The conservation unit (CU) promotes the reduction of the impact of floods on the Sinos River and the regulation of water flow in the basin, fundamental ecosystem services not only for the municipality of São Leopoldo and neighboring cities, but also for the hydrographic basin as a whole. Ensuring the provision of these ecosystem services is a key point in the management of the CU, located in an urban area.

In 2018, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability conducted a survey and systematization of experiences in the management of local protected areas through a call for proposals for municipal conservation units. The selection of best practices qualitatively assessed the availability of information, the existence of consolidated experiences, the time and process of implementation, and the scope of replicability.