Complejo Lagunar Ojo de Liebre – Guerrero Negro

Complejo Lagunar Ojo de Liebre – Guerrero Negro is located in the community of Guerrero Negro, Municipality of Mulegé, in the state of Baja California Sur. In September 2000, the 20,102-hectare (49,651-acre) Guerrero Negro wetland was designated a WHSRN Site of International Importance, nominated by Exportadora de Sal S.A. de C.V., a salt-extraction company with a concession in the area. Through scientific research and monitoring activities in the area since, partners discovered that the larger complex of Ojo de Liebre – Guerrero Negro meets the criteria for a Site of Hemispheric Importance by hosting over 30% of the biogeographic population of not one, but three species. The 163,765 hectares site (404,500 acres) supports 32% of the biogeographic population of Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa), 32% of the roselaari subspecies of Red Knot (Calidris canutus roselaari), and 68% of the caurinus subspecies of Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus caurinus).

The site is in the western half of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, in the Sebastian Vizcaino Bay. Three large bodies of water are located in this bay: Manuela Lagoon (600 hectares), Ojo de Liebre Lagoon (57,100 hectares), and Guerrero Negro Lagoon (10,000 hectares). This lagoon complex is next to the El Vizcaíno desert. Both the bay and the desert belong to the El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve. The region’s climate is arid, with winter rains that usually do not exceed 100 millimeters per year. The predominant vegetation is xerophilic matorral and is, in general, low and dispersed. The average annual temperature ranges between 18 and 22 degrees Centigrade.

To the east of Oje de Liebre Lagoon is the Guerrero Negro salt mine, run by Exportadora de Sal, S.A. de C.V. This is the largest salt-mining business in the world, with an annual production of eight million tons. The company bases its production on the solar- and wind-induced evaporation of saltwater that is contained in a series of concentrated areas where there are no sea-level influences. Additionally, the physical-chemical conditions and biological characteristics of the areas are maintained as stable throughout the year, which is an indispensable requirement for ensuring the salt production process happens adequately. Such stability has allowed diverse communities of fish and invertebrates to become established, which in turn serve as a food source for birds.