As prime consultant for Para la Naturaleza, Vaccarino Associates proposed a five-pronged strategy:

1. Coastal reforestation with native and endemic species to reestablish ecological balance.

2. Habitat rehabilitation of forests, dunes, and freshwater ponds—enhancing ecology, recreation, and education.

3. Entrepreneurship opportunities in Culebra that link conservation with community resilience.

4. Community participation in recovery, maintenance, and monitoring of natural systems to ensure long-term stewardship.

5. Mitigation planning to prepare for future climate events through adaptive design, policy guidelines, and improved stormwater design.

WHEN THEY WERE THERE

Flamenco Bay and Beach take their name from the flamingos once abundant in its lagoon and salt flats. Over the years, hunting, egg collecting, pollution, and habitat loss drove them away. Locals recall their departure during the military bombings on Culebra and Vieques. The last Greater Flamingo was sighted in Flamenco Lagoon in 2009, likely from a flock in Guana or Anegada. Another rare visit came in 2019, when a juvenile bird appeared without the species’ pink-orange plumage, which develops from a diet of crustaceans and algae.

Once widespread across Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, and the Virgin Islands, flamingos are now only occasional visitors. Attempts to reestablish them on nearby islands failed, as they only nest in large colonies.Culebra reflects a broader reality: ongoing biodiversity loss and habitat decline worldwide. The flamingo serves as a reminder of what has been lost and as a symbol for urgent ecosystem restoration and habitat conservation at Flamenco Beach.

LAND IN TRANSITION TO WATER

Flamenco Beach is surrounded by salt and freshwater zones that shift with seasons, tides, and the shallow water table. These wetlands connect directly to seagrass beds and coral reefs, forming nurseries and feeding grounds for birds, fish, and invertebrates.

Beaches, reefs, and dunes protect uplands from storms, while ponds act as natural filters, keeping ocean water clean by capturing sediment and runoff. This interdependence is critical: wetlands sustain reefs, reefs sustain beaches, and both support species from microalgae to flamingos.

Flamenco’s peninsula has hosted tens of thousands of nesting seabirds, and its shores remain breeding grounds for sea turtles, with nearby seagrass meadows sheltering green turtles—evidence of a fragile but vital coastal ecosystem.

EXISTING HYDROLOGY

Culebra lies on the Puerto Rico Northeastern Geological Platform of the Greater Antilles Arc, a volcanic formation that stretches east to the Virgin Islands. With no high mountains, moist forests, or major watersheds, the islands are chronically short of freshwater. At Flamenco, salt and retention ponds form an interconnected drainage and tidal system that protects facilities from flooding while filtering sediment and pollution before it reaches the reef.

Despite this protection, coral reefs remain highly vulnerable—threatened by warming seas, sedimentation, algal blooms, and the overfishing of parrotfish. These fish are critical for keeping algae under control and for producing the white sand that replenishes beaches. When reefs decline, sand production drops, beaches erode, and the broader ecosystem unravels.

In this fragile cycle, clean water, coral reefs, seagrass beds, and coastal dunes are inseparably linked. Restoring Flamenco’s forests and dunes therefore depends on rehabilitating the water infrastructure that sustains them.

AN INTEGRATED WATER SYSTEM

Freshwater is a precious resource in Culebra and Flamenco. Today, all water for bathrooms and kiosks is piped in from Puerto Rico’s forests—an unsustainable system vulnerable to storms and climate change. Our proposal introduces on-site collection, reuse, and treatment to secure water independence and protect natural systems.

Stormwater and wastewater are not properly managed, creating risks for Flamenco’s ecosystems. With appropriate funding, the southern portion of the site—where land and water converge—could be reprogrammed into a resilient water system that:

1. Collects rainwater in cisterns.

2. Filters runoff through bio-retention beds.

3. Treats graywater from showers.

4. Processes blackwater with compact on-site systems, potentially including wetlands.

This approach minimizes heavy infrastructure and produces clean water for bathrooms, irrigation, and habitat restoration. Four low-lying areas—the parking lot, fresh pond, infiltration basin, and palm grove—will be linked with vegetated swales to form a network that safeguards both the community and Flamenco’s ecosystems.

STORMWATER AT PARKING

The redesigned parking lot functions as a retention area, capturing and infiltrating stormwater on site instead of channeling it away. Permeable paving and curb-less planted medians direct runoff to trees and vegetation, turning the lot into part of Flamenco’s water system.

This design reverses the logic of traditional parking lots. Instead of curbs blocking water, medians absorb it—providing irrigation for trees, reducing runoff, and supporting faster canopy growth.

The planted medians act like vegetated swales, slowing and filtering stormwater while maintaining safe flow rates during heavy rains. An overflow system can be included if needed. In Flamenco’s hot and dry conditions, resilient perennials, shrubs, and trees will be used to filter pollutants and stabilize soils.

By combining permeable paving with vegetated swales, the parking lot becomes both infrastructure and habitat—reducing flooding while supporting ecological restoration.

POND HABITAT DECAY

The existing fresh pond is a key ecological resource, serving as the main drainage and collection area for stormwater. Once a healthy habitat, it is now in decline due to sediment buildup, contamination, and loss of vegetation.

The pond connects surface water, aquifers, and tidal flows at the site’s lowest point, but its capacity has been compromised. Sediment accumulation reduces storage, while untreated runoff from showers, trash, and eroded banks pollute the water.

Vegetation cleared by hurricanes has not recovered, leaving the banks exposed and vulnerable to erosion. The pond now suffers from poor flushing, stagnant water that breeds mosquitoes, and invasive seedlings that complicate maintenance. Stumps and fallen trees left from hurricane cleanup add to the degradation, underscoring the urgent need for re-vegetation and restoration.

POND REHABILITATION

The fresh pond, once a healthy habitat and key stormwater reservoir, is now in decline. Its banks were stripped of vegetation by hurricanes, sediment has reduced its capacity, and untreated runoff has polluted the water. Rehabilitation requires careful planning and supervision: a hydrology study to measure storm volumes, ecological consultation to prevent further erosion, and sediment testing to guide safe reuse. Only with these steps can the pond be restored as both an ecological system and a community asset.

The restored pond will function as a constructed wetland—balancing flood and drought, filtering runoff, and supporting new plant life. Overflow devices and swales will connect it to a wider retention network, gradually feeding water-loving vegetation. The design also enhances the visitor experience: a narrow boardwalk for viewing, planting zones adapted to fluctuating water levels, and a setback for camping areas to prevent pollution and compaction.

Layered plantings—grasses, sedges, shrubs, and emergent species—will create habitat diversity while controlling erosion. Bioretention beds will filter runoff from showers, integrating the pond into Flamenco’s broader water system. Even in its degraded state, the pond holds potential to become a living garden, where ecology, resilience, and beauty come together in a landscape to be admired, studied, and protected.

PRODUCING FROM WASTE

Our stormwater infrastructure design follows the principle that waste is simply a resource out of place. At Flamenco Beach, this idea drives the creation of plant propagation, soil production, and wastewater reuse areas—forming the operational backbone of the adaptation plan. A nursery and composting yard will recycle organic matter, wastewater, and runoff into soil, plants, and clean water, turning discarded materials into resources for restoration and resilience.

This “production zone” will serve as both a functional facility and a community hub where preparation, response, and recovery practices are demonstrated. Volunteers will be trained in best practices, making the site a focal point for resilience and education. The nursery site—naturally breezy and sunny, though seasonally flooded—will be regraded with a gravel sump and terrace to stage plants. Simple wood structures, irrigation systems, and a cistern will support germination and growth.

Plants in containers will be irrigated with treated pond water stored in tanks, while excess runoff percolates into swales and ponds. A soil preparation yard will process compost from storm-damaged trees, leaf litter, and Sargasso seaweed, producing local soil amendments and reducing the need for imports. By integrating soil making, plant propagation, and water recycling, the nursery transforms waste into resources and showcases how ecological design can sustain both community and environment.

Beyond planning studies, detailed designs were produced for “needle” deck platforms, wood bridges, bioretention beds, and replanting in phased areas of the site. The buildings at Flamenco have been reconstructed, but site recovery remains on hold until construction resources become available.