Rosario recovers 807 hectares of wetlands after two decades of legal battles

The city of Rosario recovered 807 hectares of wetlands in the Paraná Delta after a twenty year legal dispute.

The land, known as Legado Deliot, is located on Isla Charigüe in the province of Entre Ríos, Argentina. The municipal government of Rosario regained the territory following a court order in October 2025, which was later confirmed by the Second Court of Appeals of Paraná in August 2026.

The land originally belonged to the municipality after philanthropist Carlos Deliot donated 1,764 hectares in 1948. During the period of private occupation by rancher Enzo Mariani, the area suffered environmental changes including the construction of roads, houses, sheds, and embankments that altered natural water flow. Technical teams from the municipality and the Environmental Observatory of the National University of Rosario will now assess the environmental impact of these modifications.

The city plans to restore the wetland without causing new damage, determining which structures require removal, remediation, or reuse. The new land area is equivalent to 10% of the urban surface of Rosario and is six and a half times larger than Parque Independencia. The municipality intends to use the land to expand the Los Tres Cerros Municipal Reserve, which honors the archaeological heritage of the Chaná people.

Future plans for the site include establishing a permanent Civil Protection base to fight fires, creating spaces for scientific research, environmental education, and ecotourism.