SAN DIEGO — San Diego County leaders announced a plan that may provide some relief for people living near the Tijuana River Valley. The newly approved project calls to dredge the Tijuana River Valley to help prevent flooding.
Dredging is the removal of trash and debris which can lead to flooding. This latest action will extend dredging work around Smuggler's Gulch in the Tijuana River Valley.
"This is what we need is action with impact. The dredging is a good example," said Fay Crevoshay, the communications director for Wildcoast.
Wildcoast is an environmental group based in Imperial Beach. They say trash, tires, plastic and other debris have caused problems for years. It can harm the environment and often flows into our ocean.
"It's very toxic for all of us, all the community who lives there and around the ocean," Crevoshay said.
A countywide state of emergency was declared in the summer because of pollution and sewage flowing across the U.S.-Mexico border. Local leaders pushed Governor Newsom to declare a state of emergency over the pollution issue, however he declined and said the sewage crisis is a federal issue.
"The impact is not receding but is growing. It was impacting the south of IB, then north but today it gets to Coronado," Crevoshay said.
This new project aims to improve water flow and ultimately prevent flooding from the river. The dredging will help the conditions in two channels that impact residents in the Tijuana River Valley and communities of Imperial Beach, San Ysidro and Otay Mesa.
The work will be funded by over $4 million in grant funding and $750,000 of County funds.
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