June 18, 2018

On June 7th, Kenia Zamarripa, Chamber Director of International Business Affairs acting as USIBWC Citizens Forum board member attended the second quarterly meeting held at the Tijuana Estuary. The meeting addressed Imperial Beach’s state-mandated plan for growth and development and included a presentation by the County of San Diego on its beach and bay water quality monitoring program.

The City of Imperial Beach provided a presentation of the city’s General Plan and Local Coastal Plan adopted in 1994. The state of California has since then enacted a number of laws requiring state and local authorities to address climate change impacts including SB 32 (California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006).

The beach and bay water quality monitoring program implements a comprehensive monitoring and surveillance program in South San Diego County to protect public health year-round at ocean beaches. Program representatives provided an update on water quality monitoring activities which was finalized with a discussion of the interrelated system of the Tijuana River, the Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge, and the Pacific Ocean.  

The Citizens Forum Board will be touring the U.S. infrastructure of the Tijuana River Valley (Southbay Plant, Stewarts Drain, Silva Drain, Canon Del Sol, Smugglers and Goat Canyon Collector, Canyon Collector Pump Stations and the Tijuana River Flood Control Project) later this month. Future tours will cover remaining areas including infrastructure in Tijuana.

For more information about the USIBWC’s current work plan or progress on the Tijuana River Valley transboundary pollution, please visit their website.