January 6, 2019
I was inspired by the leaders of Surfrider's Clean Border Water Now program after a trip around the Tijuana River Valley (TRV) to see the damage and ill effects of pollution and trash left behind by the rains from the day before. I was not surprised by what I saw, but it did get me thinking. I have lived in Imperial Beach for 10 years, and this is my 19th year teaching at the local high school. In that time, I have heard the stories of the incessant water pollution, and have lived through the most massive sewage spill in recent history when millions of gallons of raw sewage closed our beaches for weeks in February 2017. This touches my heart for many reasons, but mostly because I know the history.
So my brain was turning on this sunny, beautiful day as I gazed upon a field of trash. How could I tell the story so that other people might care enough to join our cause? Clean Border Water Now is run by three local moms, a policy coordinator and others from Surfrider, as well as a few concerned citizens. They meet once a month to highlight guest speakers with a stake in the grand picture. So much progress has been made in the past two years on this bi-national issue. However, in order to make more positive change, this has to become more personal to the policy makers who reside outside the area. There has to be a story told for more people to care.
My mission is to document, for one year, how an area of the TRV is affected by the sewage, runoff, and weather. I have chosen the bridge at Dairy Mart Road as my point of reference. As you can see in the map link, the Tijuana River flows right under it. The Tijuana River runs from south to north and is a major pathway for trash and pollutants coming from Mexico and the United States straight into the Pacific Ocean, just south of where Imperial Beach residents, and north of where Tijuana residents, enjoy the beach. I will take 9 pictures at the bridge twice each month from the same position so we can see how the area changes throughout the year.