Is it possible the Pecos River in Texas and the small shoots in Reeves and Culberson County has any Gold?

Question

Old Maps Of The Quadalupe Mountains and a documented story.

Answer 1

Yes it is possible, primarily on the southwest side of the Pecos River. Much of the Tran-Pecos has igneous rocks of Oligocene and Eocene age. These volcanics are a possible source of gold, especially where hydrothermal fluids have moved up along major dikes, or veins. There have been some finds of gold in that area. There have been finds around Shafter and Van Horn in the mountains. I can say it is possible that you might pan gold out of these streams, but probably only in the ones coming from the Van Horn Mountains or the Shafter Mountains.
Here's the reference:
http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/GG/dkg1.html

Here's a geology map so you can see the area I am identifying:
http://www.utpb.edu/ceed/geologicalresources/west_texas_geology/links/tx_geo_map.htm

Mindat has a list of localities where gold has been found in Texas (go to the bottom of the list because the search also turns up mines with Texas in the name of the mine).
You can see that Culberson County is the site of one gold mine, Hudspeth County another, and four more near Llano.
http://www.mindat.org/minlocsearch.php?frm_id=mls&cform_is_valid=1&cf_mls_page=1&minname=gold®ion=texas

There are lots of volcanics around Alpine, so that area is another possibility.

I've spent a lot of time on the lower Pecos, canoeing, and don't think it is likely you will find any gold down there in all those carbonate rocks. Gold would have had to have washed down all the way from Culberson, Hudspeth, or Jeff Davis county, and parts of those counties drain towards the Rio Grande.

Answer 2

Pecos River In Texas

Answer 3

It may be possible, but don't expect to find any. There is no public land in Texas, other than the parks where collecting is against the law. If you go onto a persons property looking for gold you might get shot and killed. People in Trans-Pecos are very protective of their property and have no qualms about using whatever force is necessary to keep intruders off of it.

Answer 4

Start here
http://www.texfiles.com/features/gold.htm
eSearch 'gold in texas'