Species Status:

The steelhead populations within the Southern California Steelhead DPS have declined dramatically from estimated annual runs totaling 55,000 adults to less than 500 returning adult fish.  Populations from over half of the 46 watersheds historically supporting steelhead runs are believed to have been extirpated.  All of the four largest watersheds (Santa Maria, Santa Ynez, Ventura, and Santa Clara Rivers) in the northern portion of the DPS have experienced declines in run sizes of 90% or more.  In the southern range extension (from Malibu to the U.S.-Mexico border), adult steelhead have been documented in only 3 watersheds since the original listing of the Southern California Steelhead DPS.  Present population trends within individual watersheds continuing to support runs is unknown, but may vary widely between watersheds, and are likely declining in a majority of the watershed within the Southern California Steelhead DPS. 

Recovery Plan Status:

Recovery plans have not been completed for the South-Central/Southern California Steelhead Evolutionarily Significant Unit (DPS), but recovery planning is underway.   A Technical Recovery Team (TRT) has been convened and is nearing completion of the Phase I recovery planning process. The TRT has published two Technical Memoranda on the historic populations and over-summering habitat of steelhead, and is preparing reports on the viability criteria and research monitoring needs for the South-Central/Southern California Steelhead Recovery Planning Domain. In addition, the NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center has prepared reports on the current regional distribution of steelhead and the population structure and ancestry of steelhead, based on a genetics analysis, for the South-Central/Southern California Steelhead Recovery Planning Domain.  It is anticipated that Phase I planning will be completed by the winter of 2006/2007.

Phase II of the recovery planning process was initiated in 2006. As a preliminary step in the development of Recovery Plans, NMFS staff will produce Recovery Outlines based upon the Technical Recovery Team products that identify the basic strategy for recovering the two listed steelhead populations in the South-Central/Southern California Steelhead Recovery Planning Domain (Planning Domain).  These Recovery Outlines are under development and will be posted on this website once they are completed.

Development of the Recovery Plans will be the responsibility of NMFS staff, under the direction of the Recovery Coordinator for the South-Central/Southern California Steelhead Recovery Domain.  General development of Recovery Plans will be guided by NMFS most recent Endangered and Threatened Species Recovery Planning Guidance (October 2004).   Preparation of the Recovery Plans will be supported by a Recovery Team consisting of NMFS staff from the  Long Beach and Santa Rosa field offices, Technical Recovery Team members, the California Department of Fish and Game, and potentially other resource agencies.  Additionally, the effort will be supported by a biological consultant.  This team will develop key components of the two separate Recovery Plans, including: an assessment of threats, recovery goals/delisting criteria, recovery actions, and research and monitoring necessary to address outstanding issues and track the species’ response to recovery actions.  

NMFS plans to hold a series of workshops designed to gain stakeholder input on some of the key features of the Recovery Plans.  A series of three workshops will be held in four locations throughout the geographic range of the Planning Domain.  The series will include workshops focusing on the Technical Recovery Team scientific products/threats assessment, recovery actions, and draft Recovery Plans.  The series of workshops are expected to occur in the Santa Barbara/Ventura, Carlsbad/SanClemente, Monterey/Carmel, and San Luis Obispo areas.

• Learn more about public workshops and review public contributions.

Once drafts of the Recovery Plans are completed (targeted for June of 2007), as mentioned above, NMFS will hold the final series of workshops to present the major elements of the draft plans and to gain feedback from interested stakeholders.  These workshops will most likely be organized around major watersheds where significant recovery actions are contemplated, and will focus on identified threats and recovery actions within the context of the overall recovery goals and criteria for each of the two listed species within the Planning Domain.  Additionally, once the draft plans are completed, they will be made available through formal Federal Register Notices and on a NMFS Recovery Planning website, with an opportunity for the public submit written comments on the draft plans.

Based upon public and internal NMFS comments, the final Recovery Plans will be prepared by NMFS staff.  The target dates for publishing the Recovery Plans is December 2007/January 2008.

Threats and Impacts:

The Southern California Steelhead DPS is at the extreme southern limit of the steelhead range.  The principal threats to the viability of the Southern California Steelhead DPS are associated with the four major river systems, the northern portion of the DPS (Santa Maria, Santa Ynez, Ventura, and Santa Clara Rivers).  Each of these watersheds is heavily impacted by water facilities (both surface and subsurface) and development of the floodplain and associated riparian corridor (for agricultural, residential, and industrial uses including sand and gravel extraction).  There has been extensive loss of populations, especially south of Malibu Creek, due to urbanization, dewatering and channelization of rivers and creeks.  Threats to several of the major watersheds (San Gabriel, Santa Ana, San Juan, Santa Margarita, and Sweetwater Rivers) in the southern portion of the DPS may impact the viability of this DPS.

The majority of the spawning and rearing habitat of the major river systems has been rendered inaccessible as a result of dams, debris basins, road crossings, and other in-stream structures which block or impede migration of adult steelhead to headwater spawning and rearing tributaries, as well as restricted the emigration of juveniles to the ocean.  Development of the floodplains has altered the natural fluvial processes which facilitate migration and in some cases sustain over-summering habitat for juvenile steelhead.  Associated flood control structures and activities have further disrupted the natural fluvial processes necessary to maintain these habitats.  Increased development of residential structures (and associated roads) on steep sided erosive slopes has resulted in accelerated erosion and sedimentation of river and stream channels, and remaining estuarine habitat. 

The continued spread and propagation of invasive plants and aquatic species also has further degraded habitats for steelhead, particularly rearing juveniles.  Southern California has also lost approximately 90% of its pre-historic estuarine habitat through dredging and filling.  The degradation of remaining estuarine habitat as a result of both point and non-point sources of pollution and artificial breaching of sand-bars has reduced the suitability of these habitats for rearing, and acclimation.  Finally, the introduction of exotic fish, and the stocking of non-native steelhead fish stocks to support recreational fishing have in many coastal rivers and streams also contributed to the decline of native steelhead and related resident trout populations, though this later practice has declined since the listing of the species.

Priority Recovery Actions Needed:

Recovery planning will require investigation of life-history of the species, including utilization of estuarine habitat, juvenile growth and smolting patterns, distribution of residualized populations above artificial impassable barriers, and the relationship between putative resident and migratory forms of steelhead to refine population viability and delisting criteria for this species.

Re-establishing access to upper watersheds in both small coastal streams and several of the larger river systems within each biogeographic region identified by the TRT is one of the highest priorities in the Southern California Steelhead DPS.  Major remaining recovery actions, include completion of the planning for the removal of Matilija Dam on the Ventura River and Rindge Dam on Malibu Creek.   The re-establishment of adequate flow regimes for the Santa Maria, Santa Ynez, Ventura, and Santa Clara Rivers are also high priorities.  Further investigation of potential recovery actions south of Malibu Creek (within the southern range extension), including watershed barrier inventories, habitat suitability assessments, and metapopulation dynamics between the larger river systems and short run coastal streams, are necessary to recover the endangered steelhead of Southern California.

Establishing a robust monitoring system for this DPS is essential for tracking population trends, the efficacy of recovery actions, and the attainment of viability and delisting criteria.

Recovery Priority Number:         3

Ranking for the Southern California Steelhead DPS was determined in accordance with the Recovery Priority Guidelines (55 FR 24296) and was based on a high magnitude of threat, a moderate potential for recovery, and anticipated conflict with current and future development/disturbance within the range of the DPS.  The Biological Review Team (BRT) that was formed to do an updated status review in 2005 reiterated the same conclusions reached from the previous status review that the Southern California Steelhead DPS “was in danger of extinction”.  This determination was based in part on the extirpation of populations through much of their historical range, and the blockage and degradation of freshwater habitats.  It is believed that there is a moderate magnitude of threat in smaller watersheds, but a higher risk in the major watersheds, with a high potential of recovery and continued conflict with land disturbance and water associated impacts.

Conservation Actions:

Inventories of impediments have been be conducted on major watersheds (Santa Maria/Sisquoc, Santa Ynez, Santa Ynez Mountain complex, Ventura, Santa Clara, and Santa Monica Mountains complex).  Fish passage facilities have been constructed on Hilton Creek (Santa Ynez River); San Ysidro Creek (Santa Ynez Mountains); Ventura River at the Robles Diversion Dam; Santa Paula Creek at the Harvey Dam; and Santa Paula Creek Flood Control Channel.  Funding for these projects was provided by the California Coastal Conservancy, the California Wildlife Conservation Board, and the Pacific Coastal Salmon Restoration Fund.  A number of impediments to fish passage caused by road crossings and other instream structures and have been eliminated or substantially improved as a result of retro-fitting (or in some cases eliminating) such structures (Horse Creek on the Sisquoc River).  Funding for these projects was provided by through Pacific Coastal Salmon Restoration Fund and local funders.  Planning for the removal of Matilija Dam in the Ventura River watershed (the largest dam removal project in the United States to date) has advanced substantially, and planning has commenced on the removal of Rindge Dam on Malibu Creek.  Funding for these two major dam removal project has been provided by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Department of Justice, the California Coastal Conservancy, and the local dam owners.

Angling regulations for sport fishing for native steelhead have been changed to eliminate recreational angling in virtually all coastal rivers and streams in the Southern California Steelhead DPS which are accessible to adult steelhead migrating up from the ocean.  Additionally, the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) has curtailed its stocking of hatchery reared trout, limiting stockings to reservoirs, or stream reaches above impassible barriers.  In at least one case CDFG has begun stocking sterile (triploid) fish to prevent the inter-breeding of hatchery reared fish with native steelhead.

NMFS has formulated recommendations (in conjunction with the California Department of Fish and Game, the United Water Conservation District, and local stakeholders) regarding fish passage and migration flows at Pyramid and Santa Felicia Dams on Piru Creek (a tributary to the Santa Clara River) as part of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission re-licensing actions.  Additionally, NMFS has participated in the Public Trust/Water Right hearings held by the California State Water Resources Control Board on the re-licensing of the Cachuma Dam project on the Santa Ynez River.

Finally, NMFS has conducted both formal and informal Section 7 Consultations with federal agencies throughout the South-Central California Steelhead DPS that fund, carry-out, or regulate projects such as flood protection, road construction, water diversion, and gravel mining.

02/20/08