The Iris L. Alameda Martínez Wildlife Refuge (RVS Boquerón) is located about 96 km southwest of San Juan, approximately 8 km from the town of Cabo Rojo, between a mangrove forest and a salt meadow. In 1964, the Department of Agriculture of the United States together with that of Puerto Rico, designated 182 hectares as a protected area. Its purpose? The conservation of coastal and marine resources and a recreational space that includes hunting waterfowl, cycling, hiking, among other uses
The Refuge has an impressive biodiversity; First, it was made up of a mangrove forest, with an extension of approximately 1.7 km. In it there are two types of wetlands mainly: The Estuary, affected by waves of low intensity and changes in the tides; and the Palustrino, which is mostly freshwater and depends on the ebb and flow of the tides. 50% of the Refuge is made up of three types of mangroves (red mangrove, white mangrove, and black mangrove) that grow within, between, and on the edge of three dikes (West Dike, North Dike, and East Dike) totaling 4km in length. . These support a reservoir that receives water from five sources: three main ones: Valle de Lajas, Laguna de Rincón and runoff from the southern section of the Refuge, and two secondary ones: runoff from the Valle de Lajas irrigation canals and the Boqueron creek.