The sources of the river are protected by the 119,172 hectares (294,480 acres) Mache-Chindul Ecological Reserve, which covers the Mache Chindul mountain range.

The peninsula encloses a bay fringed with mangroves, with sandbars forming at its mouth.

[4] There has been extensive excavation of shrimp ponds in the salt marshes and mangroves of the bay.

[3] There has been a serious decline in fish such as chame (Dormitator latifrons) and cockles, important sources of food and income for the local people.

The two barrier islands at the mouth of the estuary are nesting areas for birds and turtles, and have ecotourism potential.