Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve (TRNERR)

Program Manager Reports Report Period: January 1, 2020 through June 30, 2020

TASK: REFUGE MANAGER REPORT Brian Collins, Refuge Manager, San Diego Bay NWR and Tijuana Slough NWR

1. PERSONNEL San Diego NWR Complex personnel have been mostly teleworking since mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic in efforts to reduce staff exposure to community transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. We are working to catch up on a backlog of field tasks such as trimming vegetation along trails, removing trash, and overseeing construction contracts, work that we unable to accomplish during the earlier season work shutdowns due to COVID-19. Our staff and partners have been working hard to salvage the research and biological monitoring season. We are not yet able to authorize our volunteers to return, due to the ongoing risk of community spread of the virus. We miss them, immensely!

We are however, happy to report that the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex has hired two new permanent staff members. Julie Gonzalez is our new Park Ranger working on our Urban Wildlife Refuge program and Nancy Fernandez is our new Park Ranger working on public communications primarily via social media.

2. WILDLIFE Terns and Plovers Nesting season for Western Snowy Plovers and California Least Terns is still in process. Total nests for least terns so far this season is 97 north of the river with 106 south of the river at Border Field State Park. Plovers established 34 nests north of the river with 22 on the south side. Productivity estimates for this season are not yet available.

Light-footed Ridgway’s rails This year conditions for our endangered Ridgway’s rails seem to have improved within the estuary since the river mouth’s most recent closure in 2017. While the populations in coastal wetlands throughout their range in southern California seem to be struggling, the population at Tijuana Estuary seems to have made a bit of a comeback from the severely low pair estimate of 29 pairs in 2019. In 2020, due to COVID-19 restrictions on field work at the height of the rail monitoring season, rigorous call counts were not feasible to conduct, but there seems to be significantly more activity detected in our marsh this season compared to last.

We have been working for many years with many partners on our zoological propagation program for the species (San Diego Zoo Global, SeaWorld San Diego, Living Coast Discovery Center, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and others). We are also now working with a team of biological researchers from USGS, the University of Idaho, and Idaho State University on several new fronts. We are collaborating on the development of a modified standardized monitoring protocol for the species, a genomics analysis of individual rails across the range of the Ridgway’s rail feeding chick a beetle along North McCoy Trail species, and a habitat usage model using June, 2020 (photo courtesy of David Arkin). satellite telemetry data of individual bird movements, comparing detections with habitat metrics using remote sensing data. Wild birds live-trapped in the field and birds released from our zoological breeding program are being fitted with satellite tags in 2020 to compare movements, habitat usage, and survivorship of young of the year rails bred in captivity with those born in the wild. We now have a number of rails in the estuary that have been fitted with satellite transmitters to study the movements of these birds. The map below shows signals from a number of young rails over a several day period in late July.

Tijuana River Mouth We continue monitoring the situation at the river mouth and are prepared to reopen the mouth when and if it closes Preliminary Satellite tracks of 7 individually radio-tagged rails at again to tidal circulation. As a reminder, Tijuana Estuary July 2020 (Image courtesy of Dr. Courtney Conway) the mouth closed 4 times in 2016 and early 2017 leading to severely detrimental effects to the wetland ecosystem and the wildlife community that inhabits it. Water quality within the estuary has been poor all summer long with near-constant wastewater flows coming into the wetland from sources in Mexico. This is unusual, as most wastewater flows historically have occurred primarily during the wet seasons. We have not observed large-scale wildlife impacts resulting from these flows, although the dissolved oxygen in the water looked consistently low through July, likely indicating a eutrophic condition. Ironically, the nutrients contained within these flows serve to fertilize the marsh plants, and this has led to the Tijuana Estuary marsh hosting the thickest emergent marsh vegetation in the California range of the light-footed Ridgway’s rails. The degree of emergent cover is associated with higher survival probability for these secretive marsh birds whose population was severely impacted by the closure events in 2016.

Biological Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) I reported earlier that the USFWS I&M staff have been assisting the San Diego NWR Complex with collecting and archiving all relevant biological data generated by or about the refuge past and current. Through this formal process, we are creating a record that identifies key ecological attributes and associated indicators of the health of priority Refuge resources. The project also archives historical data to inform the development of a Refuge I&M Plan that will serve to inform future management of our precious wildlife communities and wetland habitat resources.

3. PUBLIC USE PROJECTS Imperial Beach Boulevard Enhancement Project The City of Imperial Beach’s improvement project along Imperial Beach Blvd is nearly completed.

Observation Deck Replacement The replacement of the two decks near the corner of 3rd and Imperial Beach Blvd is nearing construction. We expect work to start in August 2020, with project completion sometime in September or early October. This project will serve to link into the City New Tijuana Estuary Entry area at 3rd and I.B. of Imperial Beach’s green infrastructure developed by the City of Imperial Beach in improvement project along I.B. Blvd. collaboration with Reserve staff.

Engineering Drawing of Proposed Deck near 3rd and I.B. with Accessibility Ramp

Seacoast Drive Interpretive Plaza The USFWS Seacoast Drive Interpretive Plaza project is complete, and provides accessible access to a newly refurbished and redesigned interpretive area that includes four interpretive panels, two benches and two telescopes (telescopes to be installed in late summer).

Southern Border Fuels Management Initiative The USFWS received funding from the Department of Homeland Security to conduct fuels control to reduce the risk of wildfire, improve USFWS Seacoast Drive Interpretive Plaza the patrol conditions for Border Patrol field agents, and to improve the habitat conditions on the Refuge by the removal of invasive plants, especially targeting giant cane, tamarisk and castor bean. Removal work of invasive exotic species associated with this project within Tijuana Slough NWR is slated to begin around September 1st. We have contracted with the California Conservation Corps to conduct the field work.

Mosquito Abatement We continue collaborative work with the County of San Diego Department of Environmental Health Vector Control Division on conducting vector control and Southern Border Fuels Management Initiative- treatment area outlined in red surveillance within the Tijuana Estuary.

Bonhomme Richard Fire On Sunday July 12th, the USS Bonhomme Richard assault ship caught fire while docked at Naval Station San Diego. Firefighters and sailors battled the fire for four days. USFWS staff were part of the unified regional response team organized by the Navy and US Coast Guard. Our role was to assist the unified team in deploying mitigation measures in response to this emergency to reduce the likelihood of the potential for significant contamination of the San Diego Bay’s ecosystems. Fortunately, large-scale fuel spills into the bay were avoided, but in preparation for that potentiality, floating booms were deployed in many areas surrounding sensitive habitats within the bay. Although there were no significant oil or fuel spills into San Diego Bay, aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) was used to smother the fire. A ‘minimal’ amount of AFFF, a mixture of water and highly concentrated detergent, made it into the bay. More rigorous water quality testing near the incident site may be needed to understand its possible impact on the wetland ecosystems of San Diego Bay.

Boom deployment locations (image courtesy of US Coast Guard).

Booms deployed in the Sweetwater River Flood Control Channel (all booms have subsequently been removed) TASK: OVERSIGHT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF RESERVE OPERATIONS Chris Peregrin, TRNERR Reserve Manager, California State Parks

1. Coordinated Implementation of Reserve Programs The Reserve Manager worked to respond to the Necessary Action and the Recommendations identified in the Reserve’s 312 findings.

The Reserve Manager attended the annual NOAA West Coast Regional meeting in Oakland, California January 22-24. The Reserve Manager worked closely California Coastal Commission & State Coastal Conservancy staff among other NOAA programs.

The Reserve Manager contributed to the NERRA virtual board meeting January 27.

The Assistant Reserve Manager has been assigned the role of Cooperating Association Liaison for the Southwest Wetlands Interpretive Association and is now attending the regular SWIA Board Meetings.

The Reserve Manager continued coordination with CA State Parks Peace Officers and seasonal lifeguards to support Reserve operations through public safety.

The Reserve Manager continued work with the Education Coordinator and TRNERR Program Managers to further the development of the Reserve’s Interpretive Master Plan. The contract with the consultant was extended through fiscal year 2020 (see also Education).

The Reserve Manager and the Assistant Reserve Manager continued regular communication with State Parks San Diego Coast District (SDCD) Natural Resources team to further align programmatic support and integration (see also Stewardship).

The Reserve Manager and Assistant Reserve Manager worked with the TRNERR Program Managers on the new Margaret Davidson Fellowship program-a renewed program to bring graduate research fellows back to the NERR (see also Coastal Training Program and Research).

The Reserve Manager attended regular CA State Parks SDCD Manager Team Meetings. One of the goals of this engagement is to ensure effective integration of Reserve programs with CA State Parks operations. During this period, the frequency of the SDCD Manager Team Meetings increased to daily scheduled calls in response to COVID-19. The Reserve Manager served as part of the SDCD pandemic response team, working to integrate direction from Federal, State, and County Public Health Departments and, with direction form CA State Parks leadership, to develop and implement protocols and practices for workplace and park safety. In response to COVID-19, the park units in the San Diego Coast District were closed to the public in March. Since that time, some of the park units in the SDCD have re-opened to public use. The Tijuana Estuary and Border Field State Park remain closed to the public, with the exception of trail use north of the Tijuana River Mouth.

2. Management of Reserve Budget The Reserve Manager continued work with the Assistant Reserve Manager and CA State Parks Administration staff to manage the NOAA & CA State Parks Operations Budgets. This reporting period constituted the bulk of purchasing and encumbering for the FY18 fiscal year.

The Reserve Manager continued work with the Assistant Reserve Manager and CA State Parks Administration staff to manage the Nelson Sloan Quarry Restoration grants administration process. The Nelson Sloan Quarry project is funded through two separate grants from the State of California. Establishment of these grants has posed some administrative challenges, including the development of new funding pathways, and alignment of these grants within the State of California’s new financial management system- “Fi$Cal.” During this reporting period, the Assistant Reserve Manager led the development and submittal of a supplemental grant request to the State Coastal Conservancy for an additional $250,000 to support unforeseen expenses associated with this effort, including the discovery of the federally endangered Quino checkerspot butterfly, increased complexity in the CA Environmental Quality Act compliance and analysis, and elevated collaboration with the partner agencies.

The Reserve Manager continued work with the Assistant Reserve Manager, CTP Coordinator and Binational Liaison; and SWIA Executive staff to coordinate budgets for the current grant through NOAA’s Marine Debris program. The Goat Canyon Sediment Basin funding is used as a matching grant source and the tasks of these programs are aligned and coordinated to support a more-comprehensive effort toward the management of cross-border pollution.

3. Protection and Restoration of the Tijuana River Valley The Reserve Manager worked with the Assistant Reserve Manager to manage Goat Canyon Sediment Basin maintenance activity associated with the fall 2019 basin excavation. During this period, the Contractor was forced to delay work due to flooding and COVID-19 closures. Work resumed in June and is anticipated to run through August/September (see also Stewardship). During this period, the Reserve Manager worked with CA State Parks Contract Specialists locally and in Sacramento to develop contract documents, advertise, bid, and award the contract to perform maintenance for the upcoming season.

The Reserve Manager continued work with the Assistant Reserve Manager, design staff from CA State Parks Southern Service Center, CA State Parks Administrative staff, and the State’s project consultant (Dudek) to continue on-the-ground studies and design work for the completion of the final design and environmental review for the Nelson Sloan Quarry Restoration Project. During this period, the contract with Dudek was amended for time and money to accommodate unforeseen project complexity (see item #2 above) and work continued with the granting entities (CA Department of Water Resources and San Diego County Water Authority) toward amending the grant agreement to reflect these needs.

The Reserve Manager continued work with the TRNERR Research Coordinator, SWIA Project Management, and project consultants to further the design for the Tijuana Estuary Tidal Restoration Program. This project seeks to restore roughly 80 acres of salt marsh within the Reserve (see also Research).

The Reserve Manager and the San Diego Coast District Superintendent contributed to a stakeholder meeting held by CalEPA to discuss alternatives around a proposed $35million allocation in the Governor’s proposed statewide budget; the allocation was intended to address Tijuana River pollution issues but was ultimately removed from the final state budget.

The Reserve Manager continued engagement as a local stakeholder with USEPA and North American Development Bank/Border Environment Cooperation Commission to initiate a diagnostic study of the water and wastewater infrastructure on the US-Mexico border in the Tijuana River Watershed. This effort seeks to identify issues with this infrastructure that contribute toward cross-border pollution, and to prioritize improvements that will ultimately resolve the wastewater and freshwater discharges into the Tijuana River. During this award period, efforts were directed toward aligning this work with the $300million allocation in the federal government through the United States-Mexico- Canada Agreement. The Reserve Manager will serve on the Inter-Agency Consultation Group for this effort, representing the CA Natural Resources Agency and the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve.

The Reserve Manager continued engagement with the US International Boundary and Water Commission on the implementation of Minute 320 to the 1944 US and Mexico Water Treaty. The Reserve Manager has been asked to serve as the coordinator for the sediment working group. It is anticipated that the sediment working group will focus on project and program alternatives, which will be summarized and reported to the Minute 320 Binational Core Group. Two other working groups have been established with similar charge including, solid waste and water quality. These efforts toward Minute 320 implementation reflect a renewed and reorganized effort from the USIBWC under Commissioner Harkins.

The Reserve Manager continued work with the TRNERR Research Coordinator, CA State Parks resource managers, and external researchers to collaborate on project planning for a dune restoration research project (“Using Green Engineering Techniques to Restore Coastal Sand Dunes in Border Field State Park, San Diego, California”) involving California Ocean Protection Council, California Sea Grant Program, and the University of Southern California Sea Grant Program. During this award period site monitoring continued.

The Reserve Manager continued work with the Assistant Reserve Manager, CTP Coordinator and Binational Liaison to coordinate the NOAA Marine Debris 2018 grant efforts.

The Reserve Manager continued collaboration with the Tijuana River Valley Recovery Team (TRVRT). Collaboration through this award period included maintenance of connections via conference calls and internet-based meetings.

The Reserve Manager continued worked with CA State Parks staff and Scripps researcher to facilitate access and use of Monument Mesa as a research site focused on bio-aerosols.

4. Development of TRNERR Partnerships The Reserve Manager continued work with the Assistant Reserve Manager on community outreach for the Nelson Sloan Quarry Restoration Project, and the development of a multi-jurisdictional operations agreement for long-term management of this project. The Nelson Sloan Quarry Restoration Project offers a great opportunity for development of TRNERR partnerships, as it will allow for a cost-effective location for the placement of sediment dredged from flood control channels, retention basins, and restoration projects in the river valley. These management actions are shared across city, county, state, and federal entities in the Tijuana River Valley; development of a shared- use agreement will require close partnership and collaborative efforts.

The Reserve Manager, the Education Coordinator, and the State Park District Superintendent hosted Executive Board members for Parks California- a newly established non-profit focused on supporting CA State Parks for a tour of Tijuana Estuary on January 9.

The Reserve Manager represented CA State Parks and the NERR in a multi-agency and international response to a flooding condition in Matadero Canyon in Mexico upstream from the Reserve. On Friday, January 3, 2020, the Mexican Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission notified the U.S. Section (USIBWC) that an eight-foot diameter drainage pipe underneath the Tijuana-Ensenada Highway in Tijuana adjacent to the U.S. border was blocked with unknown objects. This caused water to back up in Mexico on the south side of the highway at depths reaching over 20 feet. The flooding inundated a sewage management facility resulting in release of sewage-contaminated water into the impounded rainwater run-off. CESPT, a wastewater utility in Mexico, initiated pumping water around the blockage to Smuggler’s Gulch, the canyon that drains from Mexico into the United States. The water was then pumped to the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBIWTP) in San Diego for treatment. The response to this incident continued for several weeks with concerns around failure of the highway berm and a subsequent release of these waters resulting in downstream flooding. This incident contributed to decisions around closure of Border Field State Park at that time. Ultimately, this collaboration resulted in the development of an international emergency response working group led by the IBWC.

The Reserve Manager worked with the Assistant Reserve Manager and TRNERR core staff to support the quarterly TRNERR Advisory Council meetings. During this award period, an Advisory Council meeting was held on February 4. Presentations included:

1. Matadero Canyon Flooding (Smuggler’s Gulch) The Advisory Council discussed the on-going flooding situation in Matadero Canyon (Smuggler’s Gulch on the Tijuana side) which started during the late December rain event, led by Chris Peregrin, TRNERR. 2. Border Field State Park Trail Closure Chris Peregrin, TRNERR, led a discussion on the recent closure of Border Field State Park.

The Reserve Manager and the Research Coordinator presented on NERR program, project and initiatives at the Board meeting for the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board March 5.

The Reserve Manager continued work with the Coastal Training Program and the Bi- national Liaison to coordinate interest from US EPA Trash Free Waters program.

The Reserve Manager worked with OCM staff and the Reserve Managers for Elkhorn Slough NERR and San Francisco Bay NERR to meet with the Ocean Protection Council to outline programmatic linkages for between the NERRS and the OPC’s STRATEGIC PLAN to Protect California’s Coast and Ocean 2020–2025.

5. Oversight of Reserve Facilities and Public Access Opportunities The Reserve Manager worked with State Parks Administration staff, and State Parks maintenance crew, to manage and maintain the TRNERR headquarters and reserve facilities.

In response to COVID-19, the park units in the San Diego Coast District were closed to the public in March. Since that time, some of the park units in the SDCD have re-opened to public use. The Tijuana Estuary and Border Field State Park remain closed to the public, with the exception of trail use north of the Tijuana River Mouth.

The Reserve Manager worked with the State Parks Administration Team and the State Park Maintenance Supervisor to hire four additional seasonal Maintenance Aides to support increased demand for facility sanitation due to COVID-19. We are excited to have them on our team.

TASK: EDUCATION PROGRAM Anne Marie Tipton, TRNERR Education Coordinator, California State Parks

1. Development and Implementation of Education Programs A. Formal and Non-formal Teacher Training The March Tijuana Estuary Explorers teacher training was attended by one teacher, two volunteers, and one staff member.

B. Student-centered Formal and Informal programs Before the Visitor Center was closed, five elementary, four middle, and one high school (moderately disabled) programs were conducted. Mueller Middle Charter School came again (4 times) this year because the weather was nicer.

Reserve educators were ready to respond to the pandemic with virtual programs thanks to the Reserve education staff attending professional development in the fall and developing the California State Parks, Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students (PORTS) Detecting a Changing Climate (DACC) middle and high school virtual field trip. This program was delivered on January 29 for the first time. Since March, we provided seven high school and five middle school DACC, three middle school Salt Marshes and Climate Change, and eight elementary Salt Marsh Secrets programs. The programs were conducted as either Home Learning Program webinars or classroom virtual field trips. The Education Program also led a few community college virtual programs. A total of 1,073 students were reached with these programs.

The Pew Charitable Trusts published an article about the virtual programs in the NERRS and our Reserve was included in that article because the Education Program’s quick response with PORTS Home Learning Programs. This article is a good summary of the Education Program’s work: https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and- analysis/articles/2020/05/27/national-estuarine-research-reserves-go-virtual-during- covid-19-response.

The following landing page on our website with resources for at-home learning was also developed: https://trnerr.org/digital-resources-for-at-home-learning/.

Junior Rangers took place until March 5 and were then cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.

C. Interpretation The Reserve had a very large turnout, 55 people, at the annual King Tide Hike on January 11. Most of the content of this tour is about the Sentinel Site monitoring.

Reserve Educators and three docents participated in Love Your Wetlands Day on February 1 at the Kendall Frost salt marsh in Mission Bay. The event was from 10-4pm, and 50 event attendees visited our booth.

Education and Research staff decided to skip the San Diego Science Expo at Petco Park this year in order to focus on other pressing projects.

As in formal education, the Reserve pivoted rather quickly to replace docent-led walks and special events in a virtual platform. The first Facebook Live program was on April 2 and focused on native and non-native plants. The Reserve has been hosting what was later called Lunchtime Live programs every Tuesday at noon ever since. The videos get at least 200 views within 24 hours. The most popular program so far took place on June 23 titled Salt Marsh Series: Life in a Dynamic Environment with 952 viewers.

Reserve Educators also ramped up social media and tried to include nature and bird walk docents in writing Facebook posts and e-newsletter articles. The Reserve recently got a free Adventure Lab virtual geocaching account through State Parks to develop two geocaching tours where we usually conduct docent-led tours. The Education Program hopes to complete the geocaching tours by fall.

San Diego was a part of the international City Nature Challenge iNaturalist bioblitz the weekend of April 22-27, 2020. This year, people were encouraged to do it closer to home. Post Doc Uyeda developed a video on how to use iNaturalist that was posted on the Reserve’s Facebook and YouTube that got over 700 views.

The World Migratory Bird Day event on March 14, 2020 at the South Bay National Wildlife Refuge with our FWS partners was cancelled due to COVID-19.

The topic for the February Speaker Series was Adaptive Management. The Education Program tried to have the April and June Speaker series virtually, but the speakers did not want to provide the program online.

The Interpretive Master Plan is almost complete. The Reserve has extend the contract to June 2021 to complete additional review and to focus on the Interpretive Action Plan.

D. Visitor Services The Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center closed on March 12, 2020 due to COVID-19. Before that, 2,061 visitors come to the Visitor Center.

2. Production of Outreach Materials Reserve Educators produced an e-newsletter every month of this period including highlighting volunteers, special events, and accomplishments.

Three videos were created for Facebook and YouTube where Reserve staff highlighted the following: 1. How to use iNaturalist, 2. Collecting Weather Data w the CR1000, and 3. Celebrating Earth Day with Carbon Sequestration.

3. Volunteer Capacity Building The Information Ambassador training in April was cancelled due to COVID-19. See above about how volunteers were engaged while the Visitor Center was closed.

4. Environmental education and interpretive capacity and leadership roles Education Coordinator Tipton hosted a San Diego Exhibit Experience Group professional development exhibit evaluation at the San Diego Presidio on February 26, 2020 for 15 museum educators.

Task: Coastal Training Program (CTP) Dr. Kristen Goodrich, TRNERR CTP Coordinator, Southwest Wetlands Interpretive Association

1. Assess the regional need for equity trainings to inform climate planning The Regional Adaptation Needs Assessment (NA) was released in June 2020. The NA was designed to inform regional and local planning efforts and to strengthen the linkage between existing mitigation and adaptation planning efforts. The NA is multi-disciplinary, addressing multiple climate impacts to best identify cross-sectoral needs and future opportunities for collaboration. Funding for the NA was awarded to SANDAG via a Caltrans Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) adaptation planning grant, with the San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative (SDRCC) as a sub-recipient. CTP partnered with SDRCC to complete the NA. With SDRCC, CTP is analyzing the NA results as it relates to training (alongside the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion market analysis that was completed in this award period) to determine greatest/immediate needs, new information, and available resources. A facilitated discussion will occur at the next SDRCC Adaptation Planning Working Group in August 2020 to determine next steps. Considerations are being made to adjust training delivery platform from in-person to virtual.

2. Formalize partnership with the SDRCC as an official network training provider In the last reporting period, the SDRCC-CTP training partnership was formalized. Since, CTP delivered an online training How to Plan and Facilitate an Engaging Virtual Meeting to members, in response to the need brought upon by the pandemic. Additionally, CTP has provided monthly training resources via the monthly newsletter featuring NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management digital coast virtual offerings. CTP was invited by SDRCC to inform the development of the San Diego Region Coastal Exchange led by the Resilient Cities Catalyst to be held in July 2020.

3. Develop a collaboration guide to identify priority efforts within the binational watershed In this reporting period, CTP developed a collaboration guide in Spanish that outlined a framework for best practices for identifying priority efforts during government administration transitions, in order to obtain better outcomes in these periods. The guide describes the actions to be taken by the CTP in partnership with the new Mexican government staff in order to maximize opportunities for training and technical assistance delivery. Areas of focus include transboundary issues that require binational coordination including sediment and solid waste management and stormwater/water quality.

4. Leverage efforts to reduce plastic pollution in the Tijuana Estuary CTP continued to provide training and technical assistance to decision-makers in state and local government in Tijuana and Tecate on the topic of plastic pollution (in particular, pollution originating from single use plastic bags), to leverage projects funded by the Border 2020 U.S.-Mexico Environmental Program and NOAA’s Marine Debris Program. Additionally, training was provided to businesses and NGOs on municipal policy regarding the ban of single-use plastic bags. Highlights of the multi-year effort, including knowledge transfer from Baja California to La Paz, Baja California Sur, and San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, can be found here.

5. Continue to provide strategic CTP technical assistance and workshop/training CTP delivered trainings in this reporting period that are documented in the performance monitoring database. Notably, in partnership with NOAA’s Digital Coast, a training on green infrastructure was hosted in February 2020. Well attended and received, this training has led to the convening of a workgroup to develop a green infrastructure manual for adoption by the state. CTP is facilitating an ongoing working group focusing on this outcome, ultimately to inform state-level policy.

Various technical assistance was provided to coastal decision-makers in this reporting period. A detailed list can be found here.

The CTP Coordinator also continues to serve on the NERRS Science Collaborative and California Shore and Beach Preservation Association boards.

TASK: STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM Lorena Warner-Lara, TRNERR Assistant Reserve Manager, California State Parks

1. Habitats downstream of the Goat Canyon Sediment Basin protected from catastrophic sedimentation and trash inundation The 2020 State contract for maintenance of the Goat Sediment Basin was awarded to Engineering/Remediation Resources Group, Inc. (ERRG). Work was put on hold due to flooding and COVID-19. In June, work was reinitiated to process and haul 25,000 cubic yards of material off-site. It is anticipated to continue through August/September.

Assistant Reserve Manager continues working on the Nelson Sloan Quarry Restoration Project with State Coastal Conservancy and consultant (Dudek) on final design and environmental review. This project will help with long-term stabilization of Goat Canyon activities (see also Oversight & Implementation).

2. Sensitive plant and animal species habitat protected The Stewardship Program maintained existing fencing and signage along dunes and coastal bluffs. Dune fencing was coordinated with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

3. Critical monitoring needs identified to maintain habitat health and monitor impacts to sensitive species and restoration projects The Stewardship Program facilitated continued monitoring of California gnatcatcher, least Bell’s vireo, California least tern, and Western snowy plover in the Reserve. Due to COVID-19 and the hard closure of Border Field State Park as a result of flooding, many of these surveys either were put on hold or had delayed starts. Once safety protocols were established, work continued/commenced. The State contract for least Bell’s vireo surveys was awarded to Blackhawk Environmental for the 2020 survey season. Biologists from CA State Parks Southern Service Center conducted the California gnatcatcher 2020 surveys. Regular plover and tern monitoring began in March 2020 and will continue until September 2020. This work is largely accomplished through contract with a private consultant and through our partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff at Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge.

4. On-going restoration and enhancement projects continue trajectory toward healthy vegetation communities and integrate into functional ecosystem components with continued outreach opportunities The Stewardship program is currently down staff, former Stewardship Associate Patterson’s position has not been filled yet, and hiring delays are expected due to COVID-19. The Assistant Reserve Manager also works as an Environmental Scientist for the Stewardship Program, however is not funded by this award or counted as match.

Retired Annuitant Environmental Scientist continued maintenance of priority restoration sites. Although worked was delayed due to COVID-19 and hard closure of the Park.

CSP San Diego Coast District Natural Resources Staff have initiated a stewardship project focused on monitoring, site protection, invasive plant control, seed collection, propagation for restoration of rare plant habitat for Orcutt’s liveforever (Dudleya attenuata ssp. attenuata) within the Reserve.

Assistant Reserve Manager scheduled the first 2020 Tijuana River Action Month (TRAM) planning meeting for early July with the Binational Liaison (CTP), Volunteer Coordinator, and Education Specialist to begin thinking about modifications to the annual series of events due to the pandemic. Shortly after a meeting will be convened with the various land managers and public stakeholder groups that form the Tijuana River Action Network to begin planning efforts for the month-long community-based clean-up and outreach event within and adjacent to the Tijuana River NERR. TRAM runs September through October for 4-5 weeks. A portion of the Binational Liaison’s time is funded through the NOAA Marine Debris grant.

5. Identify public access and safety issues within the Reserve In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Reserve Manager worked with State Parks District staff to incorporate County and State guidelines in development of Public Safety closures and protocols for the Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center, grounds, and Border Field State Park. The Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center and Border Field State Park were closed to all public access in March 2020. We anticipate all trails around the Visitor Center to open in August.

Monument Road and the Beach Trail were heavily impacted by Goat Canyon flooding this season. The Assistant Reserve Manager and Administrative Assistant worked with the Reserve Manager to process contracting to clear sediment from Monument Road and restore the route for vehicle and pedestrian travel.

State Parks maintenance staff worked to maintain public use facilities at Monument Mesa.

TRNERR Program Managers, led by Education Coordinator Tipton, worked with the City of Imperial Beach on roadway and pedestrian access improvements that beautify the entrance to the Reserve and facilitate access from the City’s business district and beach to the Visitor Center.

The Reserve Manager worked with the TRNERR Program Managers, and State Park District Chief Ranger, to improve communication around water quality issues and beach closures initiated by the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health.

TASK: INVASIVES Lorena Warner-Lara, TRNERR Assistant Reserve Manager, California State Parks

1. High quality nesting habitat for CA Least Tern and Western Snowy Plover CSP Retired Annuitant Environmental Scientist treated 386 colonies of ice plant (Carpobrotus edulis) Year # ice plant treated throughout the dune systems at Border Field State 2020 386 colonies Park. The table shows a comparison over the last eight 2019 418 colonies years. The work was completed on two different dates 2018 Too many to count in January. 2017 375 colonies 2016 310 colonies 2. High Quality Habitat for Riparian Birds 2015 500 individuals Despite delays due to COVID-19 closures, CSP 2014 886 individuals Retired Annuitant Environmental Scientist, primarily 2013 1,600 individuals treated castor bean (Ricinus communis), giant reed (Arundo donax), and tamarisk (Tamarix ramosissima) throughout the Goat Canyon drainage this period. Other plants treated included fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), lens-pod white top (Lepidium draba), and black mustard (Brassica nigra), bristly ox-tongue (Helminthotheca echioides), black mustard (Brassica nigra), and globe daisy (Glebionis coronaria). CSP District Natural Resources staff assisted in annual treatment of St. John’s wort (Hypericum ssp.).

TASK: TEACHERS ON THE ESTUARY Anne Marie Tipton, TRNERR Education Coordinator, California State Parks

1. Educators increase their knowledge of and appreciation of estuarine and watershed environments, as well as the necessary skills, to act as stewards of estuarine and watershed resources. Due to COVID-19, plans are being made for a virtual TOTE in the fall. We are coordinating with NOAA education leads.

TASK: RESEARCH COORDINATION Dr. Jeff Crooks, TRNERR Research Coordinator, Southwest Wetlands Interpretive Association

1. Research by TRNERR staff increases local knowledge The Research Program currently consists of a Research Coordinator, a Post-Doctoral Researcher, two full-time Research Associates, and several part-time Research Assistants. These employees are supported in part by this award (NOAA and matching funds) as well as leveraged external funding. Given COVID-19 restrictions, much of this has been done remotely, although we now are able to do limited field and lab work. We have, however, suspended our volunteer program indefinitely.

During this reporting period, we have focused on data management, analyses, and delivery of information in a variety of formats. In particular, our GIS specialists (M.Almeida and Dr. Uyeda) have been working on StoryMaps as a communication tool. This includes a restoration story map for the Reserve System (https://maps.trnerr.org/NERRSRestore/) as well as a story map documenting research on the invasive Kuroshio Shot Hole Borer in the Tijuana River Valley (https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/781103a85cf048eda2e179adf3cc3f13).

The Research Program also have begun to more fully explore the use of community science platforms, such as iNaturalist, both by contributing observations during (socially-distanced) outings as well tracking what others are finding in local systems of interest.

2. TETRP offers opportunities for coupled science / management We continue to make progress on TETRP, but, as might be expected, the project has been experiencing some delays. This is due to a variety of factors, but COVID-19 has had an effect, as has a year that has seen significant transboundary flows of contaminated water (which still continue). In terms of the restoration plan, work has centered around determining elevations necessary to achieve the desired habitats. Model results by the contracted engineering firm results gave somewhat different elevations for the key habitat breaks (e.g., low marsh to high marsh) than our recent RTK assessments of extant habitats, which occurred just prior to COVID-19 shutdowns. These have been reconciled so that continued modeling could be done. This reflects a larger uncertainty that is common in many local restoration projects about exactly what plants will grow where. This is due to both variability in extant local conditions as well as anticipating changing conditions due to sea level rise. The TETRP Science Advisory Team, chaired by the Research Coordinator, has identified this is a topic of interest. When this group convenes next, we will discuss research, monitoring, and adaptive management associated with vegetation across elevation zones (both near-term and in relation to climate change).

3. Understanding restoration success at the South Bay Salt Ponds In order to track the vegetation trends in the South San Diego Bay restoration site, we have been monitoring the project since 2013, focusing on growth of plants in experimental plots. The treatments included plantings of cordgrass, Spartina foliosa, using the following treatments: use of nursery grown plants, transplant of intact sediment plugs, bare root transplants (which are relatively cost effective), and no- planting controls. Spartina cover data reveal some clear trends. In the first two years, there were marked increases in cordgrass cover, particularly in the sediment plug and nursery grown treatments. Cover decreased starting in 2015 and has remained relatively low since. Despite these low numbers, however, there is an apparent treatment effect, with nursery grown plants and sediment plugs outperforming bare root transplants and controls. This is being written up in a paper for the scientific literature. This information also will be used to help guide future marsh restoration.

4. TRNERR is used as a reference site Salt marsh monitoring, conducted by UCSB as part of the mitigation project in north San Diego County, occurs in the fall. UCSB scientists have prepared the results, which were recently presented. Program description and past monitoring reports are available at: http://marinemitigation.msi.ucsb.edu/mitigation_projects/wetland/index.html.

5. The Reserve offers attractive opportunities for researchers Research has been hampered by poor weather, water quality concerns, and COVID-19 (reflecting state, local, and university restrictions). Several projects continue, however, and have included limited field work. These include:

. Hypoxia dynamics, led by Scripps and funded by NCCOS Coastal Hypoxia Research Project (CHRP). We have had difficulty accessing field sites in recent months, but fortunately telemetered dataloggers have continued to provide valuable information.

. Two NCCOS Ecological Effects of Sea Level Rise (EESLR) projects are underway at the Reserve, one led by the CA Coastal Conservancy and one by UC Irvine. These are focused largely on modelling, so this work has progressed during COVID shutdowns.

. The CA Ocean Protection Council and Sea Grant are funding a project on dune restoration. Fortunately, the bulk of this year’s field work was able to be completed before shutdowns. Further sampling is anticipated in the fall and should give a picture of a number of approaches for restoring dunes.

. Researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography are conducting a study of bioaerosols, including airborne contaminants. This topic is of great interest to the community and stakeholders (such as Border Patrol). Fortunately, they have been able to access to their field site at Border Field, with assistance from the Border Patrol, who allows them to use their roads for site access.

. Patterns of contamination in the river and estuary, led by San Diego State University. This has switched to largely analyses of existing data, which includes TRNERR working with the California State University COAST Program to support a summer intern. She will be working remotely to analyze her water quality data for the River Valley. We are also working with SDSU scientists on deploying additional instruments in the estuary, which will complement SWMP sampling. This work intersects with our NFWF-funded project on long-term patterns of pollution-driven change in the estuary.

6. Assessment and tracking of estuarine resilience to change There have been several “natural experiments” in the last several months which have provided a valuable opportunity to learn about a variety of stressors and estuarine responses to them. One of the primary drivers of estuarine conditions is the status of the river mouth. This year saw heavy rainfall and high volumes of river flow, but a modest wave climate. This resulted in the elevation of the tidal sill at the mouth being as low as it has been in years, as indicated by water levels measured at our SWMP station. This helps confirm our understanding of how these tidal inlets function, being a balance of tidal action, river flow, and wave action.

Typically, an open mouth condition such as we have seen would be expected to limit hypoxia in local estuaries, given the influx of oxygen-rich water from the nearshore on incoming tides. However, this was not the case in late March-April. During this time, there was an intense coastal ocean bloom of Lingulodinium polyedra, a (typically) non- toxic dinoflagellate that often blooms off southern California. The bloom, which exhibited the highest abundance of L. polyedra ever recorded over a 37-year period, was found in coastal waters for over 3 weeks. Typically, lagoons experience lowest oxygen during low tides (particularly at night), but high tides typically have normoxia. This was not the case during the dinoflagellate bloom, however, and even at high tide oxygen remained near zero (29 April – 4 May; Fig 1). This is a highly unusual circumstance best explained by persistent and remarkable hypoxia in the nearshore caused by the breakdown of the bloom and microbial utilization of oxygen.

Fig. 1 - Water Level and Dissolved Oxygen in the Tijuana Estuary

Remarkably, just two weeks after the uncharacteristic hypoxia in the Tijuana Estuary, a period of extreme hyperoxia was observed (Fig. 2). During this period (13 May – 23 May), dissolved oxygen was exceeding 40 mg/l during the daytime, which is approximately 500% of saturation. This likely represents a massive phytoplankton bloom and extraordinary production of oxygen via photosynthesis during daylight hours. The relationship to the offshore bloom is unclear, although this sort of event has been documented previously and is likely due at least in part to eutrophication derived from input of nutrient-rich wastewater in the Tijuana River.

Fig. 2 - Water Level and Dissolved Oxygen in the Tijuana Estuary

It should also be noted that these periods of extremely low and high oxygen were also correlated with dramatic changes in pH (Fig. 3). During the months of April and May, pH changed over two orders of magnitude, from 9.3 to 6.9. Changes of well over 1 pH unit could be observed during a single day / night cycle.

Fig. 3

More analyses will be conducted on these data, largely done in the context of the CHRP project and leveraging SWMP data collected as part of this award.

7. Communication of key research findings and perspectives During this reporting period, the Research Coordinator was involved in the following activities:

. Gave an interview to the Voice of San Diego on climate change. https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/news/border-report-climate-change- knows-no-borders/

. Gave a presentation to the Regional Water Quality Control Board on monitoring in the Tijuana River Valley (last in-person meeting for what is likely to be many months)

. Participated a meeting of the Topanga Canyon Restoration Project Technical Advisory Committee. https://www.rcdsmm.org/resources/topanga-lagoon-restoration/

. Participated in a Steering Committee meeting of a Harmful Algal Bloom study led by the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project. http://ftp.sccwrp.org/pub/download/BIGHT18/B18HABSWorkplan.pdf

. Acted as a regional hub for a NAMPAN dialogue on Marine Protected Areas in the United States. https://www.dropbox.com/s/t092wd3ubv1rj5h/NAMPAN_Consultation.pdf?dl=0

Paper published: . Harvey, M, SN Giddings, ED Stein, JA Crooks, C Whitcraft, T Gallien, L Tiefenthaler, H Meltzer, G Pawlak, K Thorne, K Johnston, R Ambrose, SC Schroeter, HM Page, and H Elwany. 2020. Effects of offshore elevated water levels and waves during the 2015-2016 El Niño in Southern California Estuaries. Estuaries and Coasts. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-019-00676-1. (note: this paper includes an author, Hallee Meltzer, who was a Hollings Scholar based at TRNERR).

8. Reporting and Database Entry Progress reports were prepared and submitted, and projects were entered into the Research Database.

TASK: IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SYSTEM-WIDE MONITORING PROGRAM Southwest Wetlands Interpretive Association

1. High quality meteorological and water quality data NOAA SWMP funding allows SWIA and TRNERR to substantially leverage partnerships to maintain a robust monitoring program that address issues relevant to the Reserve specifically, and the region as a whole. Our partners and funders include California State Parks, the USFWS, the State Coastal Conservancy, and the Los Peñasquitos Lagoon Foundation. We now operate three stations in the Tijuana River Estuary, two of them formal SWMP and one is associated with TETRP (and is being maintained in accordance with SWMP protocols). Two sites are monitored in South San Diego Bay, both SWMP. We also maintain three telemetered sites in Los Peñasquitos Lagoon, which are also being operated in accordance with SWMP protocols. This data is available at http://torreypines.trnerr.org/.

As with many Reserves, we have had extended deployments associated with COVID- 19 shutdowns. Also, we have still not been able to access three stations in the Tijuana Estuary due to transboundary flows of contaminated water associated with sewage infrastructure failure in Mexico (which is a particular concern because of the presence of SARS CoV-2 in wastewater). However, the value of telemetered data became very obvious during the shutdowns. Despite not being able to access sites, we were able to track water quality conditions in both the Tijuana Estuary and Los Peñasquitos Lagoon. In fact, TRNERR dataloggers were one of the relatively few instruments operating in the region (estuarine and nearshore) during the duration of the red tide event, especially in real-time. The data generated during this time is being used to better understand estuarine and nearshore conditions, as well as the connections between the two.

Dr. Crooks also serves as Chair of SWMP Oversight Committee, which helps ensure that high-quality data continues to be produced by the Reserves. During this reporting period, the Oversight Committee and CDMO have been communicating with Reserves about the importance of health and safety, and will be working (along with the Data Management Committee) to account for periods of disruption associated with COVID.

2. Understanding of long-term vegetation dynamics Our spring vegetation monitoring was interrupted due to COVID-19 shutdowns. We are currently planning for how to conduct the fall monitoring given restrictions.

3. Integration of monitoring with education and outreach programming TOTE training has been postponed due to COVID-19. However, we have been working with the Education program to develop videos for our remote-learning Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pg/TRNERR/videos/?ref=page_internal). These include videos by Research staff on weather station monitoring and iNaturalist as a research tool.

TASK: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, TRAINING, PRESENTING Dr. Jeff Crooks, TRNERR Research Coordinator, Southwest Wetlands Interpretive Association

1. NERRs Integration and Leadership Development This activity did not occur during this time period.

2. Staff development This activity did not occur during this time period.

3. CZMA Integration and Leadership Development This did not occur during this reporting period.

4. TRNERR Staff Program Support and Enhancement Travel of Reserve staff to local field sites and meeting allowed for implementation of research and monitoring.

TASK: INVASIVE SPECIES - APPLICATION OF RESEARCH TO MANAGEMENT Dr. Jeff Crooks, TRNERR Research Coordinator, Southwest Wetlands Interpretive Association

1. Improved understanding and management of local invaders We continue to track invasive species, particularly as part of our vegetation monitoring, using baited minnow traps, and with iNaturalist. We also have summarized 5 years of research on the invasive shot hole borer beetle (see Task 1). During this time period, we facilitated field work by researchers from Oregon investigating the invasion of a ghost shrimp and parasitic isopod.

2. Improved regional, national, and international information sharing The Research Coordinator gave a (virtual) lecture to a class at the University of San Diego on biological invasions. Also, Dr. Crooks is Co-President of the Society for the Study of Marine Bio-invasions, and the Local Organizing Committee and Scientific Steering Committee for this group have decided to postpone the meeting until May, 2022. This will still be held in Annapolis, MD, and the Research Coordinator will be working to engage NOAA and the NERRS in the conference.

TASK: DAVIDSON FELLOWSHIP AND STUDENT DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES Dr. Jeff Crooks, TRNERR Research Coordinator, Southwest Wetlands Interpretive Association

1. Raise awareness of Davidson Fellowship opportunity During this time, Reserve staff conducted the Davidson Fellowship review. Dr. Crooks recused himself, and the Research Program was represented by Dr. Uyeda. The selected fellow, Nancy Torres, is a student at the University of San Diego, and is already being engaged in Reserve activities.

2. The next generation is informed through learning opportunities As highlighted earlier, incorporation of research and monitoring is a cornerstone of education and outreach opportunities (see also Education Task in the California State Parks progress report).