[1] The similarly named Martín Peña is a neighborhood, with informal housing, adjacent to the channel.

[3] The channel has had a history of being strewn with trash, which breed mosquitoes, and a health hazard for its nearby residents in the Martín Peña subbarrio.

Due to the narrowing of the channel over time, the area is subject to frequent flooding, including raw sewage from buildings with insufficient sanitation.

Implementation of a $600 million ecosystem restoration plan that will dredge the canal depends on resolution of the Puerto Rican government-debt crisis and federal funding for assistance from the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

[3] After Hurricane Maria on September 20, 2017, the canal caused flooding in eight barrios nearby for weeks and was the most impacted community of San Juan.