New IB Patch Species Series to Explore Biodiversity in Imperial Beach's Backyard, the Tijuana Estuary

It's an often unappreciated place, but is one of the most biologically diverse places in a county with, according to experts, more biodiversity than any other in the continental United States.

Birds migrating from central America to Canada and Alaska rely on it, the largest coastal wetland in southern California.

Welcome to Imperial Beach’s backyard - the , a track of land teeming with life nestled in the nation's most southwestern beach community.

Here you can find World War II military bunkers, Kumeyaay artifacts thousands of years old, Border Monumment number 258 on the U.S.-Mexico border and hundreds of species of plants, animals and other life.

With the establishment of in 1971 and the Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge in 1980, what is now known as the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve has been three decades in the making with a Visitor Center on Caspian Way built in 1990.

Since then, collections of agencies charged with its protection have fought to restore native habitats, look after endangered species and manage wastewater and sediment collection near the Tijuana River Estuary and Border Field State Park.

Tourists come from around the world to see its many birds and habitats, but most people who live in IB recognize the estuary as a jogging route, your child’s favorite afternoon outing and where you can ride a horse on the beach. Even before it was officially protected, people walked through remnants of spring’s bloom and watched as herons rested regally in the reeds.

The estuary is a critical breeding and feeding ground for close to 400 species of birds, several of which are endangered like the light-footed Clapper Rail.

Estuaries, also known as interior bays, sounds, lagoons and sloughs, are most often located where rivers meet the sea, and according to California State Parks, the state has lost 90 percent of its estuaries to development.

Organisms are constantly forced to adapt as tides, water circulation, winds and climate create a unique environment constantly in flux. To get technical for a second, your estuary down the street is a barrier dune estuary with good tidal flushing in the northern area.

And if you’re not sure what any of that means, this is the place for you.

Every Tuesday we’ll get to know the hometown wetland by introducing plants and animals that call the surrounding Tijuana River area home. By exploring the challenges of preservation and celebrating the beauty of indigenous species, we hope to illuminate an important aspect of Imperial Beach life. 

To plan a trip or get involved with activities, visit the estuary's official website.