About Us
Tijuana Slough is a 1,072-acre wetland located where the Tijuana River meets the sea. The refuge was established in 1980 and is part of the 2,800-acre Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve (TRNERR), one of only 30 such reserves in the United States.
This Refuge is also designated as a Wetland of International Importance by the Ramsar Wetlands Convention. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) administers the reserve system and supports research and education activities along with our partners at California State Parks and the Southwest Wetlands Interpretive Association (SWIA).
Our Mission
The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management and, where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Our History
Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1980 under authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed to include national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Learn more about national wildlife refuge lands in the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve when it was established as a National Estuarine Sanctuary in 1982.
In 1996, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service signed a letter of agreement with California State Parks to cooperate in managing their lands as a seamless Reserve.
Learn how Patricia and Mike McCoy saved the estuary from developers in this story and detailed oral transcript.
Other Facilities in this Complex
Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge is managed as part of the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The Refuge complex is comprised of Seal Beach NWR, San Diego Bay NWR, San Diego NWR, and Tijuana Slough NWR.
Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge is also a part of the 2,800-acre Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, one of only 28 such reserves in the United States.
