The Finca Las Costas nature reserve, located in Salta, has once again come under judicial scrutiny following a report submitted to Judge María Guadalupe Villagrán. The document confirms the existence of new illegal occupations, recent constructions, and resistance to inspections ordered by the court.
The survey was conducted by the Justice of the Peace of Vaqueros, Eduardo Serfaty Arias, along with park ranger Matías Santa Ana, police personnel, and reserve authorities, as part of the collective injunction initiated in 2020 to halt irregular settlements within the main water basin that supplies the city of Salta.
Risk to Drinking Water
The severity of the situation lies in the fact that Finca Las Costas provides 30% of the drinking water for Salta capital.
The clandestine urban growth is developing without sanitary infrastructure, using cesspools and precarious waste disposal systems, which poses a direct risk to the quality of the water resource.
Detected Constructions
The report from April 15, 2026, describes:
- New homes with plastered walls, sheet metal roofs, and perimeter fences.
- Large houses, even two-story ones, with water tanks and galleries.
- Permanent corrals and fences.
- Heavy machinery related to the movement of aggregates and material extraction from the river.
Hostility Towards the Judiciary
One of the most sensitive points of the survey is the resistance of the occupants:
- Refusal to identify themselves or answer questions.
- Rejection of receiving judicial notifications.
- Prevention of entry to premises.
- Aggressiveness towards the commission, including being chased by dogs.
Permanent and Intangible Reserve
Finca Las Costas was declared a permanent and intangible nature reserve to preserve the most important water-producing basin in Salta. As early as 2017, there were technical warnings about the impact of clandestine constructions, indicating risks to the supply system according to WHO parameters.
The case has accumulated over a decade of precautionary measures and prohibitions on innovation that continue to be violated.
The judicial survey shows that the occupations are not solely due to situations of social vulnerability: they involve established constructions, significant investments, and sustained occupation within a protected area.
New Chapters of the Conflict
Simultaneously, controversy arose over the loan of land to the Tigres Rugby Club, sparking a dispute with families identifying as members of the Lule community and other sectors linked to the use of public lands.
The judicial report once again highlights a major environmental and social problem: the illegal occupation of the Finca Las Costas reserve directly threatens Salta’s water security. The lack of sewage systems and the use of cesspools in all inspected constructions underscore the urgency of effective measures to protect a strategic resource and prevent clandestine expansion from compromising the city’s future.
