Publications:
Fact Cards
 The
San Juan Bay
Estuary system
has provided
valuable resources
to the residents
of the region
for centuries.
People are attracted
to the port,
beaches, beautiful
parks, and historical
and natural
areas-these
resources are
vital to the
regional economy.
Some endangered,
endemic, and/or
rare species
in the estuary's
watershed and
associated areas
include the
brown pelican,
the peregrine
falcon, the
yellow-shouldered
blackbird, the
leatherback
seaturtle and
the manatee.
San Juan Bay
is the only
National Estuary
Program in the
tropics.
Facts About
the Estuary
- Over
622,000
people live
in the San
Juan Bay
watershed,
and the
average
population
density
is 8,327
people per
square mile.
- The
area is
home to
over 300
wetland
plant species,
160 bird
species,
19 reptile/amphibian
species,
and 124
fish species-18
of which
are open
to sport
fishing.
- San
Juan Bay
is the 17th
largest
port facility
in the world
and the
second busiest
container
port among
East Coast
ports.
- The
City of
San Juan
is the oldest
within the
United States
and its
historical
and archeological
features
have immense
social and
cultural
value.
- In
1997, approximately
1.1 million
cruise ship
passengers
arrived
in the port
of San Juan,
and 9.8
million
travelers
used the
Luis Muñoz
Marín
International
Airport.
- In
1995, over
324,500
pounds of
finfish
were caught
in the estuary.
Health
of the Estuary
- Mudflats,
marshes,
mangroves,
submerged
aquatic
vegetation,
coral communities,
and sandy
beaches
are some
of the habitat
types found
within the
estuary.
Combined,
they support
very rich
and diverse
biological
communities.
- The
nature and
level of
citizen
interaction
with the
estuary
is varied.
Some citizens
frequently
engage in
recreational
activities
associated
with the
estuary
such as
sightseeing,
swimming,
surfing,
fishing,
kayaking,
sailing,
and jet
skiing.
The presence
of four
marinas
and ten
fishermen
organizations
facilitate
the use
of the estuary
by yachters,
boaters,
and fishers.
- Development
of port
and air
traffic
facilities,
residential
areas, and
industrial
complexes
within the
metropolitan
area has
resulted
in the modification
and loss
of some
of the bay's
important
habitats.
- Water
quality
in the bay
area has
declined
over the
past century
due to urban
development
and associated
impacts
such as
nonpoint
source pollution.
Accomplishments
of the Estuary
Program
- In
October
2000, the
State of
Puerto Rico
and the
US EPA officially
signed the
San Juan
Bay Estuary
Program
Comprehensive
Conservation
and Management
Plan (CCMP).
- Several
actions
contained
in the CCMP
have been
initiated
since 1999.
- The
US Army
Corps of
Engineers
(USACE)
and the
Puerto Rico
Department
of Natural
and Environmental
Resources
(DNER),
have been
working
on an Environmental
Impact Statement
to dredge
the eastern
half of
the Martín
Peña
Channel
to improve
water flow.
- The
USACE just
finished
an Environmental
Impact Assessment
on a project
designed
to help
improve
flow between
a cove inside
San Juan
Bay and
the rest
of the San
Juan Estuary.
- The
Estuary
Program
is working
to get Puerto
Nuevo River
lands added
to the Martín
Peña
Channel
area nature
reserve.
For
Viewing and Printing:
Before printing one or more of these National
Estuary Program files,
check out each of their text only versions for
quick viewing.
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