A wetland area in Hermosillo has officially received protected status
Download mp3 (1.05 MB)
The Sonoran capital Hermosillo has a new protected area, after the status was made official for wetlands on the western extreme of the city.
The lagoon system known as Los Jagueyes has been designated as a Natural Protected Area Restoration Zone.
Located in an area where the Sonora river once flowed through the city, the artificial wetlands are fed by treated wastewater. Officials say the wetlands provide habitat to nearly 200 plants and animals, including more than a dozen protected species, and will be a place both locals and tourists can visit for recreation and bird watching.
Sergio Muller, conservation coordinator with the nonprofit Caminantes del Desierto, called the new protections a step in the right direction, helping to secure funds and resources for restoration. The designation is also the culmination of efforts by a coalition of local conservations that recognize the ecological importance of the lagoons.
Still, Muller said, Los Jagueyes is just a small section of a larger biological corridor with other important wetland sites that conservation groups hope will receive similar protections.
The protected status was initially approved by Sonora’s municipal council in June 2021, but wasn't officially published until the end of last year. That means the process of securing funds for restoration is just getting under way, Muller said.
