The lake forms part of a wetland ecosystem, noted for its large population of waterfowl and other birds, which is protected as a nature reserve.

[2] For decades the water level of the Melincué Lake have varied considerably, often flooding parts of its basin, and over time this has seriously affected the prosperity of the nearby towns and the maintenance of roads around it.

According to a study by the Faculty of Engineering of the Universidad Nacional de Rosario, in 1968 the top water level stood at 82.5 m AMSL, more than 3 m below its current height.

In 1998–2000 the provincial government passed legislation creating a Strategic Environmental Planning Area covering the surrounding districts (Melincué, Carreras, Hughes, Elortondo and Labordeboy) with the goal of promoting its sustainable development, but major concrete actions have failed to materialize.

This article about a place in Santa Fe Province, Argentina is a stub.