Sedena’s New Eco-Friendly Pier Plan for Bacalar

BACALAR — As construction of a controversial vacation home on the shores of Bacalar Lagoon nears completion, the Mexican Ministry of National Defense (Sedena) is moving forward with plans to replace the recreational dock on the same property. The existing dock, constructed of rotten wood, will be rebuilt using chicozapote wood.

In contrast to the vacation home project, which began without environmental permits and later proceeded with an exemption from an environmental impact assessment, Sedena must obtain prior authorization for the dock replacement. The project will be subject to public consultation because the work will be carried out within the lagoon.

Project Details and Environmental Review

On February 23, the "Felipe Ángeles" Engineering Group, with its commander General Ricardo Vallejo Suárez serving as project coordinator, submitted a request to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) for authorization of its Environmental Impact Statement (MIA). The project is named "Reconstruction of the Casa Bacalar Pier."

The proposal entails the replacement, rehabilitation, and improvement of an existing dock and the rehabilitation of three thatched palapas that have reached the end of their operational and structural life. The work will cover a total area of 278.54 square meters in the Bacalar Lagoon.

The new structure will use highly durable natural materials with ecological compatibility, employing huano palm for roofs to respect the region's vernacular typology. The primary wood will be chicozapote (Manilkara zapota), noted for its natural resistance to rot. Marine grade T-316 stainless steel will be used for fixings to prevent corrosion failures in the humid, saline environment and guarantee the structure's longevity.

Specifications and Investment

The dock's components will include an access walkway measuring 55.97 meters long by 2 meters wide, a transverse terminal platform, two side palapas measuring 9.50 by 10 meters with a height of 5.25 meters, and a central palapa measuring 2.05 by 4.10 meters with a height of 2.95 meters.

The estimated investment is 2 million 40 thousand pesos, which includes 223 thousand 500 pesos for environmental mitigation measures. An additional 197 thousand pesos is allocated for maintenance expenses.

Construction is expected to take 45 days, and the infrastructure is projected to have a useful life of at least 50 years.

Environmental Claims and Identified Impacts

Sedena asserts that the project will not involve dredging, filling, or modifications to the coastline, limiting work to the original footprint of the existing dock to avoid impacts on the lagoon system. The dock is described as a fixed elevated structure for pedestrian traffic and the docking of small boats, to be assembled with regional wood, piles, beams, frames, and staves made of chicozapote, fixed with stainless steel studs, nuts, and washers.

The "Felipe Ángeles" Engineering Group considers the project to be of low regional impact, arguing it is not a new facility but a comprehensive renovation of a pre-existing structure. The group states the original structure faces total collapse of the palapas, wooden piles with advanced rot, and loss of structural capacity and stability due to corrosion.

It was noted that the palapas were structurally intact when construction on the vacation home began in March 2025. However, three months later, prior to a temporary suspension of that work, they appeared collapsed, indicating they were intentionally demolished by workers to prepare for reconstruction. The group contends this condition has turned the original dock into an active environmental liability, making the reconstruction an act of environmental sanitation and operational safety to eliminate collapse risk and potential organic contamination from rotten wood.

Nevertheless, the environmental diagnosis identifies several moderate impacts, primarily affecting geomorphological components due to specific alterations of the lagoon relief. The environmental proposals are aimed at preventing, minimizing, and controlling significant alterations in the ecosystem to ensure the sustainability of the work.

Next Steps: Public Consultation

The Environmental Impact Assessment was published in the Environmental Gazette last Thursday. In the coming weeks, as the evaluation progresses, Semarnat must put the project up for public consultation.

Logistics and Workforce

The project envisions a workforce deployment of 16 personnel, operating over an extended window of 15 continuous hours per day, from 07:00 to 22:00, to ensure a constant presence and high response capacity for the scheduled activity.