Join us to Advocate for Solutions to the Public Health Crisis in the Tijuana River Watershed and Heal Our Communities

The Tijuana River Watershed in the San Diego - Tijuana transboundary region

is steeped in rich multicultural identities that date back thousands of years. The River holds paramount significance for both inland and coastal communities and the delicate ecosystems it traverses.

Yet, despite its cultural, ecological, and geopolitical importance, this complex and beautiful region is plagued with severe transboundary pollution, impacting 20 miles of international coastline and millions of residents throughout the region. Every year billions of gallons of toxic waste carrying raw sewage, industrial chemicals, and trash flow across the U.S./Mexico border through the Tijuana River Watershed and out into the Pacific Ocean.

Decades of neglect, in both countries

to invest in wastewater management infrastructure that keeps people and ecosystems safe and a lack of political will to address the situation have allowed the Tijuana River Watershed to become so polluted that it’s making people sick.  This has become one of the worst ongoing public health crises in both nations. 

Together, we join forces

to hold decision-makers accountable at all levels of government to protect people and ecosystems in the Tijuana River Watershed from pollution.  Together we can fix the problem, prevent it from coming back, and heal our communities.

KEY FACTS

20 miles of international coastline affected

1,200 consecutive days of beach closures and counting for San Diego County’s southernmost beach

150+ billion gallons of toxic cross-border flows in the Tijuana River since 2018

Measured by the International Boundary and Water Commission

34,000 illnesses in 2017 linked to water pollution along the Imperial Beach coastline by researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography

$500,000+ annually of estimated revenue loss for tourism industry, according to preliminary data from San Diego County’s 2023 Economic Impact Study

Take Action Today

Sign a petition, join monthly meetings and community actions, and learn more about the crisis and our vision a healthy future.
Take Action

OUR PARTNERS

© 2025 Tijuana River Coalition
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Artist Credit: Josué Baltézar (he/him) is an artist and designer who believes art should be accessible to everyone. He understands the crucial role that art and design play in advocating for environmental and social justice. This design for the Tijuana River Coalition brings together various elements to symbolize the dedication to advocacy for and protection of the Tijuana River region, which includes both sides of the US/MX border. A mountain sits prominently in the center, with two houses at its base, representing our communities on both sides of the border. The Tijuana River flows through the mountains and down into the foreground, where the river meets the Pacific Ocean. On the left and right of the mountains are native plants, including giant kelp on the left and prickly pear cactus on the right. Above the mountains, a brown pelican and a monarch butterfly fly toward a radiating sun. The design aims to convey a sense of interconnectedness and call attention to the need to protect our natural environment and the communities along the entire Tijuana River region.

Photography on this site by Surfrider Foundation and Veriditas Rising | Special thanks to Edgar Ontiveras Medina