In a significant step forward for public health and environmental restoration, California state and local agencies have completed the New River Improvement Project in Calexico—transforming one of the state’s most polluted waterways into a cleaner, safer channel.
The project, part of the broader Salton Sea Management Program —an initiative focused on restoring California’s largest inland lake—aims to stop untreated wastewater and solid pollutants from flowing through a 1.5-mile section of the New River in Calexico before entering the Salton Sea.
With $46.5 million in state funding from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), the State Water Resources Control Board, and California State Parks, this initiative marks a turning point for the region’s water quality, ecosystem health, and public safety.
“The New River Improvement Project helps further State efforts to ensure that every Californian has access to clean, safe, and affordable water,” said Karla Nemeth, Director of DWR. “The completion of this project is a major milestone for DWR, its partners, and the City of Calexico.”
The New River, long burdened by cross-border pollution from Mexico, is now equipped with essential infrastructure to divert, treat, and improve water flow. Key components include a trash screen to capture solid waste, a diversion structure to reroute polluted flows into a bypass pipeline, and a pump-back system to reintroduce treated water into the riverbed.
“We are here today because it is time to renew the New River and make it a symbol of the environmental restoration possible when we come together to make it happen,” stated E. Joaquin Esquivel, Chair of the State Water Board.
This project exemplifies the power of multi-agency collaboration. Managed by the City of Calexico, it reflects years of joint effort aimed at safeguarding vulnerable communities, restoring natural habitats, and improving local quality of life.
“If it weren’t for the great teams created many years ago... the City of Calexico and the Salton Sea wouldn’t have a cleaner river, vibrant wetlands, a healthier fauna, and an overall healthier population,” said Calexico Mayor Diana Nuricumbo.
Aligned with Governor Gavin Newsom’s vision, the project also supports broader goals under the 10-year Salton Sea Management Plan, which includes 30,000 acres of habitat and dust suppression projects to address declining water levels and increasing salinity.
The New River is flowing toward a cleaner, healthier future—for people, wildlife, and California’s fragile ecosystems.
