Field Trips

Tijuana River NERR              [ Forward | Back | Home ]
Trip Coordinator:
Marya Ahmad, Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve
Trip Leader:
Tessa Rover, Assistant Reserve Manager
Project Speakers:
Rand Allan, Department of Public Works, Flood Control Section, and Dr. Richard Wright, Dept. of Geography, San Diego State University

This field trip on the afternoon of February 27 will examine flood impacts and the bi-national flood warning system on the TIjuana River. A bi-national, multi-agency technical advisory committee has been working on designing and implementing the first integrated bi-national flood warning system on the U.S.-Mexico Border, which will be located along the Rio Alamar Corridor. The Rio Alamar Corridor drains the upper watershed (Cottonwood and Campo Creeks in the U.S., and Tecate Creek in Mexico) of the northern third of the Tijuana River Basin. Flooding along the Tijuana River and Rio Alamar is responsible for property damage and human death during flood events as well as severe sedimentation that damages the Tijuana Estuary - the last remaining fully functioning wetland in Southern California and the site of a multi-million dollar wetland restoration effort. The flood warning system will provide real time data to emergency responders on both sides of the border and to hydrologists and university researchers needing the data for sediment and flow modeling purposes. The system is being implemented during the 2001-2002 winter season.

The field trip will start from the hotel and travel to the Tijuana Reserve where there will be a short presentation on the Tijuana Watershed flood warning system and concurrent research controls. There will also be a short trip to the Border Fence at Goat Canyon. Looking into Mexico, you will get a sense of the development impacts on the environment of the estuary and the human and infrastructure impacts from flood events.

North County Bluffs and Seawalls
Trip Leader:
Representative from California Shore and Beach Preservation Association

Coastal scientists and engineers will lead a field trip to San Diego area beaches between Oceanside and La Jolla on Wednesday afternoon, February 27. The trip is intended as a general introduction to the geological, physical, and human setting of the central San Diego County coastline.

The field trip will begin with a lunchtime bus ride to the coastal area south of Oceanside with stops at several of the following locations: Carlsbad, Solana Beach, Del Mar, Torrey Pines, La Jolla, and Mission Beach. The beaches and cliffs in many of these areas are eroded and retreating. Sites where human intervention has impact the coast will be emphasized, including infrastructure, residential and park development, coastal protection structures, and beach nourishment locations. Stops at several coastal lagoons are also planned including Agua Hedionda, Batiquitos, San Elijo, and San Dieguito.

A short field trip introduction, guide, and map will be prepared and distributed during the trip.