Since the 1940s and 1950s, the area surrounding the banks and the Martín Peña Canal has been significantly impacted by intense residential development and a lack of adequate infrastructure for managing sewage and solid waste. The situation is particularly dire along the eastern segment of the canal, where residents historically used garbage and construction debris as landfill to reclaim land from the waterway. The western half of the canal was dredged for use as a navigation and public transportation channel between the Hato Rey area and the Isleta de San Juan. This segment of the canal is lined with mangroves, and the Enrique Martí Coll Linear Park is located along its banks. The canal is approximately 3.75 miles (6 km) long.
This week, the U.S. Congress announced the allocation of $163 million for dredging and channeling the Martín Peña Channel. The dredging will positively impact the water quality of the estuary's interconnected bodies of water, such as San José Lagoon, Los Corozos Lagoon, Blasina Lagoon, and San Juan Bay. Congratulations!
