Pecos River

Pecos River Río Pecos Río Natagés
Pecos River High Bridge, near Langtry, Val Verde County, Texas
Map of the Pecos River watershed.
Location
Country	United States
State	Texas, New Mexico
Physical characteristics
Source	Pecos Falls
• location	29 mi (47 km) north of Pecos, New Mexico
• coordinates	35°58′34″N 105°33′29″W / 35.97611°N 105.55806°W / 35.97611; -105.55806[1]
• elevation	11,759 ft (3,584 m)
Mouth	Rio Grande
• location	Seminole Canyon, Val Verde County, 37 mi (60 km) northwest of Del Rio, Texas
• coordinates	29°41′59″N 101°22′17″W / 29.69972°N 101.37139°W / 29.69972; -101.37139[1]
• elevation	1,115 ft (340 m)
Length	926 mi (1,490 km)[2]
Basin size	44,402 sq mi (115,000 km2)[2]
Discharge
• location	IBWC station 08-4474.10 near Langtry, Texas[3]
• average	265 cu ft/s (7.5 m3/s)[3]
• minimum	42 cu ft/s (1.2 m3/s)
• maximum	152,910 cu ft/s (4,330 m3/s)
National Wild and Scenic River
Type	Wild, Recreational
Designated	June 6, 1990

The Pecos River (/ˈpeɪkəs/ PAY-kəs^[4]) (Spanish: Río Pecos) originates in north-central New Mexico and flows into Texas, emptying into the Rio Grande. Its headwaters are on the eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in Mora County north of Pecos, New Mexico, at an elevation of over 12,000 feet (3,700 m).^[5] The river flows for 926 miles (1,490 km) before reaching the Rio Grande near Del Rio. Its drainage basin encompasses about 44,300 square miles (115,000 km²).^[2]

The name "Pecos" derives from the Keresan (Native American language) term for the Pecos Pueblo, [p'æyok'ona].^[6] The river was also historically referred to as the Río Natagés for the Mescalero people.^[7]