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-Editorial
Local and state officials gathered today to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the New River Improvement Project – Calexico Reach, a major environmental and public health initiative to address decades of pollution in one of the most contaminated rivers in the United States.
The ceremony, held near the project site at the U.S.-Mexico border, marked the culmination of years of advocacy, planning, and nearly $48 million in state funding to mitigate health and environmental hazards caused by the New River as it flows from Mexicali into Calexico and eventually to the Salton Sea.
The New River, long notorious for its high levels of contamination from industrial, agricultural, and municipal waste, has posed serious risks to residents of Calexico and surrounding communities. According to data from CalEnviroScreen, California’s environmental justice mapping tool, the affected area—home to a predominantly Latino population—ranks in the 95th percentile for cumulative environmental impacts, including the 100th percentile for impaired waters.
Launched in 2023, the New River Improvement Project consists of three major components aimed at reducing pollution and protecting public health. The first is the installation of a trash screen at the International Boundary to intercept solid waste before it enters the United States. The second component involves the diversion and encasement of the river to reroute the most contaminated section away from Calexico’s southern neighborhoods, minimizing residents’ exposure to harmful pollutants. Lastly, the project includes a pump-back system that will redirect treated wastewater from the Calexico Wastewater Treatment Plant into the New River channel near the diversion site, helping to improve water quality and restore flow downstream.
The construction of the New River Improvement Project has been years in the making, driven by the persistent efforts of Calexico residents who have long endured the harmful effects of the river’s contamination—particularly those living on the city’s west side, where exposure to pollutants has been most severe. For decades, the community has voiced concerns about the health risks and environmental degradation caused by the polluted waterway. Through sustained advocacy, grassroots organizing, and lobbying at the state level in Sacramento, local leaders and residents pushed for meaningful action. After years of determination and collaboration, the project has finally reached its conclusion, marking a significant victory for environmental justice in Calexico.