PECOS, Texas — The Pecos Watershed Conservation Initiative is a group with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation that is trying to support conservation projects in the area.
The Pecos River Watershed extends from Eastern New Mexico and into West Texas.
It played a large role in Texas exploration by Spain, but over the years things like development, invasive species and land management have change the landscape.
This initiative is paired with several big oil companies, including Apache, Chevron, XTO and Occidental.
In just the last year, the group invested $8 million into 43 different project.
A new round of grants is expected to be announced in April.
Conservation efforts will help to protect some of the last remaining populations of native fish and other aquatic species found only in the Chihuahuan Desert and address water quality and scarcity concerns for wildlife and agricultural uses.
Animals that have already benefitted from the PWCI include the Pecos pupfish, Pecos gambusia, Texas hornshell and Bell’s vireo.
For more information on the PWCI and its conservation efforts, you can click or tap here.