Friends with the Devils (River, that is)

By E. Dan Klepper

As dusk light settles across West Texas’ Devils River, the wind subsides and a languid dispassion sinks into this bony stretch of clear, uncompromised water. The river’s songbirds ponder their ruffle-less counterparts in amicable detachment, blue herons poise equitably in the shadows, and diamondback water snakes oscillate the balm. The lull renders parity to the surface as each last ripple echoes the stasis that drives our natural world. The ruinations of luck, loss, and love diminish against the reflection of the falling light as nature beats in cadence with the accord. At last, daylight peaks, the star is snuffed out, and peaceable spirits, once earthbound, ascend.

Sound like a paradise? Yes, and it’s surprising to discover such a place—Devils River—attached to a hellion’s name. But, in truth, the Spanish had several names for the Devils River, the target of watershed drainage for parts of Crockett, Schleicher, Sutton, and Val Verde counties on its way to Amistad Reservoir on the Rio Grande. In 1590, explorer Gaspar Castaño de Sosa called it the Laxas, meaning lax, or having a loose and porous structure. Later, Spanish settlers called it the San Pedro after the martyr Saint Peter. The river conveys benevolence on the surrounding despoblado (uninhabited, deserted land) in much the same way that its namesake Saint Peter bestowed blessings, providing sanctuary throughout a parched and stony land.

But such appellations ended in 1840 when Texas Ranger Coffee Hays arrived at the river’s edge. He looked down on the water and decided it likely belonged to the devil, not Saint Peter. Subsequently, to soften the blow against a strikingly beautiful country, the apostrophe was dropped, but the name “Devils” stuck.

The details of the river’s past often seem ambiguous, due in part to the paucity of historical references before the 1800s, and limited access to its banks throughout modern times. It is also possible that the Devils’ slim record is a result of its remaining almost exclusively within the domain of the natural world. Very little has changed along its course throughout the last 150 years.

Devils River

The Devils River, a pristine, whitewater river in southwest Texas, flows through Sutton and Val Verde counties into the Amistad Reservoir on the Rio Grande near Del Rio.
Baker’s Crossing is 22 miles north of Comstock, off Texas 163. 12 campsites, fees vary. Day rates and put-in rates available; 432/292-4503.
For details regarding Devils River State Natural Area, call 830/395-2133 or visit the Web site. All fees and reservations are handled through Texas Parks & Wildlife’s central reservations at 512/389-8900.
For additional information, visit the Web sites for Sonora, The Nature Conservancy and Amistad National Recreation Area. For Rough Canyon Marina, call 830/775-8779.

See the full article in the July 2009 issue.

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