A splash of blue stands out against limestone cliffs. The honking of a great blue heron, interspersed with the descending trill of a canyon wren, can be heard off in the distance. This landscape, which at times appears stark and desolate, comes alive with color after a rainstorm. Amistad National Recreation Area is a land of contrasts and of hidden treasures. The same water that draws people to boat and fish today, sustained over 300 generations of hunters and gatherers. They left behind a record of their existence through colorful rock art panels, bits of tools and fibers preserved for thousands of years by the arid desert climate
Situated on the United States-Mexico Border, Amistad National Recreation Area is known primarily for excellent year round, water-based recreation including: boating, fishing, swimming, scuba diving and water-skiing. Amistad NRA also provides opportunities for picnicking, camping and hunting. The reservoir, at the confluence of the Rio Grande, Devils and Pecos rivers, was created by Amistad Dam in 1969. In addition to excellent recreation, this area is rich in archeology and rock art and contains a wide variety of plant and animal life. So whether you come to boat, to ponder ancient mysteries, or to listen to bird song and watch the desert bloom, Amistad has something for you.
History & Culture
Lower Pecos River region rock art is considered by experts to be world class and comparable in significance to sites in Europe, Australia and America’s Baja California. With 250-plus known sites within a 100-square- mile area, the region has one of the densest concentrations of Archaic rock art in the new world and among the largest multicolored images in North America. While you are at Amistad National Recreation Area, you can see some of this famous rock art with a visit to Panther Cave, accessible by boat. Parida Cave, on the Rio Grande, is also accessible by boat if water levels are permitting. Visitors who don’t have boats can see spectacular rock art on guided tours at nearby Seminole Canyon State Historical Park, or at the White Shaman-Galloway Preserve just west of Seminole Canyon on Hwy. 90. The Rock Art Foundation leads guided tours of the White Shaman and other pictograph sites on weekends. The Lower Pecos area contains more than just spectacular rock art sites the region also contains some of the oldest dated and best preserved archeological deposits in North America. The dry rock shelters of the area harbor an unparalled prehistory that spans nearly 12,000 years. This archeological record has helped usto gain information on the lifestyle of these people.
Luckily, the remoteness of the region has kept vandalism to a minimum. All archeological sites and artifacts on federal land are protected by the Archeological Resources Protection Act. From archeological evidence we know that these prehistoric peoples were hunters and gatherers who appear to have had very little trade or contact with other contemporaneous groups in the US or Mexico. Hunting and foraging were alwaysthe mainstays of the Lower Pecos economy, ranging in scale from mass kills of herd animals to trapping of small rodents, mammals and lizards and roasting of desert plants such as yucca and agave. All current information indicates that Lower Pecos people remained nomadic. Like most hunting and gathering societies in arid environments, populations in the lower Pecos had to remain sparse and thinly distributed in order to exploit seasonal or geographic resources without seriously depleting them.
Who were the people that inhabited this remote area The prehistoric peoples of the Lower Pecos were “primitive” peoples only in the sense that the dictionary defines “primitive” as “relating to the earliest age or period.” Their lives could never be considered primitive in the sense of being inefficient or impoverished. The pictographs for which the region is most noted testify to a complex world far more varied than their economic and technological remains suggest. Furthermore, by adapting to their environment, learning to utilize rather than drastically alter the natural resources, the native peoples of the Lower Pecos River region were able to endure for the impressive time-span of over 10,000 years.
Many other questions about Lower Pecos River region prehistory also remain unanswered. For instance, what were tribal identities, alliances and enemies And what did the people call themselves No familiar American Indian names are mentioned in historic documents until the influx during historic times of Plains Indians such as Apaches and Comanches. Archaic peoples in the Lower Pecos are often classified as “Coahuiltecans,” based on similarities in life ways and material culture, but this designation only implies they probably belonged to the same language group as other people in southern Texas and northeastern Mexico at the time of first European contact.
Nature & Science
Geology
Amistad National Recreation Area offers visitors many interesting natural features to investigate. The river and lake canyons have shear cliffs dotted with caves. The colorful canyon walls range from deep grays to bright yellows and reds as ground water oxidation makes them look as if large paintbrushes have painted them. These limestone cliffs are also full of marine fossils of the Permian era, over 360 million years old. Corals, gastropods (snails), ammonites and various bivalve fossils are common. The karst topography resulting from the erosion of this limestone contributes to a complex pattern of groundwater. Although Lake Amistad is the convergence of the Rio Grande, Devils and Pecos rivers, there are also other water sources that contribute to lake waters. At the Devils River, about 8 miles up river from Rough Canyon, Indian Springs cascades out of the cliffs and provides additional waters to the lake. The springs are visible at lower lake levels, however they disappear underwater when levels are nearing the full pool elevation of 1117 feet above sea level. This spring affects the water by “cooling” it and changes the color of the normal lake waters to a brilliant blue.
Goodenough Springs is located along the Rio Grande. Prior to the inundation, Goodenough Springs welled out of the ground and turned a water wheel for power. The spring is now many feet under the water surface, but still “warms” the water temperature in the immediate area. The lake water near the springs is probably in the 50 F to 60 F range, as the springs are usually between 60-80 feet or more below the lake surface.
Ecology
Amistad National Recreation Area supports incredible biodiversity due to its location at the juncture of three Texas ecoregions. The close proximity of these areas allows very different plant and animal species to occur within the Recreation Area. The east side of Lake Amistad is surrounded by hills covered in the shrubs and small acacia trees of the southwest Texas coastal plains, the Tamaulipan Chaparral ecoregion. Yet the western canyons of the lake are covered by the yuccas, cactuses and creosote typical of the Big Bend region, the Chihuahuan Desert. And the influence of the third ecoregion, the Edwards Plateau, is shown in the northern parts of the lake where you can find juniper trees and scrub oaks. The water of the lake itself provides a home for numerous other species and nourishes the roots of river forests within its canyon walls.
Use of the lake for human recreation is enjoyed year round. However, many animals utilize the area only during seasonal migrations. Thousands of Monarch butterflies roost on park lands before continuing their journey to wintering sites in Mexico. Many waterfowl species spend their winters on the lake before returning north in the spring. Even endangered and threatened species, such as the Interior Least Tern, use the peaceful surroundings for breeding purposes.
Amistad has implemented several projects in order to monitor the natural resources of the lake and surrounding areas. An extensive study of avian species, yearly Monarch tagging and monthly water quality testing provide invaluable data. By monitoring changes, park staff can quickly take measures to conserve the natural resources and beauty of the Amistad National Recreation Area.
Getting There
By Plane
Del Rio is serviced by a small airport that will accommodate small private planes. Continental Airlines will be servicing Del Rio in March 2005.
By Car
Amistad National Recreation Area lies in southwest Texas, west of San Antonio between Del Rio and Langtry, downstream from Big Bend National Park. It is reached via Highway 90 from the east and west and U. S. Routes 277/377 from the north and south.
Traveler Facts
Contact Information
Amistad National Recreation Area
4121 Hwy 90 West
Del Rio, TX 78840-9350
Phone: 830-775-7491
Fax: 830-778-9248
Operating Hours & Seasons
The Amistad National Recreation Area’s Visitor Information Center is open 7 days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., year-round, except Thanksgiving, December 25 and January 1.
Weather/Climate
Amistad National Recreation Area has hot and sometimes humid summers with temperatures often exceeding 100 F and mild winters with temperatures usually around 40 F - 70 F. The coldest months are December and January. The hottest months are July and August.
It can be windy almost any month of the year.
