With the forecast arrival of the Super El Niño, two of San Diego County’s southernmost coastal cities, Imperial Beach and Coronado, could be particularly impacted. Big El Niño-related winter storms have historically slammed these neighboring cities on the south and north ends of the Silver Strand.
However, both cities have made investments in stormwater and sewage infrastructure to reduce the impacts of the major tempests we could face this winter.
Imperial Beach and Coronado are set within low-lying coastal zones surrounded by water on almost all sides that are extremely vulnerable to downpours and coastal flooding caused by heavy rain, storm surf and king tides. The same storms that cause local flooding can significantly impact Tijuana’s sewage collection and treatment infrastructure.
Resulting flood and sewage flows can create a more than 12-mile sewage plume in the Pacific emanating from the mouth of the Tijuana River. The subsequent beach closures from the U.S.-Mexico border fence to the north end of Coronado have a devastating impact on community life and the economies of both cities.
For Jeff Knox, who started surfing in Imperial Beach in the early 1960s, “The total closure of IB has completely disrupted what was once a wonderful surfing life. It has made a world class surf spot off limits.”
According to Coronado surfer and author Joe Ditler, who has also surfed since the 1960s, the pollution crisis had had a big impact on the Emerald City.
“Tourism is way down. What really makes me sad is to watch the families who travel long distances to introduce their young children to the ocean only to arrive and see signs telling them to stay out of the water.”
Historic El Niño storms in the 1980s and 1990s were a wakeup call for Imperial Beach due to coastal flooding and big surf that heavily damaged the historic fishing pier and caused ocean waters to reach more than two blocks inland from Seacoast Drive.
Subsequently, the city invested millions of dollars in improving pump stations and reducing stormwater impacts through the use of retention basins.
In Coronado, devastating rains and high tides in January 2024 resulted in record flooding. A pump station that pumps wastewater and stormwater flooded, resulting in the loss of the ability to pump floodwaters and provide sewer service in the Country Club area.
Coronado High School sophomore Benjamin Noteware remembers the flooding well.
“The Coronado Middle School lunch area outside was underwater and so were the hallways of the first floor. We were moved around to different classes and sandbags were put up everywhere.”
Since then, Coronado has invested tens of millions of dollars in improvements to its sewer and stormwater system throughout the city.
Amy Steward, a Coronado councilmember and longtime coastal advocate said, “Our Public Services and Engineering team has worked tirelessly to repair pipes and bring these projects to fruition for the community.”
The coming winter storm season will be a good test for how the new improvements will work.
Ironically, while Coronado and Imperial Beach have embraced the need to upgrade their infrastructure to reduce the impacts of coastal flooding, they are both at the mercy of flooding from Tijuana.
The leaders of Mexico’s second largest city have consistently failed to invest in Tijuana’s stormwater and sewage treatment infrastructure. They externalize storm impacts by letting San Diego, Imperial Beach and Coronado pay the true cost of their lack of sewage infrastructure and devastating flooding from precarious and badly planned urban development.
While El Niño most certainly will have a wide-ranging impact along the coast, small beach cities like Coronado and Imperial Beach need additional help in the form of regulatory reform to CEQA and NEPA, the state and federal environmental impact assessment laws.
While these laws are often good at mitigating environmentally destructive projects, they hurt our ability to quickly respond to climate change and prevent natural disasters. Government agencies should quickly approve permits and get infrastructure and recovery monies into cities so they address the increasingly rapid pace of climate change in real time instead of facing bureaucratic delays.
“Imperial Beach and Coronado have both been impacted for decades by the cross-border sewage crisis,” said Steward. “We are acutely aware of the vulnerability of our beaches and shorelines. We must remain vigilant and plan for the future.”
Serge Dedina is the Executive Director of WILDCOAST, an international organization that conserves coastal and marine ecosystems and addresses climate change through natural solutions. He served as the Mayor of Imperial Beach, where he grew up, from 2014-2022.
