The Problem

The Tijuana River is an important ecological resource for the San Diego-Tijuana border region. The binational watershed is 1,739 square-miles in area with ¼ in the U.S. and ¾ in Mexico. Pollution in the Tijuana River is a multidimensional problem that impacts public health, the environment, and the economy of San Diego-Tijuana border communities. During rain events, trash and wastewater “runoff” in Tijuana enter the river basin and flow through San Diego and ultimately pollute the Pacific Ocean.  Depending on ocean current direction, the pollution impacts beach water quality from Playas de Tijuana, Mexico, all the way north to Coronado Island, in the U.S.  Much of this pollution results from a lack of proper sewage collection/treatment and trash collection infrastructure in Tijuana. Trade agreements like NAFTA attract international companies and throngs of workers to Tijuana with the promise of cheap labor and easy access to the U.S. consumer market. Much of the city’s growing population lives in unplanned urban developments that lack sewage hookups.  As Tijuana has expanded, so have binational environmental problems, like pollution in the Tijuana River, that affect communities on both sides of the international border. Only through a cooperative binational approach by local, state and federal governmental and non-governmental stakeholders can the impacts posed by Tijuana River pollution be comprehensively addressed. 

PROBLEM

Pollution from the Tijuana River impacts public health, the environment, and the economy along the San Diego-Tijuana border.

Public Health Impacts

Sewage and trash in the Tijuana River poses a significant health threat to border area residents.

In southern San Diego County, the Tijuana River Valley Regional Park and the Tijuana Estuary offer residents and visitors beautiful hiking, equestrian, and bird watching trails. Yet, trash and sewage from the Tijuana River have so heavily degraded parts of these public parks that they have become too polluted for outdoor recreational use by community members.

Pollution from the Tijuana River also heavily impacts beach water quality from Playas de Tijuana to San Diego County beaches, depending on ocean currents. A WiLDCOAST survey found that 3 in 5 regular ocean users in Imperial Beach, CA reported illness related to physical exposure to contaminated ocean waters (WiLDCOAST 2007 survey) A study by San Diego State University showed that coastal waters impacted by Tijuana River pollution almost always harbored harmful viruses, in addition to the bacteria that are usually measured to detect impacts on public health. Both hepatitis A virus (HAV) and a variety of entero-viruses that can cause human diseases were found in significant quantities.

The threat of contamination of near shore coastal waters by toxic industrial chemicals from the Tijuana River is particularly acute. Among the eight largest creeks and river in Southern California, the Tijuana River has been found to contain the highest concentration of toxic metals, and the toxic organic compound PCB, and is the single greatest lead loading to the coastal ocean of the Southern California region.

This pollution also poses health problems for those who work in close proximity to the Tijuana River. In 2005, U.S. border patrol agents won a class action lawsuit to receive hazardous work pay for working near the Tijuana River.

Environmental Threats

Pollution in the Tijuana River affects the sensitive coastal ecosystems and wildlife of the border region, including the 2,500 acre federally protected Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve. This estuary is the endpoint of the Tijuana River Watershed and consists of the Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge, Border Field State Park, Navy lands, Tijuana River Valley Regional Park, and San Diego city property. In addition to its habitat value, the Tijuana Estuary filters water flowing from the Tijuana River into the Pacific Ocean.

In the Tijuana Estuary, pollution causes habitat destruction, affects water quality, and damages sensitive ecosystems. Since 2006, sediment carried by the storm-water has been responsible for the destruction of more than 20 acres of salt marsh. Since 2008 California State Parks, with the support of community-led cleanup efforts, has removed over 8,000 waste-tires from Border Field State Park. A recent study estimates that over 10 million plastic bottles and over 5000 waste tires are currently clogging this sensitive ecosystem.Much of this solid waste can be lethal to wildlife, as many animals accidentally ingest trash, mistaking it for food. The accumulation of marine debris, the majority of which is plastic, has the potential to negatively impact marine organisms worldwide. A research analysis found that a third of bottom feeding species of fish had ingested plastics. These bottom feeders are a vital source for larger marine life.

Economic Impacts

According to San Diego County’s Department of Environmental Health, every year 80-95% of San Diego County’s total beach closures are due to pollution emanating from the Tijuana River. Besides presenting an obvious public health and environmental threat, it has been shown that the degradation of beach water quality has negative economic implications for local communities in Southern California that rely on income from beach tourism. Frequent beach closures also negatively affect the local real estate market. In turn, cities that rely on revenues from property tax to fund public works projects are impacted.