Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center Hours May Be Limited to Weekends Due to State Budget Restraints

The is now open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., but due to state budget limitations the Visitor Center may only be open Saturday and Sunday.

During the week the Visitor Center acts as place for tourists, locals and others to learn about the estuary's ecosystems, species, recent bird watchings and just hang out. It also acts as headquarters to the Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge, Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve and Border Field State Park.

Closure of the Visitor Center will not impact visitors access to the estuary's trails and land or staff research. Classes will still be able to go on field trips and groups like the Tijuana Estuary Advisory Council would still be able to hold quarterly meetings during the week, said Marya Ahmad, the Estuary's Education Specialist/Research Associate.

"It means the general public won't have access to the exhibits, recent bird sightings, the book store and the information trail maps," she said. "It's the general public and the community because theres a lot of folks that live nearby that come over for five minutes."

The Tijuana Estuary is the largest coastal wetland in Southern California.

"Though weekends are certainly busier than weekdays, it’s still painful to realize that we’ll be excluding many locals and tourists from visiting the Center," said Clay Phillips, director of the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve and Acting State Parks District Superintendent who had the make the decision. "The Visitor Center is the best place for the general public to understand the significance of the Tijuana River Estuary, arguably the most important environmental jewel of the region."

The Visitor Center will remain open from Wednesday to Sunday for another few weeks thanks to funds raised by Friends of the San Diego Wildlife Refuges. To learn more about efforts to continue raising money visit the organizations's website.

It costs $10,000 a year to have a person regularly at the front desk.

"It doesn't seem like much to keep the place open five days a week, but it's just cuts across the board," Ahmad said. Cuts are also being made to maintenance and lifeguard services in other California State Parks.

Budget limitations have also restricted the ability to make necessary repairs to a road that allows visitors to enter . The gate has been locked denying vehicle access since November 2009.