In the preface to Bitter Waters: The Struggles of the Pecos River, Patrick Dearen writes that Pecos River Resolution Corporation (PRRC) is a nonprofit corporation dedicated “not only to documenting the Pecos River of the past and present, but also to exploring remedies for its ills and its potential for the future.” With the publication of Bitter Waters in 2016, PRRC achieved its mission in regard to the river’s past.
However, PRRC continues its dedication to documenting the river of today and tomorrow, as well as to exploring solutions for its problems and examining its future potential. Toward this goal, PRRC—the only organization in which Pecos River stakeholders from both New Mexico and Texas have joined together for the river’s betterment—plans to:
- Pursue its research.
- Publish on its website regular updates stemming from its ongoing research.
- Cooperate with University of Oklahoma Press to generate updates for the next edition of Bitter Waters.
- Conduct annual symposiums (in New Mexico and Texas) at which solicited papers would be presented to update Bitter Waters on environmental and conservation issues, as well as to update the water law papers published on its website in conjunction with Bitter Waters. Papers stemming from these symposiums would be considered for publication on PRRC’s website or by other means.
- Engage a permanent executive director to administer the business of PRRC.
- Establish a library to house research materials, historical documents, literature, and other information pertaining to and of interest to the Pecos River. This would be an invaluable resource in the development of any future projects or policies involving the Pecos.
- Sponsor a Pecos River Educational and Community Network for students and communities located near the river in New Mexico and Texas. This program would engage participants, possibly with Bitter Waters as a text, in a water quality monitoring study that would stimulate an appreciation for the river and its future.
