Axolotl Habitat Rescue

Agua por Xochimilco is a socio-ecological restoration project developed by Santuario Ajolote, whose goal is to recover the hydrological functionality of a strategic area of the San Gregorio Atlapulco wetland in Xochimilco. The project arises from decades of accumulated problems: modification of water flows, differential soil subsidence, flooding of former agricultural zones, loss of canals, deterioration of chinampas, water pollution, and loss of biodiversity. The proposal is not simply to restore one chinampa. It seeks to recover an entire system.

The chinampa system of San Gregorio Atlapulco has undergone a profound transformation. Soil subsidence, modifications to hydraulic flows, pollution, and the abandonment of certain agricultural zones have caused the loss of functionality in canals and chinampas. The project documents flooding and soil subsidence dating back to the 1980s, including significant impacts on the agricultural zones of San Gregorio Atlapulco.

The project proposes to harness once again the natural water dynamics existing in the area. The goal is for water to circulate within the system in a functional way. It is not simply about removing water from a flooded zone. It is about recovering the historical relationship between water and the chinampa.

1. 1Recover water flows
2. 2Reconnect existing water bodies
3. 3Recover historical canals
4. 4Restore chinampas
5. 5Integrate the system with existing biofilters
6. 6Recover native vegetation
7. 7Reactivate agricultural production
8. 8Generate habitat for fauna and flora

The project is being developed in the parajes (localities) of La Espejea and Tlalmelaqui, in San Gregorio Atlapulco. Within this zone there is a water body that represents a strategic opportunity to recover the hydrological connectivity of the system. The project plans to use this water body as a collection and distribution point to recover the connection with the chinampas and subsequently channel the flow toward the existing biofilter network.

One of the central components is the recovery of seven chinampas and their surrounding canals. These agricultural structures are part of Xochimilco's traditional production system and also represent important ecological units. The project specifically documents the recovery of chinampas associated with Agustín Galicia and Roy Galicia, as well as the recovery of the historical layout of the seven chinampas.

Canals are the ecological infrastructure that allows the chinampa system to function. Therefore, chinampa recovery necessarily requires recovering their canals. The canal ceases to be a border between chinampas. It once again becomes ecological infrastructure.

One of the most important components of the project is its integration with the network of biofilters and artificial wetlands previously developed by Santuario Ajolote. The goal is to leverage hydrological restoration to incorporate more water into the natural treatment system. Biofilters use biological processes associated with aquatic plants, microorganisms, and substrates to help reduce pollutants. The project does not start from scratch: it is expanding and connecting restoration infrastructure that already exists.

The proposal can be understood as an interconnected sequence. We are not building isolated elements. We are reconstructing the connectivity of an ecosystem.

Chinampa restoration includes the recovery of native vegetation. Particularly important is the ahuejote, the traditional tree of the chinampa landscape. Vegetation recovery is complemented by the recovery of canals and water flow.

The restored chinampa should not simply become a demonstration space. It must recover its productive function. Agriculture works here as a conservation tool: a productive chinampa is a living chinampa. The recovery of production also strengthens chinampa families and preserves traditional knowledge.

The entire project has as one of its fundamental environmental goals the recovery of the habitat of the Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum). But the strategy is not simply to introduce axolotls. First we must recover the ecosystem. Restoring the wetland is restoring the axolotl's habitat.

A fundamental characteristic of this proposal is that it is not a conceptual project. Santuario Ajolote already has prior experience in the area and restoration infrastructure developed through the Agua por Xochimilco program. The installed biofilters were operational during 2025 and the system had shown significant improvement in its operating conditions.

A particularly important part of the project is the recovery of historical information. Historical photographs, maps, and territorial observations have been used to identify former water bodies, canals, and chinampa layouts. This allows the restoration to be not only a contemporary intervention. It seeks to recover part of the ecological structure that previously existed.

Environmental restoration cannot be separated from the community. Therefore, the project works directly with producers and chinampa families. The model developed by Santuario Ajolote seeks to demonstrate that environmental conservation and community economic development can be complementary.

One of the most important objectives of the project is to develop a model that can be replicated in other areas of Xochimilco. If the model works in San Gregorio Atlapulco, it can be adapted to other canal and chinampa systems.

The recovery of the system will generate simultaneous benefits across multiple dimensions.

Agua por Xochimilco should not be understood solely as a hydraulic work. It is a socio-ecological restoration project. Recovering water without recovering chinampas would be insufficient. Recovering chinampas without recovering producers would be insufficient. Recovering producers without recovering water would be insufficient. And recovering water and chinampas without recovering the community fabric would also not be enough.

Santuario Ajolote's vision is to progressively recover the ecological functionality of the Xochimilco wetland through a connected network of restored chinampas, functional canals, biofilters, artificial wetlands, sustainable agriculture, and organized communities. The ultimate goal is for environmental restoration to cease being a series of isolated actions and become a permanent system of wetland recovery.