Weekly Estuary Update
Don't miss the Family Day Out at the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve this Saturday, September 5. Join us for upcoming urban tours throughout the Puerto Rico metropolitan area and come along for the Friends of the Lagoon meeting. See these and other scheduled activities to benefit the waters connected to the San Juan Bay estuary below.
Family day out
Join us for a family day out at the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve on Saturday, September 5, 2026, in celebration of West Indian Manatee Conservation Day. We'll have talks, a sports activity, art, an interpretive tour, and opportunities to earn Green Contact or community service hours.
All minors must be accompanied by an adult. Registration is not required. See the schedule of activities at: estuary.org/events
Estuary Cinema
Estuary Cinema presents: Michael (2026); Saturday, September 5, 2026, at 7:00 pm at Jaime Benítez Park in the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve. The film will be shown in Spanish with English subtitles. This screening is free. Bring your blanket or chair.
Urban tours
Discover how your urban environment interacts with the waters flowing into the San Juan Bay estuary. Join us on urban tours: Discovering the connections between the city's water and the estuary's.
Saturday, September 12, at 8:00 am in Jaime Benítez Park of the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve
Thursday, September 17, at 8:00 am in Old San Juan
These tours count toward Green Touch hours or community service. All minors must be accompanied by an adult, who must register separately. Register today at: estuary.org/events
Friends of the Lagoon Meeting
Join us for the next Friends of the Lagoon meeting on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at 6:00 pm at Jaime Benítez Park in Condado Lagoon. All neighbors, business owners, friends, and users of this natural space are invited. Registration is not required to attend in person.
To get your Zoom access link, register HERE.
Help us document restoration and conservation efforts in the estuary watershed
Each year, we document habitat restoration and conservation efforts implemented within the San Juan Bay estuary watershed. In doing so, we gather valuable information to support public investment in the region.
We urge all communities, organizations, or agencies that carry out restoration and conservation projects in the region to submit their projects corresponding to the period from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026, including pending projects.
These projects are reported to the EPA and Congress. The form must be completed by September 30, 2026. We thank all the entities that are part of this effort. Access the form: HERE.
International Coastal Cleanup
On Saturday, September 19, 2026 , the San Juan Bay Estuary joins Scuba Dogs Society in the International Coastal Cleanup , as captains of the group from the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve.
We will have a land cleanup along the lagoon's shoreline and an underwater cleanup. This activity marks the beginning of National Estuary Week, which will be held from September 20th to 26th. We will provide all the necessary information later.
National Estuaries Week
From Sunday, September 20 to Saturday, September 26, 2026, we will be celebrating National Estuary Week , with an agenda full of educational activities and environmental action to benefit the ecosystems connected to the San Juan Bay estuary.
We'll kick off the week with " Paddle with the Estuary ," an event to raise awareness about the beauty and importance of our island's waterways, on Sunday, September 20th . Join us by kayak, paddleboard, or your favorite water sport from the body of water of your choice, share your photo, and tag us on social media (@estuariosanjuan on Instagram and Facebook ). The Estuary will be paddling from the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve, where we'll have learning activities about the lagoon's ecological importance and conservation efforts.
We'll be sharing the full week's event schedule soon. Stay tuned to our newsletter and social media!
Seminar on the Juan Méndez ravine
We invite you to the seminar: Spatio-temporal dynamics of the contributions of the Juan Méndez stream to the San José and Los Corozos lagoons through remote sensing; on September 16, 2026, from 9:00 am to 10:00 am in room C-206 of the Department of Environmental Sciences of the University of Puerto Rico.
5K The Earth is Ours
The Caño Martín Peña Land Trust invites you to the fourth annual 5K "The Land is Ours " race on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at 6:30 a.m. in San Juan, PR. See more information and register HERE.
Bird censuses in ecosystems connected to the estuary
Thank you to all the volunteers who joined us for the most recent participatory bird census along the Blasina Linear Walk in Carolina on Saturday, August 29, 2026. The census counted as a field experience for the Participatory Bird Census module of the Estuary Citizen Scientist Certification. This data is used to assess the health of ecosystems connected to the San Juan Bay estuary. Congratulations to those who completed their certification!
Get ready for the next census. Come to the Participatory Bird Census workshop on September 15. See more information below.
Expansion of the Estuary's remote monitoring system
We continue to strengthen the remote monitoring system of the San Juan Bay Estuary. This week, Dr. Jorge Bauzá, Scientific Director of the San Juan Bay Estuary, along with Edward Hernandez, Remote Monitoring Coordinator, installed four new remote monitoring stations located in the Martín Peña Channel, the Puerto Nuevo River area, Condado Lagoon, and La Torrecilla Lagoon. These new stations expand the network's coverage and strengthen the continuous collection of data on water quality conditions in the estuarine system.
The stations continuously measure water quality parameters, including temperature, conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity. This data provides direction and establishes priorities for an effective restoration effort of the San Juan Bay estuary system. It also provides information on the impact of infrastructure projects in the region and identifies areas that warrant investment in capital improvements.
View live data from the San Juan Bay Estuary Monitoring System HERE.
Citizen Scientist Certification
Here are the activities for the coming weeks. Remember that workshops and field experiences count toward Green Contact hours or community service. Minors must be accompanied by an adult, who must register separately. See all activities at: estuary.org/events
Water Quality Monitoring Module
Water Quality Monitoring Workshop: Physical-Chemical Parameters ; Tuesday, September 8th, at 7:00 pm via Zoom
Field Experience: Bacteriological Monitoring; Thursday, September 10, at 9:30 am at County Lagoon
Field Experiences: Physical-Chemical Monitoring; Monday, September 14, at 8:30 am in Las Curías and Río Piedras
Field Experiences: Physical-Chemical Monitoring; Tuesday, September 15, at 9:00 am in San Juan Bay
Field Experiences: Physical-Chemical Monitoring; Wednesday, September 16, at 8:00 am in Laguna San José/La Torrecilla
Field Experience: Bacteriological Monitoring; Thursday, September 17, at 9:30 am at County Lagoon
Participatory Bird Census Module
Participatory Bird Census Workshop ; Tuesday, September 15, at 7:00 pm via Zoom
Field experience; Sunday, September 20, at 7:00 am at the Río Piedras Botanical Garden
Microplastics Characterization and Reduction Module
Field experience; Friday, September 11, at 9:00 am at El Escambrón Spa
Coastal Resilience Module
Coastal Resilience Workshop: Ecological Assessment of Coral Reefs and Seagrasses ; Thursday, September 10, at 7:00 pm via Zoom
Field Experience: Planting Coastal Vegetation; Saturday, September 12, at 8:00 am at County Lagoon
Field Experience: Ecological Assessment of Coral Reefs; Saturday, September 12, at 8:00 am at County Lagoon
Field Experience: Ecological Assessment of Seagrasses; Saturday, September 12, at 12:00 pm at County Lagoon
Field experience: Seed collection; Sunday, September 13, at 8:00 am in Hato Rey
Coastal Resilience Workshop: Ecological Assessment of Dunes and Mangroves ; Thursday, September 17, at 7:00 pm via Zoom
Field Experience: Ecological Assessment of Seagrasses; Saturday, September 19, at 12:00 pm at County Lagoon
Field experience: Propagation of coastal vegetation; Sunday, September 20, at 8:00 am in Loíza
Prepare yourself this hurricane season
This 2026 hurricane season, the San Juan Bay Estuary urges you to be prepared. Download the Community Hurricane Preparedness Guide and follow its recommendations. Protecting your community starts at home.
Also visit the Estuary Virtual Community Center , where you'll find vital information, such as relevant emergency numbers and instructions for preparing emergency kits.
Don't panic! Get ready.
Weekly bacteriological monitoring
Thanks to the volunteers who supported the bacteriological monitoring at County Lagoon on Thursday, September 3, 2026, as part of the Estuary Citizen Scientist Certification Water Quality Monitoring module. The results are below.
Assessment conducted on Thursday, September 3, 2026. We have a GREEN flag for County Lagoon. We recommend avoiding areas that exceeded the "Beach Action Value" water quality parameter for enterococci of 70 CFU/100 ML. Remember to avoid the water during rain events. Have a good weekend.
