The National Weather Service will discuss the winter weather outlook for the San Diego area at an upcoming public meeting in Imperial Beach, California. The United States Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) has scheduled a meeting of the USIBWC Citizens Forum on Thursday, December 4, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at the Tijuana Estuary Meeting Room, 301 Caspian Way, Imperial Beach, CA. The purpose of the Citizens Forum is to promote the exchange of information between the USIBWC and the community about Commission projects and related activities.

Alexander Tardy with the San Diego National Weather Service Office will discuss historical drought and the El Niño Outlook for the region. His presentation will cover the evolution and current status of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) (fluctuations in sea-surface temperatures and air pressure in parts of the Pacific) and what that might mean for winter precipitation for southern California and its effect on runoff and flooding in the Tijuana River watershed.

The Citizens Forum will also hear about Tijuana River Action Month (TRAM) from Shannon Tunks, Community Outreach Assistant at the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve. TRAM is a series of volunteer-driven education and stewardship events that benefit the Tijuana River watershed. These events are held in September and October, during the narrow window of time between the end of the bird nesting season and the beginning of the rainy season. The goals of Tijuana River Action Month are to mobilize community volunteers and groups on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border to become stewards of the Tijuana River Watershed as well as to recognize key efforts and investments by public and private agencies, businesses, non-profits and community groups to protect and restore the Tijuana River.

In other business, Roberto Espinosa, Resident Engineer with the Mexican Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission, will talk about the recently-inaugurated Citizens Forum in Tijuana, the first in Mexico. Engineer Espinosa will discuss the structure of the Citizens Forum, the potential content of future meetings, and how future meetings will be announced.

For more information: Sally Spener (915) 832-4175 sally.spener@ibwc.gov