The Tijuana River, or ‘Rio Tijuana’ in Spanish, was bumped up to the No. 2 most endangered river from No. 9 on the list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers compiled by American Rivers, an environmental advocacy organization.
American Rivers, a national nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., reviews nominations from individuals and organizations across the country. This year it collaborated with Surfrider Foundation and Un Mar de Colores on the Tijuana River report. Rivers are selected based upon the following criteria: the significance of the river to people and nature; the magnitude of threat to the river and its communities and whether the public can influence the river’s dire situation in the coming year.
“Making investments in clean water and healthy rivers ensures clean, safe water for our families, no matter where we live, what we look like or where we are from,” said Kristan Culbert, the organization’s associate director for river conservation in California.
“By including the Tijuana River on our most endangered rivers list for the second year in a row, we continue to shine a national spotlight on this ongoing environmental and public health crisis,” added Culbert. “As pollution continues to choke the Tijuana river and cause widespread illness in frontline communities, long-term beach closures and harm to local economies and people, we urge the Trump administration to declare a national emergency and ask Congress to dedicate permanent funding for the restoration and recovery of the Tijuana River.”
On the south end of Saturn Boulevard, Tijuana River Valley and Imperial Beach resident Derek Spencer, 52, coughs after standing beside the river where the odor of hydrogen sulfide is strongest, emanating from contaminated water that creates ponds of floating foam.
“I can’t stand it anymore,” he says taking a step back.
“Nothing’s changed,” said Spencer, who has lived in the area for three decades and considers the pollution crisis one of the biggest natural disasters he’s witnessed. “There’s been no maintenance in this valley since 1993. It’s all covered with nothing but trash and bamboo and trees. Whatever water you’ve got coming through here, whether it’s toxic chemicals or sewage… it just sits here and goes in circles all through the whole valley and just hovers. You smell it all over.”
On April 16, the Imperial Beach City Council adopted a resolution declaring a call for action with priorities for addressing the Tijuana River pollution crisis.
Among those priorities, the city urges increased federal enforcement of binational agreements with Mexico, such as restrictions on the export of potable water into Tijuana and Mexican border crossings at U.S. ports of entry.
The city is calling on President Donald Trump to initiate an executive order requiring some of the suggested enforcement by federal entities and departments, such as the Department of State, EPA, and the Department of the Navy.
In its report, American Rivers also calls on federal leaders to declare an emergency, prioritize funding and provide immediate relief to frontline communities.
“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,” it says. “The Trump administration must act decisively to declare a federal emergency to address this public health crisis.”
