For decades, the Tijuana River has been more than merely a geographical feature on the U.S.-Mexico border — it’s also persisted as an environmental hazard.
Since the 1970’s, untreated sewage flows have polluted the river, contaminating beaches from the California communities of Coronado to La Jolla and disrupting both military operations and civilian life. Generations of service members stationed along the Silver Strand in San Diego County have trained, lived and worked under the shadow of this cross-border contamination problem.
For Naval Special Warfare units, the ocean is an operational environment. SEAL candidates train daily in the surf zone, practicing timed swims, underwater navigation and small-boat handling. When bacterial counts spike, training is curtailed or moved, disrupting schedules and adding logistical strain…