News & Views
Southern California steelhead trout added to endangered species list

The California Fish and Game Commission has listed Southern California steelhead trout as endangered under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). 

This decision, which was made unanimously on April 18, protects this species, which is on the brink of extinction. California Trout, an organization that helps restore and sustain vibrance and abundance in California’s freshwater ecosystems, applauds CESA for emphasizing the urgency of the situation.

“CalTrout has been actively advocating for this listing since 2021, when we submitted a petition to the California Fish and Game Commission to fully protect Southern steelhead as endangered under the state’s Endangered Species Act,” a press release from California Trout reads.

According to CalTrout, listing Southern steelhead as endangered under California’s Endangered Species Act will strengthen federal protections for these fish, promote actions to protect them including removing obsolete dams, improving habitat, securing instream flow, and restoring watersheds and benefit human communities by improving aging infrastructure to reduce the risk of flooding and increase public safety.

CalTrout said Southern steelhead are indicators of watershed health and river ecosystem integrity. Historically, tens of thousands of these fish swam in Southern California rivers and streams but in recent times it’s become rare to see a few. Their numbers have dipped due to impacts from habitat loss, fragmentation, and urbanization.

“We look forward to working with our partners to implement the state’s conservation plan for these iconic fish, including continuing our work in the South Coast region on behalf of Southern steelhead,” the press release states.

The group is working on removing fish passage barriers and expediting the removal of obsolete dams on the Ventura River (Matilija Dam), Malibu Creek (Rindge Dam), Trabuco Creek, the Santa Margarita River. They plan to remove non-native aquatic species that threaten prime steelhead habitat, secure instream flow by reducing surface water diversions and groundwater pumping and increasing the use of recycled water; and restore watersheds.