Can steelhead and humans not only live,
but thrive together?
Southern California is home to 22 million people and an amazing Mediterranean-
type climate. As more people have moved into coastal areas to take advantage of the great weather and activities, land use has changed, habitat has been fragmented, and the Southern California steelhead has been excluded from its historic range. At one time, this area supported miles of river that are essentially aquatic corridors for steelhead to migrate between spawning sites in the headwaters and the ocean. Due to a variety of threats, Southern California steelhead (Southern steelhead) between the Santa Maria River in the north and the Tijuana River near the border with Mexico were listed as endangered in 1997 by the National Marine Fisheries Service. This region includes CalTrout focal steelhead recovery rivers in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles Counties (Santa Ynez River, Santa Clara River, Ventura River, Malibu Creek, and San Gabriel River) and San Diego and Orange Counties (San Juan Creek, San Mateo Creek, Santa Margarita River, and San Luis Rey River).
Can steelhead and humans not only live, but thrive together? The good news is that Southern steelhead are survivors. They have adapted to seasonally dry streams in the semi-arid climate at the extreme southern end of their range. Their amazing resiliency is a major reason why we need to protect this species. They may offer clues that could help other fish populations weather hotter water and a warming climate. Our resident rainbow trout offer ultimate hope for recovery. Wild Southern steelhead genetics have persisted in our landlocked resident rainbow trout, behind dams, roads, and diversions. Reconnecting isolated populations and allowing access to diverse habitat will be instrumental in building abundance and resilience.
Alisan Amrhein
CalTrout Communications Associate
Alisan has a masters in Environmental Science and Management from the Bren School, UCSB and has been an invaluable member of the team since she joined CalTrout in 2016 .
Photo by Mark Capelli, NOAA