Devils River

The Devils River is a 93-mile-long river in southwest Texas that flows into Lake Amistad and Val Verde County. It’s considered the most pristine river in Texas because of its freshwater springs, remote location, and lack of human and animal pollution. The river also provides vital freshwater to the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas.

The river originates in Sutton County at the confluence of six watercourses, then flows southwest for 94 miles to Lake Amistad. The river is fed by springs that flow from the base of limestone cliffs, and the gravel, sand, and limestone along the river scrub the water clean as it flows underground. The river then re-emerges about 20 miles downstream.

The Devils River attracts thousands of visitors annually to the pristine white waters that flow for about 40 miles in Val Verde County, creating panoramic canyon views and offering a lens on ancient rock art.

Landowners and patrons of the river are worried over the prospect of 46 wind turbines suddenly springing up over the river in the county of barely 48,000 residents. These wind turbines will endanger migratory birds that fly through the area seasonally and disrupt the flyways of monarch butterflies and Mexican free-tailed bats, millions of which live in Fern Cave on the Monarch Ranch, one of the largest caves in the world.

The plan was briefly scuttled when politicians found out that the Blue Hills Wind development was being developed by GH America Energy, a subsidiary of Guanghui Energy Company, a firm owned by a former Chinese army officer and the richest person in China’s embattled Xinjiang province. The project is in close proximity to Laughlin Air Force Base. Politicians’ concerns with the project ranged from espionage to turning off the power the base would be dependent on.

Politicians lost interest in national security concerns after Spanish-owned renewable energy company Greenalia bought the project. Now Devil’s River is once again under threat.