The laguna madre represents the largest continuous expanse of suitable habitat between northern duck breeding and wintering sites in the central and gulf of mexico flyways

The Organizacion Vida Silvestre, A.C. received a two-year, $639,475 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 9 Headquarters. The grant was funded through the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund program to support critical wetlands conservation activities in Mexico.

Specifically, the grantee will deliver projects focused on increasing and rehabilitating water drainage networks, improving water sources for migratory birds like redhead ducks, expanding protected critical habitats, monitoring waterfowl populations and habitats, and training agricultural producers on sustainable practices. These on-the-ground conservation efforts will benefit priority species including redhead duck, pintail duck, blue-winged teal and green-winged teal, as well as nine species covered by specific conservation plans. The funding period is from April 28, 2023 to April 28, 2025.

Annually, IT supports 18.8 of mexico s wintering waterfowl and 32 of the redhead duck population. The conservation of intertidal wetlands is the objective of the project, as IT is very important as foraging and resting habitat for migratory birds and they are considered very special, because the inundation and duration of these wetlands are influenced by wind tides, storms and rainfall runoff. Their primary productivity is similar to that of seagrasses. Benthic invertebrate communities develop here that transform primary productivity into animal biomass, producing large concentrations of invertebrates, crabs and fish, which feed migratory birds. The objectives of the project are: increasing (T1.1. 8.8 KM 5.47 miles) and rehabilitating (T1.2. 4.19 KM 2.60 miles) the drains network, necessary to transport water (250 liters s 66.04 GAL s) and ensure long-term surplus freshwater for intertidal wetland restoration purposes (4,000 HA 9,884.22 acres, already protected in the first phase). Improve 90 HA 222.39 acres of water sources for redhead duck (T2). Expand and strengthen protection of critical habitats (500 HA 1,253.53 acres), such as water sources on which redhead ducks depend as a water source (T3). Monitor waterfowl habitat and populations to fill information gaps (T4. 10,000 HA : 24,710.5 acres). Train 500 producers and implement good agricultural practices campaigns to reduce wetland pollutants and litter and encourage agriculture on a more sustainable basis (T5: 250,000 HA 617,763 acres). Strengthen the local partnership that includes more than 4,000 producers, who make contributions that are used to address local priorities. The priority conservation birds benefiting are the redhead duck, pintail duck, and blue-winged teal green-winged teal. The project addresses the specific needs of 9 species-specific conservation plans (snowy plover, wilson s plover, sanderling, american oystercatcher, whimbrel, long-billed curlew, marbled godwits, red knot, dunlin, lesser yelowlegs)the socioeconomic values of the region are associated with the fishing activity that takes place in lagoons and estuaries, which is centered on a catch of 15,000 tons of shrimp per year. There is also rainfed and wetland agriculture, with important crops for the national economy, such as sorghum, corn, and beans. Agricultural activity is highly dependent on the availability of water in the basin. The project includes a strong social component involving 4,000 families of agricultural producers in temporary technical district 010 (617,763 acres). They are legally grouped together as frontera tamaulipeca A.C. These producers contribute annual per-hectare fees for the creation and maintenance of hydro-agricultural infrastructure. These producers will receive training and will participate in different conservation issues and in the establishment of monitoring and surveillance brigades.