The Tijuana River flows about 190 kilometers through the mountains and deserts of northwest Mexico before it crosses the border and reaches the Pacific at the Tijuana River Estuary, a U.S. National Estuarine Research Reserve.

The estuary is one of Southern California's last large coastal wetlands. It holds beaches, dunes, mudflats, salt marsh and vernal pools, and shelters endangered species such as the light-footed Ridgway's rail and the San Diego fairy shrimp.

For decades, Tijuana grew faster than its pipes, pumps and treatment plants. Untreated sewage, industrial waste, trash and urban runoff entered the river and moved downstream, across the border and into the ocean. Beaches in Imperial Beach and south San Diego have been closed for years at a time, and researchers at San Diego State University have documented that contaminants also reach the air and soil in nearby neighborhoods.

The Tijuana River watershed covers about 1,750 square miles, roughly three quarters of it in Mexico. It runs from chaparral and oak country near Tecate to the largest remaining natural coastal wetland between Santa Barbara and San Quintín.

The Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve protects about 2,500 acres of beach, dune, mudflat, salt marsh and river forest. Within it, the 1,079 acre Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge is home to five federally listed bird species. Clean water is the foundation for all of it.

After many years of studies and partial fixes, both national governments have signed binding commitments, set deadlines and started construction.

In July 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Mexico's Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a 2025 to 2027 roadmap. In December 2025, the two countries signed Minute 333 of the International Boundary and Water Commission, which adds projects, research, monitoring, and long-term operations and maintenance planning sized for Tijuana's future growth.

California has opened new state grants. Foundations are funding binational nonprofit partnerships. Tijuana's city council has asked Mexico's National Water Commission (CONAGUA) to clean and maintain the river channel.

That is real momentum. It is also the moment when a long-term civic partner can make the most difference: helping communities understand the work, filling gaps that infrastructure does not cover, and keeping attention on the river after the headlines move on.

This is a working summary of public commitments, based on official updates through September 30, 2026. We separate what is finished from what is being built and what is still being planned, so Rotary clubs can see exactly where things stand.

Leaders at every level of government, in both countries and across parties, have made the Tijuana River a priority. Here is what they have done, based on public announcements.

Nonprofits, researchers and community groups on both sides of the border have tested water, cleaned canyons, restored habitat, sued for action, studied health effects and kept this issue in front of decision makers when few others were paying attention. Rotary's job is to learn from them and help them go further, not to duplicate their work.

Rotary was built for problems like this one. The river does not stop at the border, and neither does Rotary.

Rotary District 5340 alone has nearly 70 clubs in San Diego and Imperial Counties. Across the line, clubs in Tijuana, Rosarito, Tecate, Ensenada and throughout Baja California are already rooted in the communities the river runs through. Their members are engineers, doctors, contractors, educators, attorneys, business owners, scientists, public officials and philanthropists.

Some clubs already support water, sanitation, health, education and environmental projects. Others are looking for a meaningful way to serve. What has been missing is one long-term plan that connects all of that capacity.

An invitation to community leaders

We are inviting the leaders of the organizations already working on the river, along with scientists, engineers, educators, public health professionals and community advocates, to join a Rotary club committed to this work for the long term. Some of you are already Rotarians. Many have never considered it. Imagine decades of river expertise joined with Rotary's international network, its grants experience and its staying power.

Before we decide what Rotary should do, we need to understand what is already being done and what Rotary can bring. Our goal for 2026 is to hear from as many clubs and Rotarians as possible on both sides of the border.

We are asking every interested club:

The answer does not have to be money. It could be any of these:

This problem was not created overnight and will not be solved overnight. We are planning in decades: a binational Rotary commitment that complements governments, NGOs, researchers and communities.

Some projects will be small. Others will take several clubs, districts, foundations, companies, universities and agencies working together. The goal is not simply to finish projects. The goal is lasting impact.

The Tijuana River Project is the flagship of a larger family of Rotary-inspired work from the Rotary Club of Newport Beach. Three levels, one vision.

Every project, four tests

Each Tijuana River project will be shaped and evaluated through the 4-7-8-17 framework.

The Tijuana River is not one problem. It is water, sanitation, public health, plastic, habitat, wildlife, education, infrastructure, jobs and international cooperation at once. That makes it a living laboratory. A river cleanup can create jobs. Recovered plastic can become building material. A restoration site can become a classroom. A shared project can bring clubs from two countries closer together.

Solve locally. Learn together. Share globally.

If we can learn how to organize clubs, communities, NGOs, governments, businesses, researchers and funders around this binational river, we can document what works and share it with other rivers, other borders and other countries through the Alluvium Project and the 4-7-8-17 network.

The Tijuana River Project is part of a family of more than 40 Rotary-inspired websites and programs working on water, plastic, oceans, wildlife and education.