HEADWATERS
Removing Barriers
Fish passage among the complex array of concrete infrastructure that covers Southern California is a major concern for steelhead recovery.
Dams are one of the largest and more cumbersome barriers, since their removal takes a significant amount of funding and planning. The Matilija Dam blocking the Ventura River is one we’ve had our eyes on for decades. Originally constructed to store water for agriculture, the dam was condemned in 1965, less than 20 years after its construction due to it being structurally unsound. The obsolete dam remains there today, blocking steelhead access to prime upstream spawning and rearing habitat. CalTrout is a long-standing member of the Matilija Coalition, along with Patagonia and the Ventura chapter of Surfrider Foundation. As a member of the Matilija Dam Funding Committee, and with funding from Patagonia, CalTrout helped develop the Matilija Dam Removal 65% Design and Permitting Project that was funded by California Department of Fish and Wildlife Prop 1 Watershed Restoration Grant Program. In April 2017, with support from the Resources Legacy Fund and their Open Rivers Fund, CalTrout developed a Matilija Dam Removal Ecosystem Restoration Project Funding Plan that outlines a funding strategy for the $118 million program.
Another significant fish passage blockage in Southern California is the Interstate 5 (I-5) bridge array at Trabuco Creek, a major tributary to San Juan Creek in Orange County. The stream channel runs below an array of five bridges and is present as a concrete flood control channel spanning a quarter of a mile. CalTrout is leading the Phase I engineering design in partnership with Trout Unlimited. The project entails technical studies and engineering design to reconnect fragmented habitats which will enable passage of juvenile and adult steelhead and access to 15 miles of upstream high quality habitat. This project charts a path to integrate natural processes into managed landscapes– creating water management solutions that support wildlife, enhance flood protection, and secure water resources. This approach demonstrates that endangered species are not an inevitable consequence of development, but that ecology and urban infrastructure can co-exist.
The Future of Southern Steelhead
These are just some of the projects CalTrout and our partners are engaged in to bring back this magnificent fish from the brink. Our headwater-to-ocean recovery approach will ensure the long-term persistence of self-sustaining wild populations of steelhead, ultimately resulting in the removal of Southern steelhead from the federal list of endangered species. The aptitude of this native fish to persevere despite human impacts and climate change threats gives us great hope. Recent restoration interventions have shown success with adult steelhead returning to their natal waters. These incidences of effective recovery actions sustain our optimism and persistence.
I-5 Trabuco barrier in San Juan Capistrano, photo courtesy of Baker, CalTrans