American Rivers Names Tijuana River Among America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2025 Due to Severe Pollution and Public Health Crisis

Contact: Hawk Hammer, National Communications and Media Director, Hhammer@americanrivers.org 
Sarah Davidson, Surfrider Foundation, sdavidson@surfrider.org
Ramon Chairez, Un Mar de Colores, ramon@mar-de-colores.org

4/16/2025 Washington D.C. — Today, American Rivers is announcing the Tijuana River as one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2025, marking its second appearance on the list. The Tijuana River has faced decades of neglect and under-investment needed to fix broken wastewater treatment facilities and prevent sewage and industrial pollution from being released into the river. This has led to violations of the Clean Water Act, resulting in ecosystem degradation, beach closures, widespread illness in the communities in and around the Tijuana River Valley, and impacts to tourism and national security. 

The Tijuana River travels 120 miles through Northwest Baja California and the Tijuana River Valley in southern California before reaching the Pacific Ocean. Its 1,750-square-mile watershed is home to over 2.8 million residents on both sides of the border and the Kumeyaay Nation. The river flows out of the Tijuana River estuary, southern California’s largest coastal wetland, and into the Pacific Ocean where a world-renowned surf break known as “The Sloughs” is located. Surfers used to flock to this break, but now sewage-laden waters have closed local beaches, hurting the tourism industry and sickening residents of Imperial Beach and south San Diego county.

“The Tijuana River runs through an extraordinarily beautiful and unique part of the planet that bridges the United States and Mexico,” said Kristan Culbert for American Rivers. “It is a tragedy that such a vibrant waterway has been degraded to such a harmful level. The Tijuana River, and the communities around it, deserve better. With the right investment, this river could once again be a major asset instead of a liability.”

A recent report from the Department of Defense showed that nearly 1100 cases of health issues were reported among Navy SEALS who trained in and around the Pacific Ocean, where they were exposed to high levels of bacteria and pathogens associated with raw sewage and trash released into the Tijuana River. As raw sewage discharges into the Pacific Ocean, it becomes airborne through sea spray, sickening community members who live near the beach. Residents who live inland in close proximity to the main river channel are also getting sick from breathing in harmful gasses that are released into the air when contaminated river water is agitated. 

Ramon Chairez, of the organization Un Mar de Colores, expressed concern over recent findings by UCSD and SDSU researchers, stating, “The discovery of hydrogen sulfide and other toxic gases being released into the air by the Tijuana River, near schools and residences, is deeply alarming. This underscores the urgent need for action to protect our communities from these hazardous conditions.”

The problem has become so urgent that the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District is working to distribute air purifiers and air filters as temporary reprieve to residents near the river experiencing respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses, chronic diseases, and nauseating odors caused by pollution in the river.   

“The water and air pollution from the Tijuana River is impacting every aspect of community life – it’s in people’s homes, schools, and places of work. Residents should not have to risk their own health and futures by doing their jobs, opening their windows at night, or spending time outside with their children,” said Sarah Davidson of Surfrider Foundation.  “Although this public health crisis increases every day, so too does the movement to demand change. The fact that the Tijuana River has made the America’s Most Endangered Rivers list for the second consecutive year highlights not only the worsening severity of the crisis but also further underscores the powerful opportunity before us to come together, take a stand, and demand action from our leaders to heal our river, our coast, and our communities.” 

American Rivers and our partners at Surfrider Foundation and Un Mar de Colores are calling on the Trump administration to declare a state of emergency to address the public health crisis this river and its communities face and to prioritize funding for immediate relief, recovery, and river restoration. 

Learn more about America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2025, including other rivers and selection process.  

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American Rivers is a national conservation organization working to make every river clean and healthy for people and wildlife. We combine evidence-based solutions with enduring partnerships to safeguard the 3.5 million miles of rivers and streams that are essential to our nation’s clean drinking water, extraordinary wildlife, and strength of our communities. For more than 50 years, our staff, supporters, and partners have been driven by a common belief: Life Depends on Rivers. AmericanRivers.org

The Surfrider Foundation is a nonprofit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s ocean, waves, and beaches for all through a powerful activist network. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers in Malibu, California, the Surfrider Foundation now maintains over 500,000 supporters, activists and members, with more than 160 volunteer-led chapters and student clubs in the U.S., and more than 800 victories protecting our coasts. Learn more at surfrider.org, or visit SurfriderSD.org.

Un Mar de Colores nurtures the next generation of ocean stewards by providing free surf therapy, environmental education, and long-term mentorship for underserved youth. Centering cultural relevance, mental wellness, and equity, Un Mar de Colores works to ensure that those historically excluded from coastal access can build meaningful, lasting relationships with the ocean and one another. Learn more at https://mar-de-colores.org/