The Ecology of Tijuana Estuary, California: An Estuarine Profile
The Ecology of Tijuana Estuary, California: An Estuarine Profile
The Ecology of Tijuana Estuary, California: An Estuarine Profile
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with seawater. Even in years with seasonal<br />
streamflow, the predominant influence has been<br />
marine.<br />
Month<br />
Figure 16. Average monthly streamflow at <strong>Tijuana</strong><br />
River. Asterisks indicate months with average flows<br />
< 100 acre-ft (Mestor gage; data from USGS 1937-<br />
1978).<br />
While floods are the exception in the streamflow<br />
record, they have an enormous influence on the<br />
estuary. <strong>The</strong> estuary has been characterized as<br />
having a low tidal prism, with a range <strong>of</strong> from 0.1 to<br />
3.7 million m3 (1 00-3,000 acre-ft; IBWC 1976). As<br />
a result, freshwater input during storm events can<br />
have far-reaching effects on the system. From the<br />
floods <strong>of</strong> 1978 and 1980, we have learned how<br />
dramatically water salinities change, how rapidly<br />
the invertebrate populations shift, and how<br />
extensively the marsh soils and vegetation are<br />
affected by these unusual events. Though brief,<br />
they are catastrophic in their effect. What we see<br />
at any given time is the estuary's cumulative<br />
response since the last catastrophic event.
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