This reserve is managed as a result of a verbal agreement between the owner company and the Fundación Naturaleza y Hombre.

Pozón de la Dolores is a lagoon located only 5.5 km from the centre of the Bay of Santander, more specifically in the Tojo de Revilla neighborhood in the municipality of Camargo.

It is an old mining exploitation, which due to geographical conditions and especially to the water retained thanks to the emergence of the water table, has evolved naturally and fortuitously, towards environmental positions that could be considered of high ecological value. It is distinguished by the fact that it is home to a large number of wintering migratory birds, including the common goose (Anser anser).

It consists mainly of meadows separated by natural hedges, where there is room for potential tree species in the area such as bay trees, holm oaks, oaks and ash trees. There are also masses of eucalyptus trees that have been repopulated. The edge of the wetland, however, is covered by reeds and rushes and a strip of alders.

It is also very interesting to note the good condition of a repopulation carried out by FNYH with native species, which is in a very good state of conservation, consisting of oak, cherry, ash and walnut.

With regard to the presence of fauna, waterfowl are currently important. This is probably due to the progressive degradation that the already relict marshes in the eastern part of Santander Bay have been suffering (filling, drying out, compartmentalisation and isolation).

The bay is an area traditionally visited by aquatic birds such as Great Crested Grebes, Greylag Geese or Little Bitterns, which due to the loss of suitable habitats, are forced to look for new spots and concentrate on those that still exist.

The work carried out annually in Pozón de la Dolores consists of controlling the Pampa grass (not very widespread in the reserve) and clearing the competing native vegetation in order to avoid competition with the repopulations carried out.

Collaborators:

• Camargo City Council
• Global Steel Wire SA