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What's happening, explained

Short pieces on what's changed, what a new report actually says, and the parts of this crisis that are hardest to find a straight answer on.

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Last updated September 23, 2026Reviewed by Stacy WillisSummarized from public sources with the help of AIHow this site is made

Imperial Beach from the air at sunset: the pier reaching into a gold-lit Pacific, the surf line running south along the sand, and the grid of streets and low houses between the beach and the hills.

ExplainerWhy Imperial Beach Water Quality is so PoorOctober 28, 2026

Aerial view of the Tijuana River mouth: a braided channel of green-brown water winding through pale sand and salt marsh before meeting the Pacific surf, with Imperial Beach and the hills beyond.

Explainer7 Reasons Tijuana River Valley Pollution Keeps Closing Imperial BeachOctober 19, 2026. 8 min read

Two yellow San Diego County signs staked in the sand at Imperial Beach. The nearer one reads KEEP OUT, SEWAGE CONTAMINATED WATER, EXPOSURE MAY CAUSE ILLNESS; the other reads OCEAN WATER CLOSED TO CONTACT, CITATIONS ISSUED. The pier runs out to sea behind them.

ExplainerWhy is Imperial Beach still closed?October 1, 2026. 6 min read