Classified as a “departmental reserve”, the Impériaux and Malagroy ponds were acquired by the Bouches-du-Rhône General Council in 1964 to protect these fragile natural environments (2,770 hectares) which are home to many species of shorebirds (barges, knights, sandpipers ...) and ducks (mallards, whistlers, teals ...) attracted by the large fauna of invertebrates.