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Introduction and Problem Statement

During coastal storm events, the effect of raw sewage, sediment, and trash generated upstream, such as in the U.S./Mexico border community of Los Laureles Canyon, located in Tijuana, Mexico (Figure 1), is pronounced and not only impacts Tijuana, but directly impacts the U.S. and Mexico beach water quality and coastal and ocean resources. This project proposes to combine real-time sedimentation monitoring technology and educational outreach efforts in Los Laureles Canyon to address this binational pollution problem in the Tijuana River Watershed.

Project Obectives

This project’s goal is to quantify data on upstream sedimentation/trash generation and provide outreach efforts that integrate members of the Los Laureles community directly in the monitoring, training, and instituting a local alert system. In this manner, technology efforts will provide researchers and community stakeholders on either side of the U.S.-Mexico border a mechanism to evaluate and implement best management practices to reduce risk to human health and the environment.

These objectives will be realized by implementing the following:

1. Installation and data monitoring from six wireless erosion sensor probes to be placed in situ in the sediments of Los Laureles Canyon to measure Orientation (Pitch, Roll), Temperature, Pressure, Strain, Conductivity. Goal of the pilot is to determine whether these probes buried at a depth of approximately 10 cm, will be able to quantify the amount of sediment, slope failure, and flooding that may be traveling from this upstream location to the Tijuana Estuary, located in the U.S. In addition, important information may be available that could warn stakeholder communities of expected flood and sediment hazards.
2. Installation and implementation of a weather station and web cameras in the community of Los Laureles Community. The data from this weather station will serve as a local measurement of key parameters such as temperature, humidity, barometer, and rain at the Los Laureles Community.
3. In addition to the high-technology methods of capturing data, the Los Laureles Community staff will be trained to collect traditional survey and weather data:
   1. Use of stakes and photo monitoring for documenting erosion on the hill sides.
   2. Use of analog weather measurements in each of the sub communities of Los Laureles to involve the community in data collection and understanding of the potential hazards.
4. Setup of an emergency evacuation plan with leaders in each community providing input and execution of such a plan

Anticipated Project Results and Outcomes

The following are project results and outcomes:

• The benefit will be widespread. Locally, the communities of Los Laureles Canyon, Tijuana, and Imperial Beach will benefit from this study by being included as part of the binational cooperative solution to a problem posing risks to human health, welfare and the environment in both countries. Community involvement and outreach currently underway by the Coastal Training Program at TRNERR, will be leveraged to expand stakeholders and provide an alert system for potential flood/pollution hazards. For the Los Laureles Canyon community, the benefits of understanding the physical processes that trigger erosion and runoff in the Los Laureles Canyon will help in understanding the causes of the problem. An indirect social benefit of implementing the monitoring technology at the project site is that the technology implemented for receiving data from the sensors will be used to provide a community internet access point to provide outreach and dissemination of educational information on the hazards, particularly caused by coastal storm events. The implementation of an advanced warning system and emergency evacuation plan that involves local community members will also assist in ultimately saving lives during coastal storm events.
• Understanding the nature and source of the pollution that makes its way to the coastal areas in Northern Mexico and Southern California will provide more accurate alert systems to warn the public of imminent health hazards. The real-time data collection at Los Laureles, data integration with existing NOAA flood warning stations and additional data sources will provide a more comprehensive picture of the problems and possible solutions to the excessive erosion/sedimentation and pollution problem at the border area.
• Identification of social barriers and associated strategies used in the Los Laureles Canyon community will enhance the resiliency of the vulnerable low-income population to coastal storms and may be applied in northwestern Mexico and Southern California where similar steep canyons and low-income communities exist.

Field Station Location

Los Laureles Canyon, Tijuana, Mexico

Region of Monitoring

Tijuana River Watershed

Project Components

Erosion Monitoring and Analysis
Outreach and Alerts

Partnerships

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coastal Storms Program provided funding for this project.
Southwest Wetlands Interpretive Association
National Oceanic Atmospheric Association – Coastal Services Center
California State Parks
Tijuana National Estuarine Research Reserve
University of Southampton
HoundSystems, LLC