To the north of the city of Ensenada, Mexico, there is a natural site with unique characteristics. We are referring to the Arroyo San Miguel (San Miguel Stream), a 67-hectare coastal area consisting of six kilometers of the riverbed with a large presence of endemic fauna and flora, which flows into a beach that attracts thousands of tourists and surfers on both sides of the border.
However, for decades the Arroyo San Miguel has been threatened by the disinterest of governments and institutions and the carelessness of some segments of the local population, which dump garbage and waste into the basin. The urban settlements and the dirt and paved roads that surround them are also risk factors for this ecosystem. Its vulnerability was pointed out years ago by inhabitants of the area. Little by little, a social initiative took shape to defend the Arroyo San Miguel, which we, as Pronatura Noroeste joined 14 years ago. Our persistent work has consisted of providing technical support and appropriate management with government entities to highlight this serious environmental problem.
Finally, in September 2021 this work was rewarded, and the ecosystem obtained long-awaited legal protection when the decree of the Government of the State of Baja California was published recognizing the Arroyo San Miguel as a Natural Protected Area (NPA). In this way, the state authority raised to the rank of law the obligation to conserve and protect this site. The decree represents a historic event for environmental conservation in this border entity by turning the Arroyo San Miguel into the first NPA decreed under the jurisdiction of the Government of the State of Baja California. Although this legal resource has existed since 2001 in the Environmental Protection Law of the federal entity, it had never been used before.
Among the reasons for demanding the protection of the Arroyo San Miguel stands out the fact that it is the last natural stream in the urban area of Ensenada. This stream and its basin is the habitat of 112 species of plants (77% are considered endemic), in addition to 107 species of birds, a variety of amphibians, and at least 47 fully identified mammals, including the Ornate shrew that has a threatened status. A second reason to protect this natural site is that it serves for family gatherings and outdoor recreation. It is common to have sports practice and diverse work by visual artists appear in this place.
But there is a third reason, which for many is the main reason, why San Miguel beach has national and international relevance. It is an iconic beach for those who surf, as it is considered the cradle of this Olympic sport in Mexico. Its attraction is due to the fact that, given its geographical and hydrological characteristics, it is the only beach where the famous Ola San Miguel occurs, with distinctive characteristics for followers of this sport. On several occasions, it has hosted local, state, national, and international surfing competitions to the enjoyment of thousands of visitors from both sides of the border.
The relevance of this environmental decree in favor of the San Miguel stream is comparable to that of other legal actions to protect threatened sites, such as the creation of the “Bahía de los Ángeles y Canales de Ballenas y Salsipuedes” Biosphere Reserve in 2007. Currently, the Arroyo San Miguel is beginning to be recognized by the local community and tourists who visit Ensenada. Among the attractions that can be found in it are the works of visual artists from the region, who left a sample of their talent on the surfaces of the bridge over which the Tijuana-Ensenada Scenic Highway passes. These works represent motifs inspired by the local flora and fauna, the Yuman cultures that have inhabited this region for centuries, and good ecological and sustainable development practices.
We invite you to support this initiative that has everyone talking.
