Borrego Springs

WELCOME, DESERT DENIZENS!

Our deserts section covers the Anza Borrego Desert State Park and the communities of Borrego Springs, Ocotillo, Ocotillo Wells and Jacumba.


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

BORREGO SPRINGS MICROGRID COLLABORATIVE SEEKS GRANT FOR COMMUNITY MICROGRID DEVELOPMENT

Initiative would serve as a model for community-led energy resilience, delivering more reliable power and improved energy security for Borrego’s most vulnerable residents and businesses

File photo, left:  Sunbeams over Anza-Borrego Desert near Borrego Springs

By Gabriela Dow

May 16, 2025 (Borrego Springs) -- The Borrego Springs Microgrid Collaborative (BSMC) has submitted a grant application for funding through San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) under the California Microgrid Incentive Program (MIP). California Senate Bill 1339, enacted 2018, directed the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to develop microgrid policies, leading to the MIP. 

This funding opportunity is a critical step in advancing a community microgrid that enhances energy reliability, resilience, and sustainability for Borrego Springs – a community of just over 3,000 residents in San Diego County, surrounded by Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

The MIP was established to improve electricity reliability, increase resilience in high-risk communities, and promote clean energy technologies. This milestone marks an important step toward a more sustainable and reliable energy future for the Borrego Springs community.


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ENGAGED COUPLE SEEKS PHOTOGRAPHER WHO SHOT THIS PHOTO IN BORREGO ON MARCH 16, 2024

A person and person standing in a field of flowersAI-generated content may be incorrect.

By Miriam Raftery

 

April 24, 2025 (Borrego Springs) -- Just over a year ago, on March 16, 2024 amid a superbloom season, Tom Eichacher and Olivia Natt visited the flower fields along Henderson Road in the Anza-Borrego Desert, where they became engaged to be married.

“Someone with a professional photo set-up took our pictures, and I'm trying desperately to find them!” Natt told East County Magazine. At left is the photo of the couple.

She says the photographer is a woman, who said she is Korean. “My partner actually took a photograph of me with the photographer, looking at her monitor,” adds Natt, who provided the image below right.


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INTERNATIONAL AEROBATICS COMPETITION TAKES PLACE APRIL 10-12 IN BORREGO SPRINGS

By Miriam Raftery

March 21, 2025 (Borrego Springs) – An international aerobatics competition will be held at the Borrego Springs airport Thursday through Saturday, April 10-12, organized by the International Aerobatic Club’s Chapter 36.  A highlight for viewers is Saturday’s four-minute freestyle flights set to music, usually involving smoke, flown by top pilots, IAC36 president Bryan Jones advises.

Thursday is practice and registration, while Friday features contest flights all day long.

You can also stop by the Propeller Bar and Grill, where you can enjoy food and drinks plus a rooftop deck to view the flying.


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BORREGO HOME AND GARDEN TOUR MARCH 15

East County News Service

March 2, 2025 (Borrego Springs) – The Anza Borrego Desert Natural History Association invites you to the 2025 Borrego Home and Garden Tour on Saturday, March 15 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.


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THE RAM, BORREGO VALLEY COMMUNITY RADIO, LAUNCHES

East County News Service

March 2, 2025 (Borrego Springs) – The Ram, a grassroots, nonprofit community radio station serving Borrego Springs is now online and can be heard here.


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TWO VIOLENT SEX OFFENDERS RELEASED IN CAMPO AND BORREGO SPRINGS

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Merle Wakefield and Alvin Quarles have been conditionally released into  Campo and Borrego Springs.

February 16, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) – The Sheriff’s department has sent warning notices to residents in Borrego Springs and Campo, announcing that two sexually violent predators have been conditionally released into these communities.  The court has ordered Liberty Healthcare, which runs the state’s conditional release program, to continue seeking permanent placement for the two men.


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SAN DIEGO HISTORY CENTER ACQUIRES BORREGO SUN NEWSPAPER ARCHIVE TO PRESERVE THE HISTORY OF THE REGION'S DESERT COMMUNITY

Funds sought to digitalize archived articles

Source:  San Diego History Center

February 12, 2025 (Borrego Springs) - The San Diego History Center and Desert Media Holdings Inc, owner of the Borrego Sun newspaper, have reached an agreement forthe transfer of the Borrego Sun archive ensuring the preservation of the San Diego County community’s history for future generations.


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BORREGO FILM FESTIVAL JANUARY 15-19: TICKETS NOW ON SALE

East County News Service

January 8, 2025 (Borrego Springs) – The Borrego Film Festival takes place January 15-19 in Borrego Springs, showcasing independent films. The event also features a filmmaker networking event, catered opening gala, panel discussions, filmmaker activities, Saturday party, red-carpet event, and catered awards ceremony.


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BORREGO SPRINGS FILM INSTITUTE PRESENTS CASABLANCA AND MORE FREE SCREENINGS

East County News Service

October 27, 2024 (Borrego Springs) – The Borrego Springs Film Institute is offering a series of free film showings at the Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center.

The next showing is the classic film “Casablanca” on November 6 at 7 p.m.  The1942  film, starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, features a cynical expatriate American cafe owner who struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco.


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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: BORREGO SUNSET AND RAINBOW

May 7, 2024 (Borrego Springs) – Mitchell Sterling sent in these dramatic images showcasing natural spectacles in the Anza-Borrego Desert.

The dramatic desert sunset  features lenticular clouds; the rainbow is over the San Ysidro Mountains on the western end of Borrego Springs..


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SHERIFF SEEKS HELP TO ID BORREGO SPRINGS HOMICIDE VICTIM FOUND IN 1985

East County News Service
 
Victim had a coyote tattoo and the word “life or wife” on his left forearm, as well as “Linda” and “Gypsy” on his right forearm.
 
April 9, 2024 (Borrego Springs)—The San Diego Sheriff is seeking public help to identify the victim in a cold-case homicide. The man’s body was found Saturday, October 26, 1985 on State Highway 22, between mile post markers 37 and 38 in the Borrego Springs area. The body was located down a steep embankment on the north side of the road. 

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BORREGO SPRINGS SET TO HOST PRESTIGIOUS 6-12-24 HOUR WORLD TIME TRIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Source: GoToBorregoSprings.com
 
Registration opens April 15 for event Nov. 1-3
 
April 7, 2024 (Borrego Springs) – Borrego Springs, a tranquil desert oasis, is set to host the prestigious 6-12-24 Hour World Time Trial Championships (WTTC) November 1-3. Esteemed in the endurance cycling world, this event draws top time trial racers globally to this Southern California gem.

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BEAUTIFUL BORREGO BLOOMS: OUR GUIDE TO WILDFLOWER VIEWING

Story and photos by Miriam Raftery

March 16,  2024 (Borrego Springs) – Those heavy winter rains have resulted in one of the most beautiful bloom seasons in recent memory in the Anza-Borrego Desert.  I visited earlier this month, finding the desert floor along Henderson Canyon Road bursting with colorful purple verbena, white primroses and yellow sunflowers.

Many of the most spectacular wildflower fields are not in the Anza-Borrego State Park, but just outside it on the outskirts of Borrego Springs.

Tips for your visit:


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MAN ARRESTED FOR MURDERING HIS MOTHER IN BORREGO SPRINGS

East County News Service

Update November 21, 2023: The victim has been identified as Leona Guevara, 63.

November 19, 2023 (Borrego Springs) – Jacob Guevara, 41, is under arrest for the murder of his mother.

The victim’s daughter had requested a welfare check on her mother, 63, due to living conditions in  her residence, according to the Lieutenant Joseph Jarjura with the San Diego County Sheriff’s department.


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DE ANZA COUNTRY CLUB DESTROYED BY FIRE

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left, via Cal Fire

October 31, 2023 (Borrego Springs) – Yesterday morning’s fire destroyed the historic clubhouse at de Anza Country Club in Borrego Springs.  The club posted on Facebook, “Sad news to report. Our beautiful clubhouse at de Anza has burned…Bighorn Room,  Coyote Den, Ballroom, offices, locker rooms were all ruined.  Golf Shop is okay. We are all devastated; members, employees and friends of de Anza.”


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57TH ANNUAL BORREGO DAYS DESERT FESTIVAL OCTOBER 21-22

East County News Service

October 10, 2023 (Borrego Springs) – The 57th annual Borrego Days Desert Festival, produced by the Borrego Chamber of Commerce, will be held Saturday, Oct. 21 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Christmas Circle Community Park on Palm Canyon Drive in Borrego Springs.


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COUNTY FIRE NOW SERVES BORREGO SPRINGS AFTER LOCAL DISTRICT DISSOLVES

East County News Service

July 17,2023 (Borrego Springs) -- The community of Borrego Springs is now served by San Diego County Fire through its partnership with CAL FIRE. County Fire increased staff to expand services to the area.


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COURT APPROVES PLACEMENT OF SEXUALLY VIOLENT PREDATOR IN BORREGO

By Miriam Raftery

March 30, 2023 (Borrego Springs) – Sexually violent predator Douglas Badger will be housed at a residence on Zuni Trail in Borrego Springs starting in May. The placement was approved by Superior Court Judge Theodore Weathers, over vocal objections from community residents and officials.

Badger has been convicted of kidnapping and raping young male hitchhikers and sexually assaulting a young girl.  He’s been diagnosed as a sexual sadist, served several terms in prison and the past 18 years in a state mental hospital, but he has been approved by the Dept. of State Hospitals for release.


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WILDFLOWER WATCHING: TIPS FROM ANZA BORREGO FOUNDATION

East County News Service

March 17, 2023 (Borrego Springs) -- Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is beginning to have pockets of blooming wildflowers as well as cacti blooms. The Anza Borrego Foundation offers these tips for those planning to come view wildflowers:

  1. Check the weather forecast before heading to the Park. Make sure to dress in layers and pack plenty of water.
  2. Call the Wildflower Hotline at 760-767-4684 for weekly updates on the best viewing locations.
  3. Print the most recent wildflower map at home. You can click here to find printable wildflower maps.
  4. You can also get printed wildflower maps and viewing tips at the State Park store at 587 Palm Canyon Drive between 11 .am. and 3 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.
  5. Check road conditions, including the surrounding mountains for any road closures or chain requirements.
  6. Make sure to visit our State Park store, open daily 9 AM - 5 PM for any needed information or to purchase Park maps.

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PEG LEG LIARS CONTEST IS BACK: MARCH 4 IN BORREGO SPRINGS

East County News Service

Photo: Pegleg Smith state historical marker;  CC by SA-NC

February 17, 2023 (Borrego Springs, CA) – Telling a whopper is usually taboo.  But at the Peg Leg Liars Contest, named for the purported discoverer of a yet-to-be-found treasure in black gold, you can win prizes for spinning the best tall tale.

After a two year hiatus due to COVID, the contest will be held on Saturday, March 4, 2023 at the American Legion Post, 4515 Borrego Springs Road in Borrego Springs (across from La Casa del Zorro). The contest starts at dusk.

Begun informally in 1916 and formally in 1948, the event is the longest ongoing story-telling competition in the West.


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PINE VALLEY MOTORCYCLIST DIES IN BORREGO CRASH

East County News Service

February 2, 2023 (Borrego Springs) – A Pine Valley man, 68, died January 25 in a crash that occurred around 3 p.m. in Borrego Springs.

He was driving a 2015 Indian Roadmaster motorcycle south on Great Overland Stage Route north of Agua Caliente Springs Road when he missed a curve and crossed over the double yellow lines, then onto a field on the opposite side of the roadway.


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10TH ANNUAL BORREGO SPRINGS FILM FESTIVAL JAN. 12-16 ADDS COMMUNITY AND FILMMAKER PANELS TO LINEUP

East County News Service

December 26, 2022 (Borrego Springs) - The 10th Annual Borrego Springs Film Festival will take place on January 12 – 16, 2023, in Borrego Springs, California - a small town in the northern end of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, in San Diego County.  The five-day festival presents screenings of selected short films, features, documentaries, animated shorts and Hispanic/Latin films, shown in Blocks at the Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center.  


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ANZA BORREGO DECEMBER ACTIVITES: HIKES, STARGAZING, CHILI FEST AND MORE

East County News Service

November 22, 2022 (Borrego Springs) – The Anza Borrego Desert Natural History Association has an array of classes, outings and activities planned for December during the coolest time of the year.  From moonlit desert walks to bike rides, birdwatching and photography sessions, there’s something for everyone coming up.  Find full details and register at https://www.abdnha.org/calendar1.htm#baron3, and scroll down for highlights.


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DRAWING CLASSES IN BORREGO SPRINGS IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER

East County News Service
 
October 24, 2022 (Borrego Springs) – The Borrego Art Institute will host drawing classes for beginner and intermediate art students with artist Susan Martin Spar in November and December.

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COLD CASE SOLVED IN BORREGO SPRINGS

DNA evidence helps detectives solve 1994 murder.

Source:  San Diego County Sheriff

October 17, 2022 (Borrego Springs) - On March 21, 1994, 72-year-old Claire "Kay" Holman was found murdered in her home located in the 700 block of Tilting T Drive in Borrego Springs.


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ECM FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: RAMPAGE IN THE DESERT AS BORREGO RUNS OVER JULIAN 51-0

Story and photos by Liz Alper
 
September 2, 2022 (Borrego Springs) - For week three, ECM Sports took a journey far, far out into the desert for the only matchup between two East County schools this week, Julian and Borrego Springs.  Both teams have a loss on the season, which only started last week.

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BAD NEWS FOR BORREGO HEALTH, WORSE NEWS FOR 82,000 PATIENTS: THE STATE IS SUSPENDING 100% OF BORREGO HEALTH MEDI-CAL SERVICES

 

Action follows fraud investigation, impacts Borrego Health clinics across East County

By Nikki Symington

Originally published in the Borrego Sun

August 31, 2022 (Borrego Springs) -- On Friday, Aug. 19, Borrego Health’s administrative offices, individual clinics, and others outside of the organization were notified by the State of California Health and Human Services Agency – Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) that the state intends to reimpose its 100% payment suspension on all Borrego Health Medi-Cal services beginning Sept. 29. 2022


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

56TH BORREGO DAYS DESERT FESTIVAL SLATED FOR OCTOBER 22-23

Event includes expanded entertainment, but no parade this year

East County News Service

August 29, 2022 (Borrego Springs) – The 56th annual Borrego Days Desert Festival offers a weekend filled with activities October 22-23. The festival takes place at Christmas Circle Community Park and Palm Canyon Drive in Borrego Springs.


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JUDGE APPROVES PREDATOR PLACEMENT IN BORREGO SPRINGS

East County News Service

July 23, 2022 (Borrego Springs) -- Michael Martinez, a 69-year-old man classified by the state as a sexually violent predator, will be released and placed in a home on Running M Road in Borrego Springs


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