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This protected forest near the \”Bocatoma del Canal Nuevo Imperial\” protects the area\’s soils from erosion and flooding, guaranteeing the integrity of the existing roadwork and irrigation infrastructure, as well as the normal water supply for agricultural use.
Portion of the Inca Trail carved into pure stone on a hillside.
With an 18-hectare extension, this is the smallest protected area in the National System of Natural Protected Areas (SINANPE). It is the only protected area on Peru\’s coast that conserves riverine forest zones.
The existence of roads across the protected area is mainly due to the traffic of vehicles for river gravel extraction. Permitting this traffic infringes upon the protected status of the forest.
Recent construction of agricultural canals and cultivation plots in the interior of the natural protected area. The permanent settlement of people and activities in the area goes against the forest\’s norms and rules. Soil misuse is threatening the protection of the irrigation systems, the integrity of the vegetation, and the continuance of the species that nest and live in the area.
Presence of reed stands in the natural protected area. This vegetation preserves the riverbanks and is a habitat and reproduction site for diverse species found along the Peruvian coast.
Agricultural expansion in the outskirts of the protected area.
Cutting of reed stands and vegetation along the canal.
Reeds are locally used for production of mats and baskets. The granting of reed extraction concessions within the protected area does not adhere to the corresponding norms set forth by the National System of Natural Protected Areas.
Cañete River and the impoundment of the New Imperial Canal, which is part of the infrastructure protected by the area.
A barrier interfering with the up-river migration of fish, shrimp, and other species, preventing them from completing their natural biological cycles. There is a proposal to construct another impoundment for irrigation in the surroundings. If this project is carried out, the pressure on the river and its species will be higher.
ParksWatch-Peru: June 2005