Calexico residents concern over New River

Karina Bazarte reports on the concerns of the New River in Calexico

CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY)- The community of Calexico have had concerns about the New River for many years and an environmental teacher hopes her project will help the community.

Carly Creley, who studied environmental science and now is a teacher, first noticed the problem when she took her students on a trip to the New River and noticed the smell.

“I had a student who did a presentation on trash dumping in the imperial valley and he showed photos of kids walking to school with mountains of trash blowing of to them and at the end he said that is my little brother and that stuck with me and it made me determine to learn everything that I could," said Creley.

Employees who work at a store across the river described how difficult it is to breath while also smelling the river.

Imperial county supervisor Jesus Eduardo Escobar says there are plans to clean up the river and that the state government has invested millions of dollars.

“The idea here is to transform a sore that smells that is contamination that is overall very unhealthy for the residents of that live along side of the channel and basically transform it into an active park for people can ride, bike ride, walk," gather, said Escobar