EDC’S WORK ON THE FEDERAL STEELHEAD RECOVERY PLAN

Steelhead spawning in Mission Creek are doing their part but still face extinction due to dams, water projects and barriers to migration. Photo by David Pritchett.

EDC is working to restore healthy steelhead populations throughout Southern California, particularly within EDC’s service area of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties.

Steelhead once thrived in all the major watersheds in Southern California, but populations in these waterways have been devastated. The main reason for this drastic decline is the construction of dams, which dewatered rivers and streams and block 90% of historic spawning and rearing habitat. 
Because of this grim situation, the federal government has identified steelhead in Southern California as an “endangered” species under the Endangered Species Act. This imposes protections that are intended to hopefully keep things from getting even worse for steelhead, and it also requires the federal government to plan how to restore or “recover” healthy steelhead populations.  

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is responsible for preparing the steelhead recovery plan. EDC and California Trout have submitted written comments (CalTrout 2006 on Recovery Planning; EDC 2007 on Viability Criteria; EDC 2007 on Santa Maria Watershed Threats) and participated in preliminary workshops to inform steelhead recovery planning decisions.

In January 2012, NMFS released the Final Recovery Plan that identifies a roadmap to decrease the threats confronting steelhead and restore the species throughout southern California. The Final Recovery Plan identifies many of our local watersheds such as Mission Creek and the Ventura and Santa Ynez Rivers, and the steelhead populations within those watersheds, as critical to restoring the species throughout southern California.  Click here to see NMFS’ description of the threats to steelhead in these areas and priority recovery actions to address those threats.

We support the overall strategy and priorities identified in NMFS’ Recovery Plan, and we will continue to work to ensure that they are implemented to benefit southern California steelhead populations. Click here to read EDC’s and Santa Barbara Urban Creek Council’s comment letter on the draft Recovery Plan

Find out what you can do now to support steelhead recovery. You can also check here for more information about the National Marine Fisheries Service southern California steelhead recovery plan and to follow the agency’s progress.

Great steelhead habitat exists above Bradbury Dam but the dam blocks steelhead access to their habitat. Photo by Craig Fusaro, CalTrout.	Bradbury Dam blocks migration of steelhead. Passage over dams – such as fish ladders – is key to recovering steelhead. Photo by EDC’s Brian Trautwein.