A new trash boom system is intercepting trash, plastics, tires and other debris flowing from Mexico into San Diego’s Tijuana River Valley, part of a state-funded pilot project to address longstanding pollution along the border.

"The sewage has been an issue for obvious reasons, but trash is important because it breaks down into microplastics, which have a huge impact on our ocean environment and the estuary and park spaces downstream.

The floating trash boom, installed in the main channel of the river, is meant to capture floating debris during storms and prevent it from reaching sensitive ecosystems downstream. This