This reserve is managed as a result of an agreement between the Camargo City Council and FNYH together with the authorization of Santander Marina.
Raos Pond is a very small enclave to the west of Santander Bay. Its boundaries are marked by the constant human activity in the area, surrounded by the sea port, the airport facilities and the coastline itself, which is just a few metres away.
The Raos Pond is what remains after the transformation of the Raos Marshland environment. The latter corresponds to an old intertidal muddy plain that borders the eastern end of the airport Severiano Ballesteros. In the 1980s, this wetland was closed off with dykes and isolated from the tidal dynamics of the bay. As part of the development process in the area, work began on extending the runway at the airport, building the Raos Marina and extending the Raos Industrial Estate.
The vegetation that currently forms and covers this area is made up of plants typical of the salt marsh, represented by halophyte species of great ecological interest. This pond receives fresh water from rain and salt water from the exchange with the Bay.

Within the list of species of birds that stop in this area, some of the many protected by the conservationist legislation are remarkable and it is necessary to protect their habitats, as is the case of this pond. A representative example of these species is: Spoonbill, Redshank, Plover, Sandpiper and Waterfowl.
It is worth noting the actions that FNYH is constantly carrying out to eliminate allochthonous plants (pampa grass and sea myrtle), the planting of native species typical of wetlands, such as willow and alder, and the restoration of the tidal regime and intertidal channels to encourage waterlogging. With these measures, the process of recovering this space has been initiated, obtaining interesting results. Currently the pond is in a good state of conservation, it is worth noting the constant threat of pampa grass colonization, which is avoided with frequent maintenance throughout the year on the entire surface and mainly on the limits of the pond.

Collaborators:

• Camargo City Councilo.
• Santander Marina Marina..
• Department of the Environment of the Government of Cantabria.