Caño Martín Peña ecosystem restoration kicks off

The USACE Jacksonville District hosted a Ceremonial Signing for the Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) and Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to start construction of the Caño Martín Peña Ecosystem Restoration Project yesterday at the Area Recreativa Jose Pepe Diaz (Pepe Díaz Trail Park), San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Jacksonville District Commander Col. James Booth was joined by Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Michael Connor, Governor Pedro Pierluisi, Interim Secretary for DNER Anaís Rodríguez Vega, Executive Director for ENLACE Mario Núñez Mercado, Natalia Gandia representing Congresswoman Jennifer Gonzalez, and Lucy Cruz, president of the group 8 of Caño Martín Peña.

The implementation of the project includes dredging approximately 2.2 miles of the Caño Martin Peña (CMP) canal; shoreline stabilization and erosion control features; and planting of approximately 35 acres of mangroves.

Restoration of the CMP will re-establish the tidal connection between the San Jose Lagoon and the San Juan Bay, which will improve dissolved oxygen levels and salinity stratification, increase biodiversity by restoring fish habitat and benthic conditions, and improve the functional value of mangrove habitat within the San Juan Bay Estuary.

This project is cost shared 65% Federal and 35% Non-Federal in partnership with the Non-Federal Sponsors, Corporación del Proyecto ENLACE del Caño Martín Peña and the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources.

The Total Appropriated Federal Funds are $167.9M where $163.3M were under Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) 2022.