Photo: Nanzi Muro//Surfrider
The Tijuana river has long been a hotbed of pollution. Wastewater, urban runoff, and sewage spills have plagued the body of water, leading to frequent outcries from scientists and activists. A new report from American Rivers just quantified that further, by naming it the second most endangered river in America (the Mississippi was named most polluted).
The Tijuana River is 120 miles long, traveling through Baja California and the Tijuana River Valley in Southern California. The Tijuana Estuary is the largest remaining natural coastal wetland in Southern California. Its river mouth flows into a marine protected area, as well as the surf break known as The Sloughs.
However, the river has been plagued with pollution for decades. Garbage from Tijuana’s urban area, wastewater from sewage systems and industrial waste from factories have created dangerous water quality conditions for people on both sides of the border. As a result, Imperial Beach, the southernmost beach in San Diego County, has been closed for over 1,200 days and counting. Studies have also found that aerosolization of toxins from sea spray can cause health issues such as respiratory distress, chronic headaches, allergic reactions, and gastrointestinal illness.
“The water and air pollution from the Tijuana River is impacting every aspect of community life,” said Sarah Davidson of the Surfrider Foundation. “It’s in people’s homes, schools, and places of work.”
As far as what to do about all this, American Rivers notes that a coalition of local organizations, policymakers, and government agencies has helped secure funding to implement what they call the Comprehensive Infrastructure Solution (CIS), a long term plan to address the pollution issues. However, the initiative still needs Congress to authorize further funding to ensure long-term maintenance, and a needed river diversion project.
“Without swift action, communities will continue to suffer, ecosystems will degrade, local economies will decline — and, as members of the military and Border Patrol are sickened by the pollution, national security will be threatened,” concludes the report. “The Trump administration must act decisively to declare a federal emergency to address this public health crisis.”
