Governor Gavin Newsom has made $46 million in Proposition 4 bond funding available for Tijuana River cleanup, bringing California's total investment to $84 million. The money, distributed via state grants, targets sewage, air contamination, and beach closures in South Bay communities, while urging federal action on wastewater infrastructure.
The Goat Canyon Collector System in Imperial Beach , CA, serves as a focal point in the ongoing environmental crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border, where South Bay communities continue to face severe pollution from the Tijuana River .
On Thursday, June 11, 2026, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the release of $46 million in voter-approved funding to help clean up the river, a waterway long contaminated by raw sewage, toxic air, and beach closures. This allocation comes from Proposition 4, the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act, which California voters approved in 2024.
Alongside approximately $38 million previously allocated since 2019, the state's total investment in Tijuana River water quality improvements now stands at roughly $84 million. The funds will be distributed through a competitive grant process managed by the State Water Resources Control Board, with the deputy director authorized to approve individual grants of up to $20 million.
Projects targeting both the Tijuana River and the New River, another heavily polluted waterway that flows north through Calexico, will be considered, ensuring at least one initiative from each river receives support. Imperial Beach Mayor Mitch McKay expressed cautious optimism about the funding, emphasizing that it is not a quick fix for the long-standing crisis. While welcoming the state's contribution, he noted that the situation requires sustained effort and realistic expectations.
He reflected on years of delayed action, suggesting that declaring a state of emergency earlier could have accelerated progress. The governor's announcement also directly calls on the Trump administration to upgrade and expand the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant in San Ysidro, a federally managed facility operated by the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission. This plant, which treats sewage before it reaches the Pacific Ocean, has struggled with aging infrastructure and increasing volumes of transborder pollution.
Despite recent upgrades expanding capacity from 25 to 35 million gallons per day and a federal goal of 50 million gallons per day by 2027, Newsom's office asserts that a permanent solution remains undelivered. Assemblymember David Alvarez and San Diego County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre both praised the funding as a positive step, while urging federal and Mexican authorities to fulfill their responsibilities in addressing the binational pollution crisis
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