The tijuana river national estuarine research reserve (trnerr) was designated in 1982 and is located in imperial beach, california

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded a Cooperative Agreement totaling $623,069 to the Tijuana Estuary Foundation under the Coastal Zone Management Estuarine Research Reserves program (CFDA 11.420) for the period of October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027. The award supports research, monitoring, and staff development activities at the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve (TRNERR) located in Imperial Beach, California. Deliverables include continued implementation of research efforts, the System-Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP), invasive species research, and support for the Davidson Fellowship. The Tijuana Estuary Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, executes these activities in partnership with the California Department of Parks and Recreation under an established 2011 Memorandum of Understanding, with all work fully integrated into reserve operations and aligned with the Reserve's Management Plan.

The Foundation will leverage $14,557 in matching funds from the California State Coastal Conservancy to support research personnel and fringe costs. These operations activities align with broader NOAA coastal management goals and the National Estuarine Research Reserve System's mission to establish and operate designated reserves as natural field laboratories for monitoring, research, and public education on coastal estuarine ecosystems.

The california department of parks and recreation is trnerrs federally designated administrative lead agency. Tijuana estuary foundation (formerly southwest wetlands interpretive association - swia) is a 501C3 non-profit foundation working with california state parks (CSP) to carry out the reserve's research and monitoring programs through this grant. The tasks below support identifying and prioritizing coastal management issues that can be addressed by the tijuana river national estuarine research reserve and national estuarine research reserve system. All tasks carried out by tijuana estuary foundation and its employees under NOAA grant funds are overseen by the reserve manager and will be fully integrated with those CSP tasks, so as to provide for seamless reserve operation and are covered under a 2011 MOU between CSP and tijuana estuary foundation/swia. The reserve activities identified in this operations award are consistent with and guided by the reserve's management plan. Tijuana estuary foundation/swia has been involved in research, adaptive restoration, and other projects at the reserve for many years, and continues to carry out major efforts with grants from federal and state sources. For the purpose of facilitating NOAA goals and initiatives, california state parks and tijuana estuary foundation have again agreed to divide the NOAA operations grant. This application for $436,148 in federal funds for tijuana estuary foundation will support the research, monitoring, and staff development goals of the tijuana river nerr, and include continued implementation of research efforts, swmp, invasive species research, and support for the davidson fellowship. A contract to tijuana estuary foundation from the california state coastal conservancy will provide $14,557 in matching funds for research personnel & fringe. Monitoring of LOS peasquitos lagoon (LPL) within torrey pines state reserve, which is a local estuarine system within the california state park system, is done as part of the trnerr research and monitoring program. Both LPL and trnerr have been focal sites for complementary long-term monitoring programs since the late 1980's. A grant from the coastal conservancy for pre-restoration monitoring and contractual work associated with the tijuana estuary tidal restoration project (tetrp) will provide $113,984 in matching funds. Finally, a grant from the national fish and wildlife foundation will provide $58,380 in matching funds for assessment of abiotic and biotic vital signs in the tijuana estuary, SAN diego BAY, and LOS peasquitos lagoon. This award includes one 24-month outcome in task 1 (research coordination and implementation).