats diseases and conditions that affect arteries Our vascular surgeons treat illnesses of your arteries and veins Our surgeons can treat these problems with medication and exercise Our whole health approach empowers and equips you to take charge of your health It includes self-care and complementary therapies along with conventional medical care Whole health offerings to view our local VA whole health offerings  Health and wellness resources for Veterans We offer women’s health services to meet your specific needs such as disease screenings maternity care and female-specific medical equipment Our women's health program offers complete health care for women Veterans of all ages Our primary care providers specialize in women’s health They work closely with specialists in gynecology Learn more and connect with a Women Veterans Program Manager compassionate diagnosis and treatment for Veterans with acute or chronic wounds or those who need ostomy care Healing your wounds is an important step in your recovery and rehabilitation Our wound care team will assess your wound determine where you are in the healing process and provide a treatment plan for your care If you’ve had ostomy surgery and are living with either a temporary or permanent stoma (a surgical opening to allow urine we can help you manage the care of your stoma and cope with the effects of ostomy surgery Teresa Leger Fernández talks about her efforts in Washington to create permanent protections against mining in the Pecos Watershed while visiting the Jones Hill Mine site in April 2024 with a group of watershed advocates State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard shows an order in March banning mining on state lands in the Upper Pecos Watershed The ban covers more than 2,500 acres in the 360,000-acre watershed The reversal comes after the Bureau of Land Management canceled a public meeting in February on the proposed withdrawal The Trump administration has walked back a proposed withdrawal of the Upper Pecos watershed from mining development An April 4 news release published by the U.S Department of Agriculture said the agency had reversed two mineral leasing withdrawals on Forest Service lands in an effort to “boost production of critical minerals.” It did not name the mining locations The news website Source New Mexico reported Monday a department spokesperson identified the cancellations as the mining ban in the Upper Pecos River watershed as well as another in Nevada Spokespeople from the Bureau of Land Management New Mexico office and U.S Agriculture Department did not respond to The New Mexican’s requests for comment Permanent protections require an act of Congress The state House of Representatives passed a joint memorial earlier this year calling for permanent protections which never got a hearing in the Senate New Mexico’s all-Democratic federal delegation has also come out in favor of permanent limits on mining in the Upper Pecos watershed In response to the decision to end the Biden-era withdrawal senators and two of its members of Congress proposed legislation this week to permanently withdraw the Upper Pecos from mining “The Trump administration’s decision is a betrayal of trust,” Sen Martin Heinrich said in a statement Tuesday “Not only does it reverse what the Pecos community has worked toward for years This kind of top-down decision-making — with zero attempt to discuss or even listen to the communities impacted — is exactly what’s wrong with this administration.” Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland withdrew a 165,000-acre area of the watershed from new mining for the next two years in December about a month before her tenure under former President Joe Biden came to an end Forest Service were supposed to evaluate a proposal to extend the withdrawal The BLM canceled a February public meeting to discuss a 20-year withdrawal of the area from new mining Mining in the Pecos has been contentious for decades especially after contamination from abandoned mines leeched into the water In a Facebook post a local group that has been fighting a mining proposal in the Pecos watershed decried the Trump administration’s decision “This devastating decision ignores decades of local opposition and the painful lessons of the Terrero Mine disaster,” Stop Terrero Mine wrote Monday “The Stop Terrero Mine Coalition and allies will keep fighting to protect the Pecos and honoring the people who call this place home — not extractive industries.” State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard withdrew about 2,550 acres of state trust land in the Upper Pecos from mining development Garcia Richard was among several leaders environmental groups and local and state officials who lamented the reversal and celebrated the reintroduction of legislation to permanently protect the Pecos {div data-olk-copy-source=”MessageBody”}”We may have taken a step back but we’re not backing down,” Pecos Mayor Telesfor Benavidez said in a statement “The fight to protect the Pecos is far from over — we will continue to defend this watershed for future generations.”{/div} Another water quality issue other than mining could be brewing in the Pecos area — cesspools and septic tanks in East Pecos The action removes 2,500 acres from mining development but leaves much of the largely federally owned watershed unprotected Conservationists hoped Biden-era mining restrictions for the upper Pecos would be extended Lawmakers on Thursday moved one step closer to calling for long-term protections for the Upper Pecos River watershed the BLM and Forest Service will put together a proposal to extend the hiatus to 20 years < All Public Input & Actions On behalf of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S the Secretary of the Interior proposes to withdraw 163,483 acres of National Forest System lands and 1,327.16 acres of public lands from location and entry under the United States mining laws and leasing under the mineral and geothermal leasing laws The lands would remain open to disposals under the mineral materials laws Nicole Montaño stands in the rubble Thursday of what was once her home in East Pecos lost almost everything in a house fire that ripped through the home shortly after they moved in Crime scene tape surrounds a burned home Thursday in East Pecos Nicole Montaño and her partner Angela “Fox” Gordon say they lost everything in the fire The burned remains of Nicole Montaño's home on Thursday in East Pecos The couple lost nearly everything in the April 2 fire Nicole Montaño shows documents Thursday that survived an April 2 house fire in her partner's backpack in East Pecos Drawings for tattoos Angela “Fox” Gordon completed are found Thursday in the rubble of a house fire in East Pecos The drawings are some of the belongings to survive the blaze There’s nothing left,” Nicole Montaño said EAST PECOS — Nicole Montaño and her partner were winding down the evening on April 2 when they heard what sounded like an explosion near the front porch of their renovated home in the small community of East Pecos Gordon rushed out to find smoke coming from under the home The two scrambled out the back door with little beside the clothes on their backs Flames quickly consumed the home — accelerated by supplies including paint cans and containers of fuel for camping Neighbors and the couple desperately tried to battle back the blaze with hoses basically everything Montaño and Gordon owned was lost had poured their life savings into the home which sits on property that’s been in Montaño’s family for generations and would have provided her children a better place to stay Montaño and a neighbor described as an hourlong delay in response from the local fire department The Pecos Volunteer Fire Department could not be reached for comment on the cause of the fire or the reported delay Friday Pecos Mayor Telesfor “Ted” Benavidez said he could not speak to when the initial call about the fire was placed but said he alerted the fire chief personally when he found out and that personnel responded quickly after that “They landed up losing everything that they owned in the house,” he said The couple’s home had been left in poor condition by previous renters putting in new flooring and installing new vanity pieces and light fixtures They had just moved in when the fire swept through picking through the heap of charcoaled timber and blackened Scraps of singed paper — study notes from Montano’s schooling — dot the heap of ash Scorched pans and an upturned barbecue litter the yard Destroyed clothes lay piled by a crumbling outer wall the couple delicately picked through the rubble minding the sagging structure that remains which they feared could collapse including Gordon’s backpack from her time in the military which included drawings for tattoos Gordon has worked on — damp presumably from the firemen’s hose — as well as her dog tags and birth certificate She peeled them off and piled them with her other rescued belongings the couple have replayed what happened over and over in their heads Still haven’t really processed everything,” she said Montaño and Gordon are left without a home and have mostly stayed with family or in a hotel who was not at the house on the night of the fire but would have gotten her own room “It’s just heartbreaking because it’s tearing us apart from spending more time together,” Montaño said who is mostly on his own but would have had a place to stay at the home The couple has received some essentials from the American Red Cross, including a mattress, toiletries, blankets and replacements for their phones. They also started a GoFundMe to raise $5,000 But they have had little luck securing other housing options and resources Montaño and Gordon have also reached out to their community and to officials for help in demolishing what’s left of the structure There’s absolutely not a lot of resources out there.” But that would take razing everything on the property and starting anew — a prospect that seems far in the future that’s something that we would like to do if we can get this area cleared out Then Fox and I can start investing in a home.” Esteban Candelaria is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. He covers child welfare and the state Children, Youth and Families Department. Learn more about Report for America at reportforamerica.org GoFundMe: tinyurl.com/mryewhxb The 3-1 in district play Raton hosted 1-2 in district play Pecos Panthers for a district matchup in a rescheduled game Monday afternoon April 14 at Gabrielle Field where Raton took the early lead but watched it get whittled away as the game wore on for the squeaker win Raton took the early lead and seemed to have things well in hand with an 8-2 lead after four innings Then Raton struggled on the mound as well as in the field where several errors allowed Pecos to cross the plate six times to tie the game at eight Raton managed to ink out two runs in the sixth inning and allowed only one Pecos run in the top of the seventh inning to hold on to a 10-9 win Azden Romero started on the mound for Raton and held on for three innings with seven strikeouts but had six batters walk to first Santiago Castillo was credited for the win when he came to the mound in the fifth inning to release Clayton Kelly Pecos started Joaquin Lopez who went three innings before being replaced by Jonah Villanueva who was credited for the loss Published in Sports Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application TX to Ernest and Florence Natividad on November 20 life of the party always had a smile on his face He brightened everyone's day when he would walk into a room out of this world an incredible extravagant beautiful soul Anthony is preceded in death by brother Ernest Natividad Jr. maternal grandparents Neno and Lupe Mendoza paternal grandparents Manuel and Esther Natividad Anthony is survived by parents Ernest and Florence Natividad nieces Adriana & Aleena Carrillo and Amaris Lujan  Visitation for Anthony will be held on Wednesday 2025 from 1:00 PM - 9:00 PM with a Rosary to follow at 7:00 PM at Pecos Funeral Home Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 AM on Thursday 2025 at Saint Catherine's Catholic Church Burial will follow at Barstow Cemetery.  Arrangements are being made by Pecos Funeral Home Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors He later moved to Alpine and attended Alpine High School He earned a scholarship to play baseball and attended Sul Ross State University earning a bachelor's and master's degrees in education and administration He was part of the first ever 1957 College NAIA World Series Championship baseball team at Sul Ross State University He and his team were inducted into the Sul Ross Hall of Fame Coach Thomas worked for the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah Independent School District for 45 years During his time with the PBTISD he was the head varsity baseball coach typing/keyboarding teacher and driver's education instructor He drove the longest bus run in the State of Texas for many years Coach Thomas loved the Town of Pecos City very much Coach Thomas was preceded in death by his father James Henry Thomas of Alpine his mother Cora Lee Thomas-Laskey of Alpine Survivors include his wife of 53 years Beverly Thomas of Pecos Texas; brother Denny Thomas (Virginia) of Mustang Oklahoma and Darcy Ard (Michael) of Timberlake Robert (Bobby) Gooding (Sharon) of Stephenville Texas and Michael (Mickey) Thomas (Julie) of Fort Worth Texas 51 great-grandchildren and 8 great-great grandchildren Viewing will be Friday April 4th from 6-8pm Pecos Funeral Home Funeral will be held at the Pecos Church of Christ 1321 W December 18 — A collision between a Union Pacific train and a tractor-trailer at a rail crossing in Pecos This devastating accident serves as a somber reminder of the inherent risks railroad workers face daily and it highlights the critical need for urgent safety improvements across the industry.   While we are limited in the details we can provide as SMART-TD assists the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in the investigation we extend our deepest condolences to the families and colleagues of Brother Araujo and Brother Burt.   SMART-TD is aware that cell phone footage and pictures of the accident and subsequent derailment are appearing on the internet we ask that our members respect our brothers and sisters in Local 823 (Big Springs The friends and family of the two fallen railroaders are not helped by amplifying the spectacle of the accident.   we also renew our commitment to fighting for stronger safety measures that will serve to better protect all those who work on and live near the rails.  Our thoughts and solidarity are with the loved ones of Brother Phillip Araujo and Clay Burt during this incredibly difficult time.   Passed from this life and entered eternal rest on Saturday to Fabio Barragan and Aurora Tarango.He went to school in Pecos He worked as a pusher/dispatcher for Warrior for 12 years Fabito is preceded in death by his esteemed grandparents Their influence undoubtedly shaped the compassionate individual he became Fabio Barragan III and Matthew Lane Barragan he is remembered fondly by his siblings—brother Michael Barragan (and Marlene) of Pecos and sister Lupita Lara (and Chris) of Bastrop—as well as his beloved parents Fabio's family circle extends to include cherished nieces and cousins who hold precious memories of times shared Visitation for Fabito will be held on Thursday 2025 from 12:00pm - 9:00 pm with a Holy Rosary to be recited at 7:00 pm at Pecos Funeral Home.  2025 at 10:00 am at Santa Rosa De Lima Catholic Church In Pecos Burial will follow at Mount Evergreen Cemetery.  Arrangements are entrusted to Pecos Funeral Home.  New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez gestures to an illegal barrier across the Pecos River in October 2023 The Pecos has been caught between landowners who say they want to protect their properties and would-be recreationists A district judge has barred a Northern New Mexico couple from blocking access to the Pecos River The Pecos River has been caught between two powerful currents: landowners who say river recreation can disrupt their properties and New Mexicans who want to exercise their right to fish and frolic on the river A permanent injunction signed Thursday by 4th Judicial District Judge Michael Aragon alleges that Terrero landowners Jean and Richard Jenkins “knowingly” deprived New Mexicans of their right to enjoy the waterways even after warnings from the New Mexico Department of Justice “Today’s ruling is a win for the people of New Mexico,” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez in a statement “This decision reflects our unwavering commitment to enforcing the law and ensuring public access to our natural resources We will continue to fight for justice and stand up for New Mexicans’ rights to enjoy our state’s natural beauty.” reaffirmed that New Mexicans have the right to access “non-navigable” waterways for fishing and recreation — even if someone owns the riverbed underneath them The decision didn’t quell conflict over the Pecos River Some landowners said that allowing people on the river exposed them to littering including 6-foot tall fences made out of pipes and barbed wire A year after Torrez filed a complaint against one landowner blocking access District Judge Kea Riggs dismissed a 2024 complaint filed by landowners in San Miguel and Rio Arriba counties who alleged the state was violating their rights by keeping them from removing people from their property The Jenkins only removed threatening signs and fencing after the state filed a motion to add them to the original complaint in August The permanent injunction prevents the couple from building obstacles to the Pecos River posting signs claiming that accessing the river is trespassing or illegal or otherwise keeping people from the waters The Jenkins will still be able to build fences for livestock management Calls to their attorneys were not immediately returned Hortencia devoted her life to her family and community where they built a loving home and raised their family she was an active member of the parish community at Santa Rosa and she will be remembered as a devoted wife Hortencia is preceded in death by her beloved parents Father Andrew Martinez III; grandchildren AlexAndrea (Cody) Zamarripa and Rio Martínez; great-grandchildren Angelica and Emma Carrasco; brothers Claudio (Margarita) Martínez and Jesús (Sylvia) Martínez; sisters Maria Sanchez and Dolores (Isaac) Subia; sister Elida Martinez; sister-in-law Aurelia Martinez; and numerous nieces and she leaves behind a legacy of love and kindness The family expresses their heartfelt gratitude to the Pecos Police Department and Odessa Medical Center Hospital for their swift response 2025 from 9:00 am - 4:30 pm Pecos Funeral Home; Visitation will continue at 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm at Santa Rosa De Lima Catholic Church with a Holy Rosary to be recited at 7:00pm.  Funeral Mass will be Celebrated with Father Andrew Martinez III on Thursday 2025 at 11:00am at  Santa Rosa de Lima Catholic Church Burial will follow at GreenWood Cemetery in Pecos Hortencia will be dearly missed by all who knew her 2025 after a life dedicated to service and family animal lover and a cherished friend to many William proudly served his community in law enforcement beginning his career as a deputy in Presidio County and later as a federal agent with the Department of Homeland Security His unwavering commitment was evident throughout his long and distinguished career He is survived by his sons Mitchell Upchurch and wife Kristen Brandon Upchurch and wife Kelby and grandson Wyatt and Pal and Outlaw (his favorite dogs) who were all the pride of his life William will be remembered for his kindness and his legacy will live on through the many loves he touched A celebration of life will be held at Pecos Funeral Home 2025 at 10:00 am with a service to honor his memory The family kindly requests that donations be made to Grand Companions He will be greatly missed but never forgotten Click to watch Krista Kemppinen, (502) 558-5931, [email protected] Pecos Pupfish Proposed for Endangered Species Act Protection TUCSON— In response to a lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed giving Endangered Species Act protection to the Pecos pupfish The small freshwater fish lives in the Pecos River Basin of New Mexico and Texas Conservationists petitioned in 2007 for protection for the Pecos pupfish. But it took a 2020 lawsuit for the Service to commit to a deadline to decide whether the species warrants protection — a decision that the law says should have been made in 2008 “This is an important win for these amazing but it’s unfortunate that the proposed protection took almost 20 years,” said Krista Kemppinen “Pecos pupfish are disappearing from their native habitat because of invasion by nonnative fish and they won’t survive without decisive action.” The Pecos pupfish was formerly found in the Pecos River and off-channel locations from just above Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico downstream to the confluence of Independence Creek in Texas But the fish are now considered eliminated from a large section of their former range due to rapid invasion by nonnative fish as well as surface and groundwater depletion and contamination from oil and gas extraction “Fracking for oil and gas not only threatens more dewatering and pollution in this fish’s remaining habitat but also promotes runaway climate change in one of the fastest-warming regions of the country,” said Kemppinen “Finalizing protection is crucial to helping the recovery of Pecos pupfish populations and their native freshwater habitats.” Today’s decision opens a 60-day comment period A final listing decision should be made within a year The Pecos pupfish is less than 2 inches long and varies in color from gray to brown to iridescent blue The pupfish are omnivores and known for being able to survive harsh environments The Center for Biological Diversity is a national nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places More Press Releases The Pecos River Basin covers approximately 44,000 square miles and can reach elevations more than 12,000 feet above the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88) increased salinity of the Pecos River has become a major concern among water users and water managers Salinity in the Pecos River can increase by two processes The first process is the addition of dissolved solids by an external source by the discharge of saline groundwater and irrigation return flows The second process is the removal of fresher water by diversion for irrigation or evapotranspiration Although many studies have contributed to the understanding of salinity increases in the basin managers and researchers identified the need for consistent sampling of the same constituents at the same sites along the Pecos River This data gap reduced the ability to analyze long-term salinity changes and identify sources of high salinity within the basin Geological Survey (USGS) collected water-quality and streamflow data from Santa Rosa Lake New Mexico to the confluence of the Pecos River and the Rio Grande The streamflow data were used to complete a gain-loss study at a finer resolution to help locate areas or reaches where water was being added at the Pecos River This study focused on identifying and documenting areas of the addition of dissolved solids from external sources The Pecos River is an important water source for livestock and wildlife habitat. It also provides inflows to the Amistad Reservoir supplying drinking water to downstream cities and into Mexico While the flow of the Pecos River has declined from increased water demand and climate variability The average dissolved solids concentration of the water from the Pecos River entering Texas is approximately 6,000 mg/L Fresh water is 1000 mg/L and slightly saline water is 3,000 mg/L High salinity levels can have multiple impacts including degradation of water quality By understanding areas of increased salinity levels water management alternatives can be implemented such as developing approaches to better control them or potentially intercepting the source of salinity before it impacts surface-water supplies Image DetailsOver time multiple agencies collected water-quality data in the Pecos River Basin These sampling efforts were not coordinated so there was a lack of consistent sampling methods hindering the ability to effectively analyze long-term changes in water quality that may help with the understanding of how salinity has changed over time and identifying the sources of salinity water-quality data is collected at select locations providing a snapshot of the conditions at that location and specific time period as directed by the source agencies’ priorities for their collection efforts What would be beneficial is if all of the agencies that collect water-quality data throughout the Pecos River Basin consistently sampled for the same constituents and coordinated their sampling events which would provide a comprehensive comparison over time Community outreach and stakeholder meetings helped build a relationship with the residents and local agencies Working with local agencies was imperative as they understood the system and the issues more thoroughly than the researchers Increased communication and collaboration helped researchers plan basin tours and assisted with gaining access to remote or privately owned sites and areas They also provided reservoir release schedules so researchers were able to sample sites before any water was released.   Army Corps of Engineers Pecos Watershed Assessment to identify possible salinity control projects within the Pecos River Basin Natalie A. Houston, Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey: nhouston@usgs.gov Deanna Morrell, Program Analyst, Bureau of Reclamation: dmorrell@usbr.gov Morrell, D., P. (2021). “Identifying Areas of High Salinity in the Pecos River Basin.” CART. Retrieved from https://www.fws.gov/project/identifying-areas-high-salinity-pecos-river-basin Identifying Areas of High Salinity in the Pecos River Basin CART Case Study Handout Increased salinity of the Pecos River has become a major concern among water users and water managers Geological Survey (USGS) and partners assessed the major sources of salinity.. which was originally founded in 1980 by Ron and Debra Wise and developed a cult like following has closed It was purchased by Gerry Kingen in 2015 with a plan to develop the brand into a chain just as he did with the Red Robin gourmet burger restaurants in the 1970's The West Seattle location at the corner of 35th SW and Fauntleroy Way SW was the last of the chain to close on Dec 22 following the closure of the Yelm location last fall and Pike's Pit in the Pike Place Market on Oct we're announcing that Pecos Pit BBQ is closing its 1st Avenue and West Seattle locations these Pecos operations have been negatively impacted by COVID shutdowns fast rising food and labor costs as well as theft and property damages To our loyal guests who have been with us through thick and thin and we are currently trying to find a way to keep our BBQ going Stay tuned for updates - we're not giving up on serving the BBQ you love The West Seattle location has been slated to be demolished by Sound Transit (along with Taco Time and Starbucks) to make way for the Avalon Station for the West Seattle Link Light Rail extension Construction on that line is currently scheduled to start in 2027 pending final approval Texas to Mickey and Mary Jane Marquez on May 7 She attended Pecos High School and graduated in 2003 and continued her education and graduated from The University of Texas of the Permian Basin with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education She worked as a Para Professional for 5 years and a 3rd Grade teacher for 2 years at Zavala Elementary Jennifer was someone you would want around all the time She could light up the room just by walking in and filled with so much love for all her loved ones She was everyone’s biggest cheerleader in everything that they did she was the best mother a girl and boy could ever ask for Jennifer was loved by so many and loved harder She always insisted on baking their birthday cakes year after year and always had requests for her famous green chicken enchiladas she wanted to make her kids and family proud She loved her students so much and always had a funny story to tell She always strived to create a safe place for her students She was a fighter in everything that she did She never gave up even when things got hard Jennifer is survived by the love of her life Joe Saenz of Pecos children Nevaeh Jasso and Javien Saenz of Pecos sister and brother in law Laura & Alex Gamboa of Midland and brother Mark Marquez of Midland parents Mickey and Mary Jane Marquez of Pecos nieces Jennesis Casillas and Makaylee Marquez of Midland nephews Gavin and Alexander Gamboa of Midland and grandparents in law Nana and Papi all of Pecos Visitation for Jennifer will be from 1:00pm -9:00pm on Wednesday 2024 with a Prayer Service to be held at 7:00pm at Pecos Funeral Home A Celebration of life will be held at 2:00 pm on Thursday 2024 at Pecos Funeral Home with Pastor Charles Barnes of St James Baptist Church with burial following at Mount Evergreen Cemetery The family of Jennifer wishes to extend our sincere thanks to all the doctors and nurses at Reeves County Hospital and Medical Center Hospital for doing all that they could in helping Jennifer with this tough battle The Pecos River flows near Terrero in December 2024 State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard holds up an executive order she signed to protect parts of the Upper Pecos Watershed from mining in front of the State Land Office in Santa Fe on Wednesday State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard holds up an executive order she signed to protect parts of the Upper Pecos Watershed from mining in front of the State Land Office in Santa Fe earlier this month Pecos farmer Ralph Vigil praises the State Land Office order to protect parts of the Upper Pecos Watershed from mining The Pecos Mine Site Reclamation Project was established after runoff from the Tererro Mine wiped out fish and other wildlife in the Pecos River in the 1990s New Mexico’s commissioner of public lands banned mining on state land in the Upper Pecos Watershed a move meant to pressure the federal government to follow through on similar protections for federal land SANTA FE — New Mexico’s commissioner of public lands banned mining on state land in the Upper Pecos Watershed Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard signed an executive order Wednesday morning to withdraw 2,552 acres of state land from mineral leases through 2045 There are no active mining leases on the state land acquired 20 mining leases on federal land in the Upper Pecos Watershed in 2019 The area was once home to the Tererro Mine The subsequent cleanup effort cost New Mexico $28 million Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content Cathy Cook is a news reporter for the Albuquerque Journal. Reach her via email at ccook@abqjournal.com PECOS — Advocates are worried about a federal proposal to protect the Upper Pecos Watershed from mining for the next 20 years after the Bureau… Stay informed with the latest top headlines from your trusted local source the Albuquerque Journal—delivered to your inbox every day it provides narrative coverage of local trends going beyond the headlines to keep you informed Stay in the loop with the top stories of the week delivered straight to your inbox every Saturday Sign up to see what’s trending and get the latest on the stories that matter most to our readers Get breaking news and important alerts sent straight to your inbox as they happen Stay up-to-date with the latest sports headlines and highlights from the Albuquerque Journal Get the latest on local happenings delivered straight to your inbox my siblings and I spent part of the summer with our grandparents in El Paso The halcyon desert days would end when we piled in the car for the ten-hour drive home to Fort Worth we’d detour off the interstate in Pecos After driving around streets as bare as the surrounding Permian Basin we’d manage to find a grower selling cantaloupe out of the bed of his truck and deposit a box of the region’s fruit in the trunk my siblings and I would crowd the still-dusty melons as we waited for our mother to cut one in half That was the better part of a lifetime ago the detours off Interstate 20 and anticipation around a box of Pecos cantaloupes have gone from annual delights to cherished memories The gradual loss of my family’s summer ritual has been long in the making. Across Texas, cultivation of cantaloupe has decreased. Before 2002, Texas farmers grew more than 10,000 acres of cantaloupe. Two decades later, that figure had fallen to about 2,000 harvested acres, the lowest levels in the state since the 1920s. The glory days of the Pecos cantaloupe puts the matter simply: “It’s a tough plant to grow in Texas.” Cantaloupe traces its origins to the food revolution that accompanied the eighth-century Islamic conquest of southern Spain cantaloupe took hold in the warm and dry Mediterranean climate of Spain Such was the popularity of cantaloupe in southern Europe that Columbus brought the fruit on his second voyage to Hispaniola By the time expeditions crossed the Rio Grande to establish missions in northern New Spain in the early eighteenth century cantaloupe had established itself as a New World success story It would be one of the first nonnative fruits grown in Texas Today cantaloupe grows throughout the United States (California but there is something ideal in the dry skies and 2,500-foot elevation in the northern corner of Pecos County between the towns of Pecos and Coyanosa (population 155) The conditions conspire to produce a cantaloupe so sweet that by the 1910s Pecos cantaloupe had become a regional sensation.  Todd followed a local trend in growing cantaloupe outside of town Where Todd stood out in the scene was in sales His primary customer was the dining car on the Texas and Pacific Railway (T&P) which served Todd’s Pecos cantaloupe for breakfast Mail orders followed on the heels of the profitable T&P contract—just in time for the possibility of radio advertisements farmers in Reeves and Pecos counties expanded cantaloupe cultivation with the newfound knowledge that local atmospheric and soil conditions could produce a fruit that many customers wanted to eat Texans were growing 3,580 acres of cantaloupe An annual Cantaloupe Festival inaugurated the early summer harvest of the region’s beloved fruit (the last was held in 2022) The Pecos Chamber of Commerce promoted its youth beauty pageant as “Little Miss Cantaloupe”—which is perhaps the world’s only beauty pageant named after the melon and which continues to this day Today’s Pecos participates in the oil boom of the Permian Basin that shows no signs of slowing down Growing a humble melon hardly produces riches the story of Pecos cantaloupe prevailing over the region’s economic and historical trends is in some ways more surprising than its decline The toil and luck that go into preserving Pecos cantaloupe against the zeitgeist approximates the mythical growing cantaloupe along with watermelon and other fruits and vegetables on farms around Coyanosa is one of the last major growers of Pecos cantaloupe For the six weeks or so of the cantaloupe harvest in Pecos County not a day goes by without the Mandujano Brothers’ multigenerational crew of migrant workers scouring the fields and pulling ripe cantaloupe from the vine The amount of fruit the Mandujano Brothers harvest from 280 acres of planted cantaloupe demands a large-scale operation “Today we shipped out three loads of cantaloupe,” Beto Mandujano tells me “which is about 3,600 boxes.” (Each box contains six to fifteen cantaloupes depending on their size.) “Yesterday,” he continues about 7,000 boxes.” This is a lot of fruit: between 32,400 and 63,000 individual cantaloupes shipped to the warehouses each day hundreds of pounds of cantaloupe handled by employees each working day beginning at 6:30 on a West Texas summer morning—and all this before the employees begin harvesting watermelon The cantaloupe harvest demands time and labor during the hottest part of the year As the cost of labor and the bureaucratic obstacles to family businesses obtaining work visas have increased cantaloupe has become less and less desirable in the Pecos region The changing economic circumstances of the Permian Basin have left behind the orange-tinted vision of Madison L As the last major grower of the storied cantaloupe the Mandujano Brothers put in insuperable time and exertion out of a sense of commitment “As long as our customers and suppliers want it,” Mandujano says “we’ll grow it.” That desire does not appear to be abating “We get asked to ship cantaloupe to Montana,” Mandujano explains “My wife has started shipping to people who can’t get the cantaloupe but grew up with it and want it.” The tenacity of Pecos cantaloupe is not just a matter of the (undeniably peerless) gustatory pleasure of such a lovely fruit For a fruit that grows at a size small enough for a child to hold and large enough to share with the family Pecos cantaloupe taps into the wellspring of memory Years after my mother sliced the last cantaloupe that my grandfather bought on the August streets of Pecos she wrote a poem on her own childhood summers where “real Pecos cantaloupes” made “perfect ice cream bowls.” the daysand weeks and summers themselveswere as sweet and ripeand irreplaceable as clothes sewnby hand and bags full of Pecos cantaloupes Elma was a dedicated and hardworking mother and wife they built a beautiful life and were blessed with seven loving children where she became an active member of Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church in Alpine Her faith was an essential part of her life and she found great joy in her church community Tx where she was able to spend more time with her children and grandchildren better known as “Lala” by her grandchildren will be remembered for her kindness She enjoyed spending time with her loved ones always ready to offer encouragement and support to those around her Martin and Cruz Valenzuela; her son Guadalupe; brothers: Jose Oscar and Naldo; and sisters: Elva Beltran and Estella Quiroz.  Elma is survived by her husband Ruben Cervantes Jose Cervantes and wife Mary; daughters: Martha Milliorn and husband Bobby; Angelica Valenzuela and husband Steve; Blanca Golson and husband Ronnie; Cynthia Fostel and husband Brett; sisters: Elpidia Trejo and husband Jesus; and Maria Elena Valenzuela She was blessed with 17 grandchildren: Daniel Cervantes and JB Fostel; 3 great grandchildren and many other family members and dear friends who will miss her deeply Pallbearers will be grandsons: Daniel Cervantes  Honorary pallbearers will be Ruben Cervantes III A viewing will be held from 5:00-7:00pm followed by a rosary at 7:00 pm on Thursday The funeral mass will be held at 10:00 am on Friday 2025 at Saint Catherine’s Catholic Church in Pecos Chris was a beloved son to Steve and Susan Reyes embodying the warmth and spirit of his hometown A dedicated salesman at World Auto Chevrolet GMC manifesting a genuine commitment to serving his community and his kindness left a lasting impression on all who crossed his path Though he is preceded in death by his dear mother Chris's legacy lives on through his son He is also remembered fondly by his brother Those who knew Chris held a special place in their hearts for his unwavering love and dedication to family and friends alike forever cherishing the memory of the man whose spirit will continue to resonate in the lives of all he touched