Since the 1940’s and 50’s, the areas surrounding the border of the Martín Peña Channel have been greatly impacted by intense urban sprawl and the lack of adequate infrastructure for the management of sanitary waters and domestic solid waste. The situation worsens particularly near the Eastern segment of the Channel, where past residents utilized solid waste and debris as landfill to build on top of. The Western section of the Channel has been dredged and is utilized as a navigation and public transport route between Hato Rey and Old San Juan. This segment of the Channel is surrounded with mangroves and is home to the Martí Coll Lineal Park. The Channel measures 3.75 miles (6KM) approximately.
This week, the U.S. Congress announced the approval of $163 million designated for the dredging and channelization of Martin Peña Channel. The dredging will positively impact the quality of the Estuary’s interconnected bodies of water, including the Laguna San José, Los Corozos, Laguna Blasina and the San Juan Bay. ¡Enhorabuena!
