Students, teachers, civil society organizations, and government came together on February 4th to celebrate World Wetlands Day, see the Las Arenitas artificial wetland in Baja California, and discuss its benefits.
The water contained in this artificial wetland comes from the Las Arenitas Wastewater Treatment Plant in Mexicali. Rafael Sanz, Director of the Baja California Peninsula Basin Organization of the National Water Commission said, “I am very pleased by this event, to celebrate wetlands day here is honestly not a common thing […] they have managed to form this oasis in 100 hectares of desert, where water finishes polishing, being treated, and is reused for agriculture, and, for the environment, goes to the Colorado River Delta.”
On the issue of water, Pronatura Noroeste has as part of its objectives to restore and conserve natural wetlands or create artificial ones for the benefit of biodiversity and community in the region, as well as recover and protect freshwater flows for nature.
“This wetland is one of the main ones in Baja California, its construction began in 2007, and we have been collaborating with civil society and the three levels of government for 12 years to create it,” said Gabriela Caloca, Water and Wetland Conservation Program Coordinator for Pronatura Noroeste.
To develop conservation projects, it is necessary to create links with various actors and identify activities to conduct together. Efraín Nieblas, Director of Environmental Protection for the Mexicali City Council shared how local government is involved and identified some environmental issues, “The city council has been working on a proposal to regenerate spaces in the city that have wetland or ecosystem conditions that we have to recover […] to seek to regenerate that space for the benefit of Mexicali residents. Due to carelessness and excessive urban growth, we have suffered impacts both in water quality, as well as in the riverbank due to the dumping of rubble, garbage, tires.”
As for the total wastewater generated in Mexicali, 46% of it is treated in this plant. “We can’t send raw wastewater to the Hardy River or the drain, a solids separation treatment has to be conducted so the water does not harm the species with which it interacts,” said Héctor Soto, Director General of the Mexicali State Commission of Public Services.
Héctor Soto added that the importance of treating this water is because it could cause a major pollution problem in the city and in the areas where the waters are present; an issue of public health, respect, and collaboration with the environment.
Additionally, an achievement for this wetland occurred recently at the end of 2019 in the form of the signing of a new voluntary agreement to improve water quality and designate 50% of water flows for the Hardy River, which runs until it connects to the upper estuary of the Colorado River Delta. This agreement reaffirms the commitment to biodiversity, communities, and local economies that use the water from Las Arenitas.
About the agreement, Edgar Carrera, Colorado River Delta Coordinator at The Nature Conservancy, said, “Renovating it was a great satisfaction, because it was possible to create a very cool inertia in which the city, farmers, and state government won. The improvement of the plant helps the city to have quality treatment and then that ensures that in Mexicali there will be no discharge of raw sewage into the river. Also, in some way, you benefit the population that lives downstream on the Hardy River, because if the water is higher quality then you reduce the likelihood of illnesses.”
The wetlands provide food, rest, and shelter to various species of local, national, or international importance, in addition to contributing to water improvement. “This artificial wetland created with wastewater is an example of what we have to do, an example to follow on the issue of an alternative water sanitation, and in contribution to the environment,” said Rafael Sanz.
Learn more about Las Arenitas wetland and the project participants.
