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Los Laureles Canyon - Erosion Control Project
Project Abstract:
Los Laureles Canyon is a 4.6 mile sub-watershed of the larger Tijuana River Watershed. It is located only about 1-2 miles from the coast and 90% of the watershed lies in Mexico. This sub-basin is of particular interest and concern as it flows directly into the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve (TRNERR) and is a significant source of waste and sediment in the southern end of the Estuary. Over time, this sub-basin has become increasingly developed and degraded, and lacks the basic infrastructure to support this development. Representatives from agencies in Mexico and the United States are now working together on a community based slope stabilization and erosion control project located within Los Laureles Canyon. This project aims to restore Los Laureles Canyon, to prevent sedimentation into the Tijuana River Valley, and offer quality passive recreation for the residents of Tijuana through numerous goals and objectives. This trans-border effort promotes a sustainable approach to the erosion control problem, achieving success in the environmental, economic and social realms of the region.
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Project Goals:
• Stabilizing the slopes in Los Laureles Canyon with vegetative and structural means to prevent erosion within the canyon and the flow of sedimentation to the estuary.
• Building the capacity of the residents of Los Laureles Canyon to create a safer and healthier environment, through means such as monitoring erosion, stabilizing slopes, and improving housing conditions while using existing and affordable resources.
• Managing solid waste and wastewater. Create a system to water the vegetative slope stabilization by using wastewater.
• Developing strategies to improve the existing conditions of settlements in vulnerable areas thru alternative, innovative, and comprehensive solutions.
• Pursuing financial and other support from public agencies (including agencies of the state and federal government), community service groups, educational institutions, businesses and individuals for the support of the projects.
• Overall preservation and restoration of Los Laureles Canyon to offer quality passive recreation for the residents of Tijuana.
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Research Priorities (and suggested topics for investigation):
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact:
Oscar Romo - Coastal Training Program Coordinator
oromo@parks.ca.gov
Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve (TRNERR)
301 Caspian Way
Imperial Beach, Ca 91932
http://www.tijuanaestuary.com/
(619) 575-3613
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Full Description of Project:
Positioned at the southwest corner of the United States, and northwest corner of Baja California, Mexico, the San Diego-Tijuana border region is the home of two major global centers. While affluence has been a reality for many in the region, it is mirrored by social, environmental, and economic inequalities for others. Situated along this US/Mexico border in the city of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, is Los Laureles Canyon. Home to over 40,000 residents, this squatter community has become increasingly developed and degraded, and lacks the basic infrastructure to support this development. Los Laureles Canyon lies within the binational Tijuana River Watershed, and directly flows into one of the most important wetland/salt marsh complexes left in southern California, the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve (TRNERR). The steep hillsides of Los Laureles have been poorly developed, resulting in unstable soils and flooding that destroys the community, and in turn has created severe sedimentation and pollution problems downstream at the TRNERR, as well as adversely affecting the surrounding coastline. With a growing need for bi-national cooperation, staff from the TRNERR, California Coastal Conservancy, City of Tijuana, Municipal Planning Agency of Tijuana, International Community Foundation, and others, are implementing a full scale community based slope stabilization and erosion control project.
The project promotes a sustainable approach to the erosion and sedimentation control problem, offering benefits in the environmental, economic, and social realms of the region. While plans for the canyon have been proposed by both the US and Mexico, a comprehensive bi-national plan that addressed the problem at the source was lacking. Taking a holistic view of the issues at hand, a strategy that improves the living standards of an impoverished community has in turn eased the economic burden of attempts at controlling sediment, prevented downstream pollution, and protected coastal ecosystems, marine biodiversity and endangered species. With the recent completion of a technical diagnostic, coupled with the implementation of specific pilot-projects, the area has now become a hotbed for academics and researchers from various fields of study, and is now viewed as an important catalyst for a larger bi-national exchange as well as a model for sustainable development.
The Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve’s Coastal Training Program (CTP), has been vital to the success of this project. This NOAA funded program within the NERRS system attempts to “improve resource management for the TRNERR, on both sides of the US/Mexico border, through a progressive program of partnerships and collaboration and high quality “cutting-edge” information exchange between partners and coastal decision-makers”.
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Project Participants:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)Coastal Training Program (CTP)
Environmental Protection Agency Border 2012 Program
Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve (TRNERR)
California State Coastal Conservancy (CSCC)
International Community Foundation (ICF)
Municipal Planning Agency of Tijuana (IMPLAN)
City of Tijuana
Municipal Urbanization Unit of Tijuana (UMU)
Secretariat of Urban Development of Tijuana
Las Gaviotas
Eco-Sol
Universidad Tecnologica de Tijuana (UTT)
Mexican Institute for Water Technology (IMTA)
Universidad Iberoamericana de Tijuana
Promocion y Docencia
Recon Engineering
Ja Jan
Fundacion la Esperanza
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Related Files:
File Name: Los Laureles Canyon Hillside
File Type: -1
Description:
Los Laureles Canyon Hillside
Relevant Date: 11-18-03
Date Entered: November 18, 2003, 1:53 pm
download file (right click and press "save as")
Related References:
Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve (TRNERR)
http://www.tijuanaestuary.com
Reference Type: other
Description:
Organizational Website
Date Entered: September 17, 2003, 2:07 pm
Southwest Wetlands Interpretive Association (SWIA)
http://www.swia4earth.org
Reference Type: other
Description:
Organizational Website
Date Entered: September 17, 2003, 2:09 pm
California State Coastal Conservancy
http://www.coastalconservancy.ca.gov
Reference Type: other
Description:
Organizational Website
Date Entered: September 17, 2003, 2:10 pm
National Oceanic and and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
http://www.noaa.gov
Reference Type: other
Description:
Organizational Website
Date Entered: September 17, 2003, 2:12 pm
International Community Foundation (ICF)
http://www.icfdn.org
Reference Type: other
Description:
Organizational Website
Date Entered: September 17, 2003, 2:13 pm
San Diego Foundation
http://www.sdfoundation.org
Reference Type: other
Description:
Organizational Website
Date Entered: September 17, 2003, 2:13 pm
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