Martín Peña Channel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Martín Peña Channel |
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Hato Rey Norte skyline, with Martín Peña Canal and José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum
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| Commonwealth | Puerto Rico |
| Municipality | San Juan |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Length | 3.75 miles |
The Martín Peña Channel (called Caño de Martín Peña in Spanish) is a waterway in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It's an important part of the city's water system. A neighborhood also named Martín Peña is right next to the channel. This area has many homes built without official plans.
The channel stretches from San Juan Bay in the west. It flows towards Laguna San José and Laguna Los Corozos in the east. It acts like a natural border. On its north side is the barrio (a type of neighborhood) of Santurce. On the south side are areas like Hato Rey Norte, Hato Rey Central, and Oriente.
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Challenges Facing the Channel
For a long time, the Martín Peña Channel has faced big problems. It often gets filled with trash. This trash can attract mosquitoes, which can spread diseases. It also creates health risks for people living nearby.
Over the years, the channel has become narrower. This makes it harder for water to flow through. Because of this, the area often experiences flooding. Sometimes, this flooding includes dirty water from homes that don't have proper sewage systems.
Efforts to Improve the Channel
Many groups are working to make the Martín Peña Channel better. They want to improve the environment and the lives of the people who live there.
The ENLACE Project
The Caño Martín Peña ENLACE Project Corporation is a special organization. It was created by the government of Puerto Rico. Its main goal is to improve the sewage system around the channel. ENLACE is also working on a big plan to restore the channel's natural environment.
By 2016, ENLACE had spent $120 million on sewage improvements. A larger plan to clean and deepen the channel (called dredging) would cost about $600 million. This plan depends on getting more money. It needs help from the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
Community Action and Recognition
In 2015, the area around the channel received an award from the United Nations. This award recognized their efforts to fix the community.
In 2017, the people living near the channel started a campaign. They called it "don't look at me, look at the channel" (Spanish: no me mires a mi, mira al canal). This campaign helped raise awareness about the pollution. It showed that about 26,000 people were still affected by the dirty water.
Impact of Hurricane Maria
On September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico. The channel caused severe flooding in eight nearby neighborhoods. These areas were flooded for weeks. They became some of the most affected communities in San Juan.
Recent Progress
In August 2019, a new resolution was passed. This resolution aims to improve the infrastructure around the Martín Peña Channel. This means building better systems to help the area.
See also
In Spanish: Caño Martín Peña para niños
