Freshwater turtles represent vital components of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, providing many important ecological services (e.g., energy flow, seed dispersal, mineral cycling, etc.) Additionally, they can act as bioindicators of environmental health by accumulating chemicals that reside in their respective water systems. The Pecos River is one of the most anthropogenically altered rivers in the United States. Agricultural practices, dam construction, channelization, and petroleum production have significantly altered the river flow and overall water quality. These factors have long threatened the connectivity and viability of wildlife populations inhabiting the Pecos River system, including freshwater turtles. Yet, the Pecos River itself has not been properly surveyed for turtles in over a decade. In this study, we report preliminary results of freshwater turtle surveys across 16 sites on the Pecos River in New Mexico and Texas. For every survey, we deployed 45 hoop net traps for two consecutive days and surveyed each site three times between May and August 2020. Upon capture, turtles were marked, measured, and returned to the water. We additionally recorded water quality parameters such as pH, conductivity (µ/s), temperature (°C), flow (m/s), water depth (m), and water turbidity (m). Overall, we captured five species of turtles including Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta), Spiny Softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera), Yellow Mud turtle (Kinosternon flavescens), Common Snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina), and New Mexico threatened Rio Grande Cooter (Pseudemys gorzugi). The species richness ranged from 0 to 5 species and the overall abundance ranged from 0 to 170 turtles per site. The most abundant and the most widely distributed species was Apalone spinifera while Chelydra serpentina was found at only one locality. Pseudemys gorzugi which is currently under review by the US Fish and Wildlife Service for potential federal protection was found at five locations: four in New Mexico and one in Texas. We captured only 11 unique P. gorzugi including 4 females, 6 males, and 1 juvenile. This work will continue and additional 16 sites will be surveyed in the summer of 2021. Our work will significantly contribute to our understanding of freshwater turtle distribution across this highly altered riverine system and aid in the assessment of conservation status of Pseudemys gorzugi.