(a) Upon an appropriation of funds from the Legislature for this purpose, the California Environmental Protection Agency and the Natural Resources Agency, including their subsidiary agencies, shall collaborate to create a Tijuana River Valley Watershed Action Plan, known as the Tijuana River Plan. The Tijuana River Plan shall be drawn from existing and ongoing watershed planning efforts in both the United States and Mexico. The Tijuana River Plan shall be reviewed and updated on a three-year cycle. The Tijuana River Plan shall include, to the extent practicable, all of the following:
(1) Identification of key stakeholders and partnerships for data collection and information sharing.
(2) Identification of issues of concern and potential projects that may be implemented in the Tijuana River Valley watershed in both the United States and Mexico.
(3) Identification of short-term and long-term goals and targets for projects that may be implemented through the plan.
(4) Methods and strategies to restore water quality or water supply in degraded areas and to protect overall watershed health.
(5) Methods and strategies to protect the public health and limit beach closures.
(6) Methods and strategies, including target dates or milestones, interagency or public/private partnerships, and binational collaboration, to ensure implementation of the plan in Mexico and the United States, to the extent feasible.
(b) Upon completion of the Tijuana River Plan described in subdivision (a), the California Environmental Protection Agency and the Natural Resources Agency shall consult with the governments for the United States, the County of San Diego, the City of San Diego, the City of Imperial Beach, Mexico, the State of Baja California, the City of Tijuana, and the City of Tecate to develop a common watershed action plan to address issues in the Tijuana River and its entire watershed, on both sides of the border, including, but not limited to, issues relating to water quality, wildlife and fishery habitat, stormwater management, riverside development and management, wastewater discharge, and water supply.
(c) This section shall not require the expenditure of state funding or the development of any specific project without an appropriation from the Legislature.
(Added by Stats. 2020, Ch. 368, Sec. 1. (SB 1301) Effective January 1, 2021.)