STATE OF CALIFORNIA

THE RESOURCES AGENCY

DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME

FISH BULLETIN

HISTORY AND STATUS OF STEELHEAD

IN CALIFORNIA COASTAL DRAINAGES
SOUTH OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY
by

Robert G. Titus
California Department of Fish and Game
Environmental Services Division

Don C. Erman
University of California
Centers for Water and Wildland Resources

and

William M. Snider
California Department of Fish and Game
Environmental Services Division

DRAFT MANUSCRIPT AS OF April 22, 2011

May be cited as:

Titus, R. G., D. C. Erman, and W. M. Snider. History and status of steelhead in California coastal
drainages south of San Francisco Bay. In preparation .
 PLEASE NOTE:

THE DRAINAGE-BY-DRAINAGE ACCOUNTS IN THIS MANUSCRIPT ARE

PENDING REVISION OF STEELHEAD STATUS DESIGNATIONS. MOST

NOTABLY, THE EXTINCT DESIGNATION IS BEING REPLACED BY A

TERM WHICH INDICATES THAT, GIVEN CURRENT HABITAT CONDITIONS,

THE STEELHEAD LIFE HISTORY OF COASTAL RAINBOW TROUT IS NO

LONGER SUPPORTED IN THE STREAM. IN ALL CASES, VIABLE TROUT

HABITAT STILL EXISTS IN THE SYSTEM, TYPICALLY IN HEADWATER

AREAS. THESE AREAS SUPPORT THE RESIDENT LIFE HISTORY OF

COASTAL RAINBOW TROUT. HOWEVER, THE LACK OF CONNECTIVITY

BETWEEN THE OCEAN AND THESE VIABLE SPAWNING AND REARING

AREAS, AS A RESULT OF HABITAT ALTERATIONS, NO LONGER ALLOWS

ANADROMY TO OCCUR AND NOTICEABLY PERSIST. THUS, THESE

POPULATIONS ARE NOT EXTINCT AS PREVIOUSLY INDICATED, BECAUSE

THE SPECIES STILL OCCURS IN THE STREAM SYSTEM, BUT LIFE HISTORY

IS RESTRICTED TO THE RESIDENT TYPE BECAUSE OF CURRENT HABITAT

LIMITATIONS.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................8
THE STUDY AREA .......................................................................................................................................9
MATERIALS AND METHODS............................................................................................................10
CALIFORNIA STEELHEAD LIFE HISTORY ..........................................................................13
DRAINAGE-BY-DRAINAGE ACCOUNTS .............................................................................................................19
SAN MATEO COUNTY ........................................................................................................................................19
Ano Nuevo Creek Drainage ...............................................................................................................................19
Cascade Creek Drainage ....................................................................................................................................20
Denniston Creek Drainage .................................................................................................................................20
Frenchmans Creek Drainage .............................................................................................................................21
Gazos Creek Drainage........................................................................................................................................22
Old Womans Creek ......................................................................................................................................26
Green Oaks Creek Drainage ...............................................................................................................................27
Lobitos Creek Drainage .....................................................................................................................................27
Pescadero Creek Drainage .................................................................................................................................28
Butano Creek and tributarie...........................................................................................................................32
Fall Creek ......................................................................................................................................................35
Little Boulder Creek ......................................................................................................................................36
Peters Creek...................................................................................................................................................36
Pilarcitos Creek Drainage...................................................................................................................................36
Arroyo Leon ..................................................................................................................................................37
Pomponio Creek Drainage .................................................................................................................................37
Purisima Creek Drainage....................................................................................................................................38
San Gregorio Creek Drainage ............................................................................................................................38
Alpine Creek..................................................................................................................................................42
El Corte de Madera Creek and tributaries .....................................................................................................44
Kingston Creek ..............................................................................................................................................46
La Honda Creek.............................................................................................................................................46
San Pedro Creek Drainage .................................................................................................................................48
Tunitas Creek Drainage ......................................................................................................................................51
East Fork Tunitas Creek ................................................................................................................................52
Whitehouse Creek Drainage ...............................................................................................................................52
Santa Cruz County ..................................................................................................................................................53
Aptos Creek Drainage ........................................................................................................................................53
Bridge Creek .................................................................................................................................................55
Valencia Creek ..............................................................................................................................................56
Arana Gulch Drainage ........................................................................................................................................56
Baldwin Creek Drainage ....................................................................................................................................56
Finny Creek Drainage ........................................................................................................................................57
Laguna Creek Drainage ......................................................................................................................................57
Liddell Creek Drainage ......................................................................................................................................58
Majors (Coja) Creek Drainage ...........................................................................................................................59
Medler Creek Drainage ......................................................................................................................................60
Pajaro River Drainage, including portions in Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Clara counties ........................61
Corralitos Creek and Tributaries ...................................................................................................................64
Llagas Creek ..................................................................................................................................................68
Pacheco Creek ...............................................................................................................................................68
Pescadero Creek ............................................................................................................................................69

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 San Benito River and tributaries ....................................................................................................................69
Uvas Creek ....................................................................................................................................................69
Respini Creek Drainage .....................................................................................................................................69
San Lorenzo River Drainage ..............................................................................................................................69
Bear Creek and tributaries .............................................................................................................................76
Boulder Creek and tributaries ........................................................................................................................78
Branciforte Creek and tributaries ..................................................................................................................80
Clear Creek....................................................................................................................................................82
Fall Creek ......................................................................................................................................................83
Kings Creek ...................................................................................................................................................84
Newell Creek .................................................................................................................................................85
Zayante Creek and tributaries ........................................................................................................................85
San Vicente Creek Drainage ..............................................................................................................................90
Scott Creek Drainage .........................................................................................................................................91
Big Creek.......................................................................................................................................................96
Little Creek ....................................................................................................................................................98
Mill Creek .....................................................................................................................................................98
Soquel Creek Drainage.....................................................................................................................................100
Bates Creek .................................................................................................................................................102
East Branch Soquel Creek ...........................................................................................................................102
Moores Gulch.............................................................................................................................................104
West Branch Soquel Creek..........................................................................................................................104
Waddell Creek Drainage ..................................................................................................................................105
Wilder Creek Drainage ....................................................................................................................................108
MONTEREY COUNTY ...........................................................................................................................................108
Alder Creek Drainage.......................................................................................................................................108
Anderson Canyon Creek Drainage ...................................................................................................................109
Big Creek Drainage ..........................................................................................................................................110
Big Sur River Drainage ....................................................................................................................................112
Juan Higuera Creek .....................................................................................................................................116
Post Creek ...................................................................................................................................................117
Bixby Creek Drainage ......................................................................................................................................119
Carmel River Drainage.....................................................................................................................................119
Doud Creek Drainage .......................................................................................................................................120
Garrapata Creek Drainage ................................................................................................................................120
Wildcat Canyon Creek ................................................................................................................................121
Granite Canyon Creek Drainage ......................................................................................................................121
Kirk Creek Drainage ........................................................................................................................................122
Limekiln Creek Drainage .................................................................................................................................122
Little Sur River Drainage .................................................................................................................................123
Malpaso Creek Drainage ..................................................................................................................................124
McWay Creek Drainage ...................................................................................................................................125
Mill Creek Drainage .........................................................................................................................................125
Partington Creek Drainage ...............................................................................................................................126
Plaskett Creek Drainage ...................................................................................................................................127
Prewitt Creek Drainage ....................................................................................................................................127
Rocky Creek Drainage .....................................................................................................................................128
Salinas River Drainage, Including Portions in San Luis Obispo County..........................................................130
Arroyo Seco and Tributaries .......................................................................................................................131
Atascadero Creek ........................................................................................................................................138
Nacimiento River and Tributaries ...............................................................................................................139
Paso Robles Creek and Tributaries..............................................................................................................142

4
 San Antonio River and Tributaries ..............................................................................................................144
Santa Margarita Creek and Tributaries ........................................................................................................147
Salmon Creek Drainage....................................................................................................................................148
San Jose Creek Drainage ..................................................................................................................................149
Williams Canyon Creek...............................................................................................................................150
Soberanes Creek Drainage ...............................................................................................................................151
Soda Springs Creek Drainage...........................................................................................................................151
Vicente Creek Drainage ...................................................................................................................................152
Villa Creek Drainage........................................................................................................................................152
Wildcat Creek Drainage ...................................................................................................................................153
Wild Cattle Creek Drainage .............................................................................................................................153
Willow Creek Drainage ....................................................................................................................................153
San Luis Obispo County .......................................................................................................................................155
Arroyo de la Cruz Drainage .............................................................................................................................155
Arroyo Grande Creek Drainage .......................................................................................................................163
Lopez Canyon Creek and Other Tributaries ................................................................................................166
Cayucos Creek Drainage ..................................................................................................................................167
Chorro Creek Drainage ....................................................................................................................................168
Dairy Creek .................................................................................................................................................169
San Bernardo Creek.....................................................................................................................................170
San Luisito Creek ........................................................................................................................................170
Coon Creek Drainage .......................................................................................................................................171
Diablo Canyon Creek Drainage........................................................................................................................171
Islay Creek Drainage ........................................................................................................................................171
Little Pico Creek Drainage ...............................................................................................................................172
Morro Creek Drainage .....................................................................................................................................172
Little Morro Creek.......................................................................................................................................175
Old Creek Drainage..........................................................................................................................................175
Pico Creek Drainage ........................................................................................................................................177
Pismo Creek Drainage ......................................................................................................................................178
SALINAS RIVER DRAINAGE (see Monterey County) .................................................................................179
San Carpojo (San Carpoforo) Creek ................................................................................................................179
Estrada Creek ..............................................................................................................................................182
San Luis Obispo Creek Drainage .....................................................................................................................182
Castro Canyon Creek ...................................................................................................................................188
Harford Canyon Creek ................................................................................................................................188
Prefumo Creek.............................................................................................................................................189
Reservoir Canyon Creek..............................................................................................................................189
See Canyon Creek .......................................................................................................................................191
Stenner Creek ..............................................................................................................................................192
Ssn Simeon Creek Drainag...............................................................................................................................195
Steiner Creek ...............................................................................................................................................202
Santa Rosa Creek Drainage ..............................................................................................................................202
Toro Creek Drainage ........................................................................................................................................213
Villa Creek Drainage........................................................................................................................................218
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY............................................................................................................................218
Arroyo Hondo Drainage ...................................................................................................................................218
Canada del Corral Drainage .............................................................................................................................218
Canada Honda Creek Drainage ........................................................................................................................219
Carpinteria Creek Drainage ..............................................................................................................................219
Dos Pueblos Canyon Creek Drainage ..............................................................................................................219
Gaviota Creek (Canada de la Gaviota) Drainage .............................................................................................220

5
 Mission Creek Drainage ...................................................................................................................................220
Rattlesnake Creek ........................................................................................................................................221
Refugio Creek (Canada del Refugio) Drainage ................................................................................................221
Rincon Creek Drainage, Including Portinos in Ventura County.......................................................................221
San Antonio Creek Drainage ............................................................................................................................222
San Jose Creek Drainage ..................................................................................................................................222
Atascadero Creek ........................................................................................................................................223
Santa Maria River Drainage, Including Portions in San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties ...........................223
Cuyama River and tributaries ......................................................................................................................225
Sisquoc River and tributaries.......................................................................................................................226
Santa Ynez River Drainage ..............................................................................................................................227
Agua Caliente Creek....................................................................................................................................235
Alisal Creek .................................................................................................................................................235
Ballard Creek...............................................................................................................................................235
Cachuma Creek ...........................................................................................................................................235
Gidney Creek...............................................................................................................................................235
Hilton Canyon Creek ...................................................................................................................................236
Mono Creek and Tributaries........................................................................................................................236
Salsipuedes Creek and Tributaries ..............................................................................................................237
Santa Cota (Zanja de Cota) Creek ...............................................................................................................238
Santa Cruz Creek and Tributaries ................................................................................................................238
Tequepis Canyon Creek ..............................................................................................................................238
Zaca Creek...................................................................................................................................................238
Tecolote Creek Drainage..................................................................................................................................239
VENTURA COUNTY ..........................................................................................................................................240
Big Sycamore Canyon Creek Drainage ............................................................................................................240
Calleguas Creek Drainage ................................................................................................................................240
Santa Clara River Drainage, Including Portions in Los Angeles County .........................................................240
Piru Creek and Tributaries, including Portions of the Creek System in Los Angeles County .....................242
Santa Paula Creek and Tributaries...............................................................................................................243
Sespe Creek and Tributaries ........................................................................................................................245
Minor Mainstem Santa Clara River Tributaries...........................................................................................247
Santa Clara River Headwater Tributaries in Los Angeles County...............................................................248
Ventura River Drainage ...................................................................................................................................249
Coyote Creek and Tributaries ......................................................................................................................252
Matilija Creek and Tributaries.....................................................................................................................253
North Fork Matilija Creek and Tributaries ..................................................................................................254
San Antonio Creek and Tributaries .............................................................................................................254
LOS ANGELES COUNTY ..................................................................................................................................255
Arroyo Sequit Drainage ...................................................................................................................................255
Los Angeles River Drainage ............................................................................................................................256
Arroyo Seco Creek and Tributaries .............................................................................................................256
Big Tujunga Creek and Tributaries .............................................................................................................256
Other Tributaries .........................................................................................................................................257
Malibu Creek Drainage ....................................................................................................................................257
San Gabriel River Drainage .............................................................................................................................260
Topanga Creek Drainage..................................................................................................................................262
Various Smaller Coastal Drainages ..................................................................................................................262
ORANGE COUNTY ............................................................................................................................................263
San Juan Creek Drainage .................................................................................................................................263
Santa Ana River Drainage ................................................................................................................................264
SAN DIEGO COUNTY and BAJA CALIFORNIA .............................................................................................265

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 Otay River Drainage.........................................................................................................................................265
San Diego River Drainage................................................................................................................................265
San Dieguito River Drainge .............................................................................................................................265
San Luis Rey River Drainage ...........................................................................................................................266
San Mateo Creek Drainage ..............................................................................................................................266
San Onofre Creek Drainage .............................................................................................................................268
Santa Margarita River Drainage .......................................................................................................................269
Santo Domingo River Drainage .......................................................................................................................270
Sweetwater River Drainage ..............................................................................................................................270
Tijuana River Drainage ....................................................................................................................................270
OVERALL TRENDS FROM DRAINAGE-BY-DRAINAGE ACCOUNTS ...........................................................271
DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................................................................274
RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS ..............................................................................280
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .........................................................................................................................................281
REFERENCES ..........................................................................................................................................................281

7
INTRODUCTION
Populations of native anadr omous salmonids all along the Pacific coast of the
continental U.S. have declined shar ply within the last 150 year s. Steelhead (Oncorhynchus
mykiss irideus, following Behnke 1992) along the centr al and southern coast of California have
been especially har d-hit within the last 50 years, primarily because of reductions in the amount
and quality of fr eshwater habitat. I n a par tial list of depleted stocks published r ecently by the
Amer ican Fisher ies Society (Nehlsen et al. 1991), nine pr incipal steelhead stocks south of San
Fr ancisco Bay wer e included, six of which wer e r ated as having a high r isk of extinction. At
least 11 other stocks wer e listed as extinct.
The steelhead leads a seemingly tenuous existence under natural conditions in this arid,
souther n extent of its r ange. Str eam flows ar e highly stochastic, and var y gr eatly both
seasonally and annually. Dur ing the dr y summer , str eam flow often becomes inter r upted,
especially in the lower r iver r eaches. Sufficient surficial flow is needed during the winter rainy
season to br each a sandbar which closes the mouth of most of these str eams. With a
connection pr ovided, steelhead and other migr ator y fishes may migr ate between mar ine and
fr esh water , wher e differ ent phases of their life cycles ar e completed.
I n addition to these natur al fluctuations in str eam flow, a bur geoning human
population has put an even gr eater demand on alr eady limited fr eshwater r esour ces. Dur ing
the past 50 year s, dams and water diver sion systems have been built, and gr oundwater
pumping has incr eased, to meet the gr owing human demand for water . Dams block steelhead
access to upstr eam spawning and r ear ing ar eas, and r egulate str eam flow so that below-dam
r eleases may be ver y low or eliminated altogether . Diversions and pumping also remove water
fr om the str eam channel, the effects of which ar e many fr om the standpoint of steelhead
pr oduction. The gr oss effects include loss of the migr ator y cor r idor between the str eam and
the ocean, and r eduction or complete elimination of spawning habitat for adults and r ear ing
habitat for j uveniles. Vir tually ever y large coastal river system south of San Francisco Bay has
been developed for water extr action, leaving only some of the smaller str eams as mor e-or -less
intact, natur al steelhead habitats.
The high pr ior ity of maintaining str eam flows for anadr omous salmonid production in

8
Califor nia was exemplified by the r esults of a wor kshop pr esented by the Califor nia Advisory
Committee on Salmon and Steelhead Tr out (Vondr acek and Callaham 1987). The wor kshop
was commissioned to identify researchable questions, and produce a research and development
plan to addr ess these questions, as the fir st step in for mulation of a compr ehensive
management plan for Califor nia s declining salmon and steelhead stocks. Among the 12
gener al topics addr essed, five aspects of water supply needs topped the final list of 18 specific
pr oblems given a cr itical status by both technical exper ts and r esour ce user s.
A r ecently published compilation of essays (L ufkin 1991) illustr ates in lay ter ms the
ar r ay of pr oblems that have led to the pr ecipitous decline of Califor nia salmon and steelhead
dur ing the past centur y or so. One str iking tr end in both Vondracek and Callaham (1987) and
L ufkin (1991) is the slant towar d Centr al Valley and Nor th Coast salmonid stocks (e.g. see
M ap 1 in L ufkin 1991). Over all, r elatively little consolidated effor t has been expended on
deter mining the status and factor s which affect steelhead stocks south of San Fr ancisco Bay.
The pur pose of this paper is to pr esent the histor ical and cur r ent status of steelhead in
coastal Califor nia str eams south of San Francisco Bay. Habitat conditions, in conjunction with
population infor mation, ar e used as the means for making assessments. When possible, factors
that r egulate population size ar e identified, both on an inter annual basis and with r egar d to
long-ter m population tr ends. I n addition, existing biological infor mation is inventor ied for
futur e use in ecologically char acter izing these populations. Finally, contempor ar y theor ies in
both basic and salmonid ecology ar e integr ated with the r esults to develop futur e r esear ch
ideas.

THE STUDY AREA

The study ar ea consists of the Califor nia coastal r egion fr om south of San Fr ancisco
Bay to nor ther n M exico (Fig. 1). Specifically, the Califor nia counties of San M ateo, Santa
Cr uz, M onter ey, San L uis Obispo, Santa Bar bar a, Ventur a, L os Angeles, Or ange, and San
Diego ar e included, as is the nor ther n por tion of the M exican state, Baj a Califor nia. When
appr opr iate, headwater tr ibutar ies in inner Califor nia coastal counties ar e also included and
identified as such.
Although aver age annual pr ecipitation gener ally decr eases fr om nor th to south in the

9
study ar ea, a commonality thr oughout is that most precipitation within any region falls during
winter (Espenshade 1970). Summer s ar e dr y dur ing which fr eshwater discharge from coastal
dr ainages is gr eatly r educed and sandbar s close the mouths of many str eams enter ing the
Pacific Ocean. Under such conditions, movements of migr ator y fishes to and fr om the ocean
ar e blocked until the fir st heavy r ains of the wet season r emove the sandbar s. Under extr eme
dr ought conditions, str eam channels may essentially be dewater ed which r esults in high levels
of mor tality of str eam fishes, including j uvenile steelhead. Thus, the str eams included in the
study ar ea ar e char acter ized as being hydr ologically unstable, an important factor to consider
in an analysis of steelhead life histor y patter ns.
Another indicator of gener al climatic conditions in the study area is the vegetation, and
like pr ecipitation, vegetation too gener ally follows a gradient from north to south (Espenshade
1970). The coastal dr ainages in San M ateo and Santa Cr uz counties ar e included in the
souther nmost por tion of the humid r edwood (Sequoia sempervirens) belt, although a nar r ow
str ip of coastal scr ub also extends into San M ateo County fr om its more northerly distribution
(M unz 1959). South of the Paj ar o River , which compr ises the Santa Cr uz/M onter ey county
line, r edwoods only occur along the lower portion of some streams in central Monterey County
(e.g. the Big Sur River ). Other wise in M onter ey County, ar id plant communities dominate,
such as chapar r al, oak woodland, and gr assland. Fr om San L uis Obispo County and
southwar d, ar id landscapes ar e the nor m, including gr assland, chapar r al, and coastal sage
scr ub. Shapovalov and Taft (1954), Cooper et al. (1986), and Woelfel (1991) pr esent
descr iptions of r edwood, chapar r al, and coastal sage scr ub/chapar r al dominated dr ainages,
r espectively, which span the continuum of steelhead str eam types found in the study ar ea.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Str eam-specific infor mation on steelhead in centr al and souther n Califor nia was
gather ed fr om thr ee main sour ces. (i) A liter atur e sear ch was conducted for pertinent journal
ar ticles, Califor nia Depar tment of Fish and Game (CDFG) administr ative r epor ts and fish
bulletins, and other r esour ce agency, univer sity, and consultant publications. (ii) Resour ce
agency files wer e r eviewed, especially CDFG str eam sur vey files. (iii) I nter views wer e
conducted with pr ofessional biologists, academicians, and r epr esentatives of spor tfishing

10
or ganizations and other special inter est gr oups for infor mation fr om per sonal files, and
anecdotes based on per sonal obser vations.
The infor mation collected was used to constr uct dr ainage-by-dr ainage histor ical
r eviews and cur r ent status r epor ts. When available, data wer e pr esented to demonstr ate
actual population tr ends and char acter istics. I nfor mation on the pr esence and distribution of
conspecific r esident r ainbow trout (see below) within a drainage was also given when available,
as an indication of the over all pr esence and distr ibution of suitable habitat for O. m. irideus,
even wher e steelhead no longer occur . I nfor mation on hatcher y oper ations in the study ar ea
was compiled, as wer e tr out stocking r ecor ds. The r epor ts wer e or ganized by county (fr om
nor th to south), and then alphabetically, by dr ainage system entering the Pacific Ocean within
each county, and by main tr ibutar y within each dr ainage. The infor mation for each str eam is
gener ally pr esented in chr onological or der .
Some of the extensive data presented by Shapovalov and Taft (1954) were reanalyzed to
pr ovide a clear and concise summar y of their r esults within the context of contempor ar y
salmonid ecology. This summar y was used as the basis for the for thcoming section, L ife
Histor y Analysis .
Smith (1982b) and coworkers surveyed 34 Santa Cruz County steelhead streams during
late fall 1981. The density of smolt-sized juvenile steelhead was determined by electrofishing at
110 sites in each str eam. These fish wer e 76 mm (3 inches) in standar d length and usually
age 1+ (see below for technical definitions). Densities reported herein were converted from no.
tr out/10 ft of str eam channel to no. tr out/m. When mor e than one site was sampled in a
str eam, the mean ( SD) density was calculated and r epor ted for that str eam. Smith (1982b)
also gave the mean standar d length of smolt-sized steelhead at each str eam site. Again, when
mor e than one str eam site was sampled, the mean ( SD) of mean standar d lengths was
calculated and r epor ted for that str eam. The county-wide aver age in fall 1981 of both density
and standar d length of smolt-sized steelhead was calculated (3.8 tr out/m and 95.8 mm,
r espectively), and actual values pr esented her ein for each str eam ar e compar ed against these
over all aver ages.
Statistical analyses, using mostly par ametr ic tests, wer e made of sever al other small

11
data sets, pr imar ily to str engthen the pr esentation of pr evious findings. Examples of such
analyses wer e that of K eegans s (1990a) data on steelhead habitat use in M alibu Cr eek (L os
Angeles County), and CDFG data on j uvenile steelhead size and gr owth in the Ar r oyo de la
Cr uz (San L uis Obispo County). Numer ous other unpublished data sets contained in CDFG
str eam sur vey files, mostly of fish lengths, wer e summar ized for pr esentation her ein using
simple descr iptive statistics (e.g. mean, standar d deviation, etc.). Some of these data were also
used to pr oduce figur es which illustr ate population char acter istics, such as j uvenile and adult
population str uctur e.
All data ar e r epor ted in metr ic units. Visual estimates of j uvenile tr out lengths wer e
r ounded to the near est 0.5 cm, and those of adults to the near est cm. Visual estimates of adult
weights wer e conver ted to the near est 0.1 kg. Conver sions of both visually estimated and
measur ed tr out densities r eflect the measur ement scale used in the or iginal r epor t. For
example, tr out density estimates wer e often made on a scale of 100 ft of channel length. These
values have been conver ted to no. tr out/30 m (100 ft = 30.5 m). Fish density r epor ts on a scale
of 10 ft have been conver ted to no. tr out/m.
The r epor ting of fish length measur ements followed common convention (Bagenal
1978): standar d length (SL ), fr om the tip of the snout to the base of the median caudal (tail) fin
r ays; for k length (FL ), fr om the tip of the snout to the for k in the caudal fin; and total length
(TL ), fr om the tip of the snout to the end of the longest lobe of the caudal fin. Visually
estimated lengths, and lengths not specified other wise, wer e pr esumed to appr oximate total
lengths.
Age-classes wer e designated as age 0+ for young-of-the-year , 1+ for 1-year -olds (also
called year lings), 2+ for 2-year -olds, etc., using the appr oximate per iod of hatching (late
winter spr ing) as the bir th date. The + sign indicates gr owth beyond the bir th date, and is
typically used for fish sampled dur ing summer winter . The ages of steelhead that have
r etur ned fr om the ocean wer e designated as A/B, wher e A and B are the number of years spent
in fr esh and salt water , r espectively, and ar e additive to give the total age of the fish.

12
CALIFORNIA STEELHEAD LIFE HISTORY
The coastal r ainbow tr out, O. m. irideus, is a polymor phic subspecies (Behnke 1992).
Populations may be anadr omous (sea-r un), r esident, or mixtur es wher e the two for ms
pr esumably inter br eed. Although they comprise the same subspecies, the different forms have
unique common names: the anadr omous for m is called steelhead; the r esident for m is simply
called r ainbow tr out. Both for ms may exist in the same str eam system, and in some instances
may be physically discr ete fr om one another due to an impassable bar r ier to upstr eam
migr ation, such as a water fall. I n these situations, r ainbow tr out occur above the barrier, and
steelhead, or a mixed mor ph population, exist below.
I n polymor phic salmonids, males exhibit an especially high degr ee of life histor y
var iation. The liter atur e is r eplete with examples which demonstr ate that, r elative to females,
males matur e at an ear lier age and smaller size on aver age. This var iation is par ticular ly
str iking in anadr omous salmonids wher e males often matur e as par r pr ior to migr ation to the
sea. I n some cases, matur e male par r 1 may have a r elatively high pr obability of r emaining in
fr esh water and functionally assuming a r esident life style (e.g. Dellefor s and Far emo 1988;
Hansen et al. 1989). I n other instances, most matur e male par r eventually migr ate to the sea
following spawning (e.g. Titus and M osegaar d 1992) and r etur n following a gr owth per iod as
much lar ger migr ant spawner s (H. M osegaar d and R. Titus, I nstitute of L imnology, Uppsala
Univer sity, Uppsala, Sweden, unpubl. data). So, in iter opar ous anadr omous salmonids (i.e.
those which spawn mor e than once) such as steelhead, br own tr out (Salmo trutta), Atlantic
salmon (S. salar ), and Ar ctic char r (Salvelinus alpinus), males ar e able to spawn sever al times
dur ing their lifetime, beginning potentially as par r (often age 1+) and continuing as lar ge
migr ants that r etur n fr om the ocean to spawn. This gener al life-histor y plasticity in males
r esults in higher age-specific mor tality r ates for males than females because they begin

1
Although these fish have been r efer r ed to as pr ecocious males for many year s, this ter m inadver tently and inaccur ately
suggests that this life histor y patter n is an abnor mality. The pr efer r ed contempor ar y ter minology is instead matur e male
par r (J. E. Thor pe, Fr eshwater Fisher ies L abor ator y, Pitlochr y, Scotland, per s. comm.).

13
br eeding at an ear lier age (e.g. Shapovalov and Taft 1954; see below). I nter estingly, even in
typically semelpar ous anadr omous salmonids (i.e. those which spawn once and die) such as
chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), matur e male par r ar e anomalous in that they sur vive after
spawning (Rober tson 1957).
Tr ends in specific life histor y char acter s among populations of anadr omous salmonids
have also been detected. For example, mean smolt age and size of Atlantic salmon and
anadr omous br own tr out gener ally incr ease as a function of incr easing latitude (Fahy 1978;
L Abe-L und et al. 1989; M etcalfe and Thor pe 1990). M uch of this var iation is explained by
an index of gr owth oppor tunity which integr ates two pr imar y gr owth r egulating factor s in
fishes, light and temper ature (reviewed by Thorpe 1990). Another environmental factor which
may be impor tant in the selection of life history traits in anadromous salmonids is hydrological
stability, especially in small str eams (Bor gstr m and Heggenes 1988; Titus and M osegaar d
1989, 1992).
Geogr aphic var iation in steelhead life-histor y tr aits has been studied in much less
detail, although Withler (1966) pr esented data for six coastal locations from central California
to souther n Br itish Columbia. I n contr ast to Atlantic salmon and brown trout, mean smolt age
of steelhead did not var y clinally with latitude (Fig. 2a; r 2 = 0.04, p = 0.72). However , mean
sea age at matur ity (Fig. 2a; r 2 = 0.50, p = 0.11) and mean adult length (Fig. 2b; r 2 = 0.96,
p<0.01) clear ly incr eased with incr easing latitude, despite the small sample size (data adapted
fr om Withler 1966).
Within- and between-population var iation in life histor y tr aits is not well documented
for Califor nia steelhead, especially south of San Fr ancisco Bay wher e envir onmental
conditions follow a shar p gr adient. Yet, Shapovalov and Taft s (1954) compr ehensive life
histor y study was conducted within this ar ea, namely at Waddell Creek in Santa Cruz County.
For use as a gener al r efer ence with which compar isons may be made, the following is a
summar y and analysis of sever al key life histor y char acter istics fr om Shapovalov and Taft s
(1954) landmar k study, except as other wise noted.
South of San Fr ancisco Bay, steelhead ar e all winter -r un fish. Entr y into fr eshwater is
dependent upon br eaching of the sandbar at the str eam mouth following the onset of the

14
winter r ainy season. At Waddell Cr eek, the upstr eam spawning migr ation was r ather
pr otr acted and var ied among year s (Fig. 3a; see also Fig. 23 in Shapovalov and Taft). On
aver age, most upstr eam movement occur r ed dur ing December Apr il. M ales dominated
numer ically in the ear ly por tion of the r un.
Steelhead life histor ies wer e highly var iable at Waddell Cr eek. Yet, of 32 obser ved life
histor ies, four categor ies wer e dominant: 2/1 (29.8% ), 2/2 (26.5% ), 3/1 (10.5% ), and 2/1S.1
(8.1% ). All other categor ies compr ised less than 5% of the r un each. So, most migr ant
spawner s wer e total ages 3 (35% ) and 4 (46% ), and maximum age was 7 (Fig. 4). Over all, the
r un consisted of 82.8% fir st-time spawner s, and 17.2% r epeat spawner s among which 15.0%
wer e second spawner s, 2.1% wer e thir d, and 0.1% wer e four th spawner s.
The mean smolt age of males (2.08 yr ; calculated as in Fahy 1978) was only slightly
lower than that of females (2.15 yr ), although based on the frequency distribution of smolt ages
for each sex (Fig. 5a), this differ ence was significant (X2 = 13.965, DF = 3, p<0.003; data fr om
Table 28 in Shapovalov and Taft 1954). The mean smolt age for both sexes combined was 2.12
yr .
The mean sea age of males spawning for the fir st time was 1.31 yr , while that for
females was 1.55 yr (calculated as in Fahy 1978). Based on the fr equency distr ibution of sea
ages for each sex (Fig. 5b), this differ ence was highly significant (X2 = 190.392, DF = 2,
p<0.0001; data fr om Table 28 in Shapovalov and Taft 1954). The mean sea age for both sexes
combined was 1.43 yr .
Over all, the mean total age of male migr ant spawner s was 3.51 yr , while that for
females was 3.91 yr (calculated as for mean smolt age). Based on the fr equency distribution of
total ages for each sex (Fig. 4), this differ ence was highly significant (X2 = 233.645, DF = 5,
p<0.0001; data fr om Table 28 in Shapovalov and Taft 1954). Age-specific mortality rates were
higher for males than females, as evidenced by (i) the lower aver age age of males; and (ii) the
incr ease in the r atio of migr ant females:migrant males with spawning experience, such that the
sex r atio among fir st spawner s was 1.06 females:1 male, among second spawner s was 1.44
females:1 male, among thir d spawner s was 3.71 females:1 male, and four th-spawning females
(n = 5) had no four th-spawning male mates (data fr om Table 28 in Shapovalov and Taft 1954).

15
Note, however , that the sex r atio in the estimated total run averaged 1.06 females:1 male (SD =
0.12) over the year s, and ther e was no significant tr end in sex r atio over time (r 2 = 0.12,
p>0.35; data fr om Table 35 in Shapovalov and Taft 1954).
M ean for k lengths of migr ant males among all life histor y categor ies r anged fr om 38.5
to 79.5 cm, the mean of weighted means being 54.8 cm. Cor r esponding lengths of migr ant
females r anged fr om 40.2 to 80.5 cm, with a mean of weighted means of 61.4 cm. The mean of
weighted mean for k lengths for both sexes combined was 58.3 cm (data fr om Table 32 in
Shapovalov and Taft 1954).
Thus, r elative to females on aver age, males smolted and migr ated to the ocean at a
slightly ear lier age, matur ed and began br eeding at an earlier sea age, were smaller in length at
spawning, and had a shor ter life span.
On the spawning gr ounds, the female dug a r edd (gr avel nest) at the tail of a pool,
typically wher e cur r ent velocity incr eased at the head of a downstr eam r iffle. L ittle basic
r esear ch has been done on steelhead mating systems, although Needham and Taft (1934)
descr ibed one spawning aggr egation fr om Waddell Cr eek in detail (summar ized also in
Shapovalov and Taft 1954). A lar ge migr ant female was accompanied by one similar ly sized
migr ant male; four smaller subor dinate migr ant males; and two matur e male par r , 1523 cm
in length (in total, 7 males:1 female) (c.f. Campbell 1977; M aekawa and Onozato 1986; Titus
and M osegaar d 1992 on the composition of spawning aggr egations in other polymor phic
salmonids). I n addition to a dominant migr ant male, subor dinate migr ant males and matur e
male par r also par ticipate in spawning by adopting a sneaking behavior. The proportion of
eggs fer tilized by matur e male par r can be substantial (M aekawa and Onozato 1986;
Hutchings and M yer s 1988; Jor dan and Youngson 1992), and even in the absence of a migrant
male, matur e male par r successfully mate with a lar ge migr ant female (Shapovalov and Taft
1954; M aekawa and Onozato 1986; M yer s and Hutchings 1987).
As with the upstr eam spawning migr ation, the downstr eam migr ation of spent adult
steelhead was also pr otr acted and var iable among year s (Fig. 3b). On aver age, most
downstr eam movement occur r ed dur ing M ar chJuly. Fish which did not r etur n to the ocean
immediately after spawning held in lar ger pools.

16
 The development r ate of steelhead eggs is dependent upon water temper atur e in the
gr avel. Based on the r esults of Wales (1941), hatching occur s after about 19 d at an aver age
temper atur e of 15.5 C (295 degr ee-days), and 80 d at about 4.5 C (360 degr ee-days).
Shapovalov and Taft (1954) estimated that hatching time in Waddell Cr eek was fr om 25 to 35
d, emer gence fr om the gr avel began 23 weeks after hatching, and another 23 weeks was
r equir ed to complete emer gence. M or tality r ates of salmonid fr y ar e typically high following
emer gence (r eviewed by Titus 1990), and age 0+ steelhead utilize habitats with swift cur r ents,
moving gr adually into deeper water as they gr ow (Shapovalov and Taft 1954).
Downstr eam migr ants captur ed in the tr ap at Waddell Cr eek (Shapovalov and Taft
1954) compr ised five age-classes, 0+ to 4+, in the following proportions, respectively: 0.40, 0.40,
0.19, 0.01, and a negligible pr opor tion of 4+ fish (0.04% of the total number of fish passed
thr ough the tr ap for all year s combined). Steelhead moved downstr eam essentially dur ing all
months of the year , but the main migr ations wer e in the spr ing and summer , with the oldest
fish appear ing in the tr ap fir st: 92% of age 2+ and 3+ fish dur ing M ar chM ay; 68% of age 1+
fish dur ing Apr ilJune, with a secondar y migr ation (26% ) dur ing October ear ly Januar y;
73% of age 0+ fish dur ing JuneJuly, and an additional 20% dur ing AugustSeptember (Fig.
6a). Var iation in the time of downstr eam migr ation was appar ently r elated to inter annual
differ ences in pr ecipitation and thus str eam flow and water temper atur e.
Because the tr ap was situated well above the mouth of Waddell Cr eek (2.22.8 km, the
location of the mouth depending upon the amount of fr eshwater outflow and oceanic
conditions), downstr eam movement was not necessar ily always equivalent with smolt
emigr ation. I ndeed, Shapovalov and Taft (1954) found from returns of marked first spawners,
that the pr opor tion of mar ked fish which had enter ed the ocean in the same year of their initial
downstr eam migr ation, r elative to those which enter ed the ocean the following year , was only
about 0.08 for age 1+ migr ants, but incr eased to 0.90 and 0.69 for 2+ and 3+ migr ants,
r espectively (see Table 71 in Shapovalov and Taft 1954). So, functionally, the downstr eam
movements of differ ent age-classes, or individuals within age-classes, were probably associated
with a var iety of behavior s or population pr ocesses. For example, the downstr eam movement
of 0+ tr out may have r esulted fr om the disper sal of emer gent fr y cluster s dur ing the per iod of

17
intense population r egulation in the ear ly fr ee-swimming stage. M ovement of 1+ tr out may
have pr imar ily r eflected an ontogenetic habitat shift to deeper water in the lower str eam and
lagoon, in addition to seawar d migr ation of smolts. The maj or ity of 2+ and 3+ tr out wer e
appar ently smolts on their way to the ocean.
The total number of upstr eam migr ants (3,104) captur ed in the trap was small, relative
to the total number of tr apped downstr eam migr ants (36,779; data for all year s combined).
Thus, most tr out which moved downstr eam either r emained in the lower str eam or lagoon,
migr ated to the ocean, or died. Among upstr eam migr ants, only 1% wer e age 0+, 29% wer e
age 1+, 53% wer e age 2+, 15% wer e age 3+, and 2% wer e age 4+. Over all, 80% of upstr eam
movement occur r ed dur ing December Januar y, for all age-classes and year s combined (Fig.
6b). Shapovalov and Taft (1954) obser ved that many upstr eam migr ants wer e sexually
matur e. These matur e tr out wer e pr obably moving upstr eam to spawn, along with migr ant
spawner s r etur ning fr om the ocean.
Shapovalov and Taft (1954) knew little about the ocean migr ations of Califor nia
steelhead, with few being captur ed at sea by commer cial salmon tr oller s. This knowledge gap
continues to exist for the most par t. Tagged individuals fr om mor e nor ther ly stocks of Nor th
Amer ican steelhead have been r ecover ed on the high seas as far west as 42 44'N, 163 32'E,
and as far south as 40 58'N, 159 39'W (Bur gner et al. 1992). Although based on few data,
Califor nia steelhead may make mor e r estr icted westwar d migr ations than mor e nor ther ly
stocks. Shapovalov and Taft (1954) did deter mine, however , that homing r ates of mar ked
steelhead at Waddell Cr eek and near by Scott Cr eek wer e ver y high; 98.1% and 97.1% ,
r espectively (see also Taft and Shapovalov 1938).
Estimated sur vival of Waddell Cr eek steelhead, fr om eggs to fir st spawning adults,
r anged fr om 0.017% to 0.029% , and aver aged 0.023% (SD = 0.005% , n = 5; see Table 58 in
Shapovalov and Taft 1954). Ther e was a str ong negative cor r elation (r 2 = 0.88, p<0.02)
between the number of fir st spawner s r ecr uited and the number of eggs laid at the star t of the
life cycle (Fig. 7). Thus, obser ved r ecr uitment was negative density-dependent in r elation to
egg pr oduction. Of cour se, to consider this appar ent functional r elationship as tr ue, one must
assume that oceanic conditions and angling had r elatively constant effects on sur vival to fir st

18
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

spawning.
Sur vival of all age-classes of mar ked Waddell Cr eek steelhead, fr om time of
downstr eam migr ation to fir st spawning, r anged fr om 1.7% to 6.0% , and aver aged 3.5% (SD
= 1.8% , n = 5; see Table 75 in Shapovalov and Taft 1954). For all age-classes and year s
combined, 383 fir st spawner adults r etur ned fr om 12,679 downstream migrants marked at the
tr ap, for an over all sur vival of 3.0% . Fur ther mor e, ther e was a str ong positive correlation (r2
= 0.86, p<0.02) between the age at which steelhead made their initial downstr eam migr ation
and wer e mar ked at the tr ap, and the pr opor tion of fish in each age-class sur viving to r etur n
fr om the ocean as fir st spawner s (Fig. 8). I f it is assumed that fish size is dir ectly pr opor tional
to age, then sur vival incr eased with size as well. However , these r elationships ar e confounded
by the fact that the var ious age/size-classes would not be exper iencing the same potential
mor tality factor s simultaneously thr ough time because of their differ ing, age-class specific life
histor ies, especially with r egar d to the pr opor tion of each age-class enter ing the ocean in any
given year (see above). To fully evaluate age-class specific survival of downstream migrants to
fir st spawning, mor tality r ates would have to be deter mined for each age-class for both the
r emainder of their fr eshwater per iod, as well as in the ocean.

DRAINAGE-BY-DRAINAGE ACCOUNTS

SAN MATEO COUNTY

Ano Nuevo Creek Drainage

Although no detailed histor ical infor mation was discover ed for Ano Nuevo Cr eek,
Shapovalov and Taft (1954, p. 201) mentioned that the str eam suppor ted a ver y small
steelhead r un, r elative to the r uns obser ved at Scott and Waddell cr eeks dur ing the 1930 s
40 s. Juvenile steelhead wer e obser ved in the cr eek as recently as 1992 (J. Nelson, CDFG, pers.
comm.).

19
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

Cascade Creek Drainage

No j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out, or any other fishes, wer e obser ved in Cascade
Cr eek when sur veyed by the CDFG on 20 July 1978. However , a local r esident r epor ted the
for mer pr esence of tr out in the 5 km long cr eek. Sever al agr icultur al diver sion dams
thr oughout the str eam cr eated complete migr ation bar r ier s and r educed str eam flow. The
str eam bottom was heavily silted as a r esult of agr icultur e, gr azing, and r oad cr ossings.
Over all, Cascade Cr eek did not pr ovide habitat conditions conducive to steelhead/r ainbow
tr out pr oduction.

Denniston Creek Drainage

Denniston Cr eek is a shor t-r un tr ibutar y to Half M oon Bay. I n a 1941 listing, the
CDFG (unpubl. file document of 26 Apr il 1941) descr ibed Denniston Cr eek as having a fair
year -r ound flow, a small lagoon which opened and closed thr oughout the summer , known
steelhead and coho salmon spawning migrations, fair summer trout fishing, and water used for
ir r igation.
By 1953, a small dam had been built on the cr eek about 1.6 km above the mouth. The
CDFG maintained a catchable r ainbow tr out fisher y in the impoundment dur ing 1953, but it
was discontinued in 1954 because of pr ivate pr oper ty access r estr ictions (CDFG, unpubl. field
notes of 26 Febr uary 195329 March 1955). The dam presumably blocked upstream migration
of adult steelhead at that time.
The CDFG conducted a cur sor y electr ofishing sur vey at Denniston Cr eek on 21
October 1974 (W. E. Str ohschein, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 28 October 1974). Access to the
str eam was limited because of dense r ipar ian vegetation. I n a 4.6 m section about 0.6 km
above the dam, four j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e captur ed that aver aged 78 19
mm FL (r ange, 6199 mm FL ). I n a 9 m section about 0.2 km above Highway 1, two young-of-
the-year steelhead wer e captur ed, both about 64 mm FL . The spillway from the dam appeared
to be an impassable bar r ier to upstr eam migr ants. Stream flow was continuous above the dam
but near ly inter r upted below because of a water diver sion.

20
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

The lower most 4.8 km of Denniston Creek was surveyed by the CDFG on 20 April 1992.
The str eam was heavily over gr own with r ipar ian vegetation. Adj acent soils wer e highly
er osive and sand dominated the str eam substr ate. Ar eas with spawning gr avel wer e small,
patchy, and highly embedded or compacted. Small shallow pools with heavy cover pr ovided
adequate r ear ing habitat for young-of-the-year steelhead. The dam was still a migr ation
bar r ier , as was a 1.8 m culver t located about 0.8 km above the dam. One water diver sion was
seen upstr eam fr om the culver t. Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out, 1015 cm in length, wer e
seen in pools thr oughout the str eam. Pr esumably, those above the dam wer e r esident tr out.

Frenchmans Creek Drainage

Fr enchman s Cr eek, which enter s the Pacific Ocean near the community of Half Moon
Bay, was sur veyed by the CDFG dur ing the mid-1930 s. Juvenile steelhead wer e pr esent and
natur al pr opagation was r ated as fair . Small ir r igation diver sion dams wer e present, but they
wer e not thought to be bar r ier s to steelhead migr ation. The str eam was fished lightly. The
population was supplemented with 10,000 j uvenile steelhead in 1930, and 8,000 in 1932.
The cr eek was not sur veyed again by the CDFG until 25 September 1958. Due to a high
amount of sand in the str eam bottom, salmonid spawning areas were poor in the lowermost 4.8
km of str eam, and poor to fair in the next 3.2 km upstr eam. Rear ing habitat, in the for m of
pools, under cut banks, and vegetative cover , was appar ently abundant thr oughout.
Tempor ar y dams wer e noted, fr om which sever al diver sions were made. Steelhead reportedly
used the str eam for spawning, but j uveniles wer e not seen due to low water clarity. Streamside
er osion was noted as a pr oblem. Pr ivate landowner s had appar ently stocked br own tr out in
the upper canyon por tion of the str eam some year s befor e the sur vey. Over all, Fr enchman s
Cr eek was r ated as a minor steelhead str eam.
I n a CDFG electr ofishing sur vey in October 1974 (W. E. Str ohschein, CDFG, unpubl.
memo. of 1 November 1974), two j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow trout (1518 cm FL ) and a brown
tr out (27 cm FL ) wer e captur ed in a shor t str eam section immediately downstr eam fr om the
Highway 1 br idge. I n a 15 m section in the upper str eam, eight j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow

21
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

tr out wer e captur ed which aver aged 7.9 cm FL (r ange, 6.410.4 cm). Two br own tr out, 18.8
and 19.3 cm FL , wer e also captur ed.
The CDFG sur veyed the lower most 5.5 km of Fr enchman s Cr eek on 1920 September
1979. Salmonid spawning and r ear ing habitat wer e appar ently much the same as in the 1958
sur vey (see above). Thr ee flashboar d dams, 0.92.4 m high, were noted as potential barriers to
fish migr ation. Five active water diver sions wer e identified. Age 0+ salmonids wer e observed
thr oughout the sur vey ar ea. Electr ofishing samples wer e taken in two r eaches which totalled
about 366 m (L . Fish and I . L . Paulsen, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 23 October 1979). A total of
63 j uvenile steelhead (mean FL = 9.7 cm; r ange, 6.420.3 cm) and 14 br own tr out (mean FL =
11.4 cm; r ange, 7.922.9 cm) wer e captur ed. Among the steelhead, thr ee age-classes (0+, 1+,
and 2+) wer e appar ent with cor r esponding mean for k lengths of 8.4, 15.7, and 19.6 cm,
r espectively. Age 0+ fish compr ised 84% of the total steelhead catch.
I n subsequent envir onmental documents contained in the CDFG file, it was noted that
since 1971, water use in the dr ainage had incr eased and cumulative effects posed a dir ect
thr eat to fisher y r esour ces.
L ocks Cr eek is the pr incipal tr ibutar y to Fr enchman s Cr eek, but no infor mation was
available r egar ding the str eam or its status as a steelhead pr oduction ar ea.

Gazos Creek Drainage

Gazos Cr eek was sur veyed by the CDFG in 1934. Spawning gr ounds wer e abundant,
no bar r ier s or diver sions wer e noted, and steelhead wer e pr esent. The str eam was apparently
heavily fished by local r esidents. Ear ly CDFG stocking r ecor ds showed that the population
was supplemented with 12,000 j uvenile steelhead in 1930; 16,000 in 1931; 12,000 in 1932;
12,000 in 1933; 10,000 in 1934; 15,000 in 1935; 15,000 in 1936; 20,000 (@ 9171,270/kg) in
1938; and 7,000 (@ 2,116/kg) in 1939, for a gr and total of 119,000 fish.
The str eam was sur veyed again by the CDFG in July 1964, fr om the mouth to
headwater s for a distance of 13 km. Suitable gr avels for salmonid spawning wer e ample, and
compr ised an estimated str eambed ar ea of about 20,000 m2. Salmonid r ear ing habitat was

22
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

also abundant and appar ently of high quality. M any par tial and complete bar r ier s to fish
migr ation wer e obser ved, and one diver sion in the lower str eam stopped all str eam flow and
fish passage to the ocean. Siltation in the str eam, fr om an adj acent r oad and past logging, was
occur r ing. Juvenile steelhead occur r ed in visually estimated densities of 50 fish/30 m in the
lower str eam, and 5 fish/30 m in the headwater s. L engths wer e 2.515 cm, aver aging about 5
cm. One 56 cm adult male steelhead was seen. Natur al spawning success was r ated as good.
Catchable r ainbow tr out wer e planted in the str eam at the time of this sur vey, which r esulted
in heavy angling pr essur e on 2-year -old steelhead. Coho salmon also used Gazos Cr eek.
A sample of j uvenile steelhead taken by the CDFG on 28 Febr uar y 1970 compr ised 36
fish which r anged in for k length fr om 79 to 165 mm, and aver aged 128 mm (SD = 26 mm).
The CDFG conducted sever al electr ofishing sur veys dur ing the 1970 s80 s which
pr ovided at least cur sor y infor mation on the natur al var iation in the size/age str uctur e of the
j uvenile steelhead population in Gazos Cr eek. On 21 October 1974 (K . R. Ander son, CDFG,
unpubl. memo. of 28 October 1974), 59 steelhead wer e captur ed in a single sweep thr ough a
305 m r each of str eam, about 0.3 km upstr eam fr om the Highway 1 br idge. Age 0+ fish
compr ised 93% of the catch, and aver aged 91 mm FL (r ange, 71132 mm FL ). The remaining
four steelhead wer e age 1+ and aver aged 155 mm FL (r ange, 150165 mm FL ).
On 13 October 1975 (G. G. Scoppettone, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 3 February 1976), 28
j uvenile steelhead wer e captur ed in a single sweep thr ough a 46 m r each adj acent to the
Campbell Soup Co. diver sion. Again, fish r anging in for k length from 38 to 127 mm (mean, 86
mm FL ) made up 96% of the catch. Only one clear ly older individual was captur ed, which
was 203 mm FL .
Dur ing the winter of 1975-1976, entr y of adults fr om the ocean and their migr ation to
upstr eam spawning gr ounds wer e appar ently r estr icted due to a lack of precipitation and thus
r educed str eam flow. No adult steelhead wer e obser ved at thr ee sites on Gazos Cr eek on 2
M ar ch 1976 even though the str eam was open to the ocean (G. Scoppettone, CDFG, unpubl.
memo. of 19 Apr il 1976).
Salmonids, pr obably j uvenile steelhead, wer e obser ved, but not captur ed, upstr eam

23
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

fr om the Campbell diver sion on 10 August 1976 (M . Cogger , CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 30
August 1976).
On 30 M ay and 15 June 1978, the CDFG sur veyed Gazos Creek from the headwaters to
the mouth at the Pacific Ocean. Spawning and r ear ing habitats for salmonids wer e still
abundant and of ver y high quality. Juvenile steelhead wer e abundant. M ost fish were young-
of-the-year aver aging about 4 cm, although some tr out wer e up to 20 cm long. Many potential
migr ation bar r ier s wer e noted, mostly in the for m of woody debris and log jams as the result of
pr ior logging oper ations. Siltation and water diver sion had a negative impact on salmonid
habitat in the lower most por tion of the str eam. I t was also noted that 4,0005,000 catchable
r ainbow tr out had been planted in Gazos Cr eek annually dur ing 196073.
Two ver y small samples wer e taken by electr ofishing at Gazos Cr eek on 8 August 1978
(S. G. Tor r es and I . L . Paulsen, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 17 August 1978). I n an upstr eam
section, 8 steelhead wer e captur ed which aver aged 64 mm FL (range, 4679 mm FL ). Near the
M uzzi diver sion site, 4 steelhead wer e captur ed which aver aged 89 mm FL (range, 69104 mm
FL ). M any mor e salmonids escaped captur e in the sample sections due to equipment failur e.
On 27 September 1979, 59 steelhead aver aging 86 mm FL (r ange, 53160 mm FL ) were
captur ed dur ing a single electr ofishing pass in two r eaches totaling 236 m near the M uzzi and
Campbell diver sions (L . Fish and I . L . Paulsen, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 23 October 1979). I n
a 69 m r each upstr eam of str eam km 3.7, 46 steelhead wer e captur ed which had a mean for k
length of 74 mm (r ange, 46178 mm FL ). Based on the composite of the above samples, thr ee
age-classes of steelhead wer e appar ent: 0+ which aver aged 71 mm FL (r ange, 46102 mm; n =
85), 1+ which aver aged 124 mm FL (r ange, 107160 mm; n = 19), and a single, older 178 mm
individual.
No adult steelhead or coho salmon were observed during fish count surveys made on six
occasions fr om late November 1979 thr ough late Apr il 1980 (K . R. Ander son, CDFG, unpubl.
memo. of 14 July 1980). I t was concluded that anadr omous salmonid r esour ces had gr eatly
declined in Gazos Cr eek.
L ogj ams wer e r emoved in Gazos Cr eek dur ing July 1980 (D. Eimoto, CDFG, unpubl.

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 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

memo. of 5 August 1980). Juvenile salmonids wer e obser ved in the str eam at that time. The
CDFG also electr ofished two r eaches for a total of 213 m on 5 September 1980 (P. Walkup,
CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 18 September 1980). Age 0+ steelhead aver aged 71 mm FL (r ange,
4897 mm FL ; n = 113 or 88% of the catch), 1+ steelhead aver aged 114 mm FL (r ange, 102
140 mm FL ; n = 14), and 2+ steelhead aver aged 260 mm FL (r ange, 236284 mm FL ; n = 2).
Thus, despite the absence of adult sightings dur ing the 197980 spawning season, at least some
spawning and r ecr uitment did indeed occur .
On 7 September 1984, the CDFG sur veyed 8 km of Gazos Cr eek, beginning at the
mouth of Old Woman s Cr eek and wor king upstr eam. High quality spawning and r ear ing
habitats for salmonids wer e still pr esent, yet ver y few j uvenile steelhead wer e seen. Those
obser ved wer e 515 cm TL . Siltation per sisted as a pr oblem in the lower str eam, and logj ams
and a landslide cr eated potential migr ation bar r ier s. Water continued to be diverted from the
str eam at sever al locations.
The CDFG electr ofished two r eaches of Gazos Cr eek on 12 September 1985 (F. Gr ay,
CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 15 October 1985). I n a 61 m r each about 2.4 km upstr eam fr om the
mouth, 76 steelhead wer e captur ed which r anged in for k length fr om 38 to 130 mm and
aver aged 68 mm. I n a 91 m r each about 3.2 km above the mouth, 84 steelhead aver aged 69
mm FL and r anged fr om 45 to 142 mm FL .
I n August 1992, Smith (1992) electr ofished two r eaches totalling 84 m in the lowermost
3.2 km of Gazos Cr eek. Only pools and glides wer e sampled. A total of 112 j uvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out was captur ed; 67% of the catch was age 0+ and 33% was age 1+.
Ages wer e assigned based on length-fr equency distr ibutions.
Dur ing 1216 Januar y 1994, Smith (1994) r esampled the two r eaches in lower Gazos
Cr eek, and added two r eaches between 5 and 7 km above Highway 1. Again, only pools and
glides wer e sampled. Both age 0+ and 1+ steelhead occur r ed in all four r eaches. Of the 165
j uvenile steelhead captur ed, 72% wer e age 0+ and 28% wer e age 1+ that occur r ed at mean
SD densities of 95 52 tr out/100 m and 30 10 tr out/100 m, r espectively. Over all, j uvenile

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 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

steelhead population str uctur e in pools and glides was stable between August 1992 and
Januar y 1994. I n 1993, Nelson (1994c) inventoried the stream habitat in the lowermost 10.5 km
of Gazos Cr eek, and monitor ed j uvenile steelhead emigr ation. The detailed habitat typing
effor t cor r obor ated ear lier obser vations that spawning and rearing habitats were adequate for
maintaining the steelhead population. However, siltation continued to degrade habitat quality
by ar mor ing spawning gr avel and filling in pools. Dur ing the M ayJune 1993 sur vey per iod,
water quality in the upper str eam ar ea (SK M 10) was also degr aded by suspended sediment.
Signs of chemical pollution wer e seen in the lower most 1.6 km of the cr eek, although these
wer e not fully investigated. A well field and sur face diver sion in the lower cr eek decr eased
str eam flow dur ing late summer ear ly fall, which pr esumably r educed r ear ing habitat
quantity and quality. Ther e wer e 28 logj ams in the sur vey ar ea, seven of which were potential
migr ation bar r ier s except under ver y high flow conditions.
Emigr ating j uvenile steelhead wer e monitor ed by use of a downstr eam migr ant tr ap.
The tr ap was located j ust upstr eam fr om the well field at about SK M 0.5, and was fished from
29 M ar ch 1993 to 1 June 1993. Only 25 steelhead par r and 29 smolts were captured during the
nine weeks of tr apping. Peak catches (40% of par r , 34% of smolts) occur r ed dur ing the week
of 26 Apr il 1993. Captur ed par r aver aged 97 mm FL (r ange, 52153 mm FL ), while smolts
aver aged 151 mm FL (r ange, 104178 mm FL ). The low catches suggested a small population,
although mor e emigr ation may have occur r ed pr ior to the tr apping per iod.

Old Womans Creek

Old Woman s Cr eek was sur veyed fr om its mouth to headwater s by the CDFG on 23
July 1964. The str eam contained suitable spawning and r ear ing habitat for steelhead. One
potential migr ation bar r ier was noted, but no diver sions wer e seen. Juvenile steelhead and
coho salmon, 515 cm long, wer e obser ved at a total estimated abundance of 500 for the
entir e str eam. One spawned-out adult female steelhead was seen as well.
I n 1993, Nelson (1994c) inventor ied the str eam habitat in the lower most 1.2 km of Old
Woman s Cr eek. An elevated culver t cr eated a likely migration barrier to upstream migrants,

26
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

and the cr eek was not sur veyed above this point. Rear ing pools and spawning beds wer e
silted, and the cr eek contained logjams that created potential migration barriers. Despite what
appear ed to be r elatively poor habitat, j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow trout were seen throughout
the sur vey r each.
STATUS: Nelson (1994c) descr ibed the Gazos Cr eek steelhead population as viable but
declining. This assessment was consistent with obser ved r eductions in habitat quality,
quantity, and access due to siltation, water diver sions, and logj ams.

Green Oaks Creek Drainage

No j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out, or any other fishes, wer e obser ved in Cascade
Cr eek when sur veyed fr om its mouth to headwater s (6 km) by the CDFG on 10 August 1978.
Five dams located thr oughout the str eam cr eated complete migr ation bar r ier s. Ther e wer e
five agr icultur al diver sion pumps. Reser voir s in the lower most 3 km obscur ed the str uctur e
and function of the natur al str eam channel. No suitable spawning ar eas for steelhead wer e
obser ved. A local r esident r epor ted that r eser voir s on the cr eek wer e stocked with r ainbow
tr out. Over all, Gr een Oaks Cr eek did not pr ovide habitat conditions conducive to
steelhead/r ainbow tr out pr oduction.

Lobitos Creek Drainage

Ear ly CDFG r ecor ds showed that the L obitos Cr eek steelhead population was
supplemented with 8,000 j uveniles in 1930 and 14,000 in 1932. I n a mid-1930 s CDFG str eam
sur vey, the cr eek was descr ibed as having inter mittent summer flow and scatter ed spawning
gr ounds for steelhead, and that natural propagation of steelhead had been limited, presumably
because of limited spawning and r ear ing habitat. The adult steelhead population was lightly
fished. Sever al lar ge steelhead wer e appar ently caught at L obitos Creek on 25 May 1939 (L .
Shapovalov, CDFG, unpubl. file note).
The CDFG sur veyed L obitos Cr eek on 24 June 1975, fr om its headwater s to the mouth
at the Pacific Ocean, for a distance of 4 km. Spawning substrate was rated as poor to fair, with
patches of suitable gr avel scatter ed thr oughout the sur vey ar ea. Silt cemented the substrate in

27
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

some ar eas of the str eam, especially near the headwater s wher e logging oper ations wer e
under way. Rear ing habitat in the for m of pools and cover was r ated as fair to good. Sever al
potential bar r ier s to fish migr ation wer e noted, including logj ams, culver ts, small dams, and a
natur al 1.8 m bedr ock water fall downstr eam fr om Highway 1. Sever al small diver sions wer e
identified. Juvenile steelhead and/or r ainbow tr out, 2.515 cm in total length, wer e obser ved
thr oughout the sur vey ar ea, although tr out density was r elatively low above the natur al
bedr ock water fall in the lower str eam, and much higher in the 0.3 km of str eam below the fall
wher e access by migr ator y tr out was unobstr ucted. Over all, the str eam was under utilized by
steelhead, pr imar ily because of fish passage pr oblems, and it was r ecommended that futur e
water applications be pr otested because of the limited water r esour ces in this small str eam
dr ainage. Sever al such applications, contained in the CDFG files, wer e submitted dur ing the
late 1970 s.
Dur ing the winter of 1975-1976, entr y of adults fr om the ocean and their migr ation to
upstr eam spawning gr ounds wer e appar ently r estr icted due to a lack of precipitation and thus
r educed str eam flow. The mouth at L obitos Cr eek did not open, even following rainfall events
dur ing midFebr uar y to ear ly M ar ch 1976, and no adult steelhead wer e obser ved in the
str eam (G. Scoppettone, CDFG, unpubl. memo of 25 M ar ch 1976 and 19 Apr il 1976).

Pescadero Creek Drainage

Historically, the Pescadero Creek system has supported the largest steelhead population
and fisher y in San M ateo County. Dur ing the mid-1970 s, the size of the annual adult
steelhead r un was estimated at 1,500 fish of which about 400 wer e har vested in the spor t
fisher y each year (Elliott 1975). The system undoubtedly supported many more steelhead, and
coho salmon as well, befor e any maj or exploitation of the str eam dr ainage began. For
example, in 1870 a commer cial fisher y existed wher e a wagon load of steelhead and coho
weighing 114 kg each was taken daily fr om Pescader o Cr eek between October and M ar ch
(Skinner 1962). Degr adation of the system was already underway at that time, however, due to
the effects of logging, saw mills, and flour mills. So, it is r easonable to assume that the

28
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

anadr omous fish populations wer e pr eviously even lar ger than the ones which suppor ted the
commer cial fisher y in 1870.
The moder n chr onicle char ting the Pescader o steelhead population begins with ear ly
CDFG r ecor ds. The upper cr eek was sur veyed by the CDFG on 7 August 1962, fr om its
headwater s to Por tola State Par k for a distance of 2.7 km. There were suitable spawning areas
for steelhead and r ainbow tr out in the headwater s and fr om 0.8 km above Oil Cr eek to the
state par k. The r emainder of this por tion of the cr eek was heavily silted, and thus unsuitable
for salmonid spawning. Rear ing habitat, in the for m of pools and shelter , was adequate for
young tr out. Thr ee low-flow migr ation bar r ier s and one diver sion wer e identified, and the
Santa Cr uz L umber Company was indicated as a pollution sour ce in the str eam. Juvenile
steelhead and/or r ainbow tr out occur r ed in visually estimated densities of 10275 tr out/30 m
(aver age, 110 tr out/30 m), and wer e 2.518 cm long (aver age, 5 cm). At that time, the CDFG
stocked catchable r ainbow tr out in the cr eek fr om Por tola State Par k to San M ateo County
M emor ial Par k to suppor t the summer tr out fisher y.
On 8 August 1963, the CDFG sur veyed the lower most 17.5 km of the str eam, fr om the
mouth to M emor ial Par k. The upper most 3.5 km of the sur vey ar ea contained an estimated
3,479 m2 of suitable spawning gr ounds. M uch of the r emaining 14 km of str eambed in the
sur vey ar ea was heavily silted and contained only an estimated 1,254 m2 of utilizable spawning
substr ate for steelhead. L ocal r esidents r epor tedly obser ved steelhead spawning near the
community of Pescader o dur ing the 1962-63 season. Pools and shelter pr ovided adequate
r ear ing habitat for j uvenile steelhead. No migr ation barriers were noted, but 3550 diversions
wer e obser ved along 12.9 km of str eam, with most of the water being used in agr icultur e.
Siltation was noted as a maj or pollution pr oblem in this por tion of the str eam as well. The
density of j uvenile steelhead and/or r ainbow tr out was estimated at 300 tr out/30 m in the
upper 6.4 km of the sur vey ar ea, and 100 tr out/30 m in the 11.1 km below (overall average, 175
tr out/30 m). The aver age tr out length was estimated at 7.5 cm with a r ange of 530.5 cm.
Steelhead pr oduction was j udged to be at its maximum under the existing conditions in this
por tion of Pescader o Cr eek.

29
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

Conditions in Pescader o Cr eek wer e appar ently ver y much the same when the entir e
str eam, fr om its mouth to headwater s for a distance of 37 km, was sur veyed by the CDFG
dur ing 2430 August 1965. Young tr out densities wer e deter mined by seining out sever al
blocked-off str eam sections along 27.4 km of the cr eek. The aver age density was about 60
tr out/30 m, and total abundance was estimated at 55,385 tr out. The fish wer e 3.67.6 cm long
and aver aged 5.3 cm, which based on their size would suggest that all tr out obser ved wer e
young-of-the-year .
As in most Califor nia str eams, fish pr oduction in Pescader o Cr eek was negatively
impacted by the dr ought of water year s 1975-76 and 1976-77. Dur ing the winter of 1975-76,
entr y of adults fr om the ocean and their migr ation to upstr eam spawning gr ounds wer e
appar ently r estr icted due to a lack of pr ecipitation and thus r educed str eam flow. However ,
adult steelhead and coho salmon did enter lower Pescader o Cr eek following r ainfall events
dur ing mid-Febr uar y to ear ly M ar ch 1976 (G. Scoppettone, CDFG, unpubl. memo of 25
M ar ch 1976 and 19 Apr il 1976).
When obser ved by the CDFG on 10 August 1976 (R. Cur tis, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of
31 August 1976), low flow conditions wer e exacer bated by diver sions and str eam flow
appr oached inter mittency in the lower cr eek wher e no salmonids wer e seen. Flow was
continuous but minimal fur ther upstr eam and a few j uvenile tr out wer e obser ved r anging in
length fr om 5 to 15 cm. The Pescader o tr ibutar y, Honsinger Cr eek, was also obser ved dur ing
this br ief sur vey and found to have a minimal continuous flow that was pr edicted to become
inter mittent later in the season. Juvenile steelhead, 1018 cm long, r epor tedly inhabited a
small impoundment on the cr eek.
The CDFG sur veyed 9.3 km of lower Pescader o Cr eek, fr om str eam km 8.5 upstr eam
fr om Pescader o to M emor ial Par k, dur ing the second year of the dr ought on 8 & 11 July 1977.
The sur vey r epor t indicated that the sandbar at the mouth of the cr eek had only been
br eached twice by stor ms dur ing the winter of 1976-77. L imited entr y by adult steelhead
sever ely r educed steelhead pr opagation in the system. Aside from the very low flow conditions
which r educed the quantity, the quality of physical habitat for spawning and r ear ing was

30
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

appar ently similar as in pr evious sur veys, except that silt deposition in the stream was perhaps
enhanced because of a lack of flushing flows. Seven dams and one logj am wer e identified as
par tial migr ation bar r ier s within the sur vey ar ea, depending on actual flow conditions. Nine
diver sion sites wer e noted. Age 0+ steelhead, aver aging 3.8 cm in for k length, occur r ed at an
estimated abundance of 35 tr out/30 m in pools in a 2.1 km boulder -str ewn r each, near the
community of L oma M ar . Few j uvenile steelhead wer e seen above or below this stream reach.
On 8 August 1978, sever al age 0+ steelhead averaging about 6.5 cm FL were observed in
a 23 m r each of lower Pescader o Cr eek (S. G. Tor r es and I . L . Paulsen, CDFG, unpubl. memo.
of 17 August 1978). About 15 young-of-the-year steelhead, aver aging about 7.5 cm FL , wer e
also seen immediately upstr eam of the fish ladder in Memorial Park. Thus, spawning of adults
and r ecr uitment of age 0 steelhead wer e appar ently successful following the abundant r ains
and high flow conditions dur ing the winter of 1977-78.
The 1976-77 dr ought gr eatly increased the demand on water resources in the Pescadero
Cr eek system, as evidenced by the volume of water applications, pr otests, and other r elated
documents contained in the CDFG files. To pr ovide pr otest dismissal ter ms for water
applications in the lower most 8 km of Pescader o Cr eek, a CDFG instr eam flow study
deter mined that a minimum bypass flow of 0.4 m3 was r equir ed dur ing 1 November1 May to
allow passage of upstr eam migr ating adult steelhead and coho salmon (K . R. Ander son and I .
L . Paulsen, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 1 October 1979). This flow would also allow for
downstr eam passage of post-spawning adult steelhead and emigr ating smolts.
A CDFG file document from 1980 indicated that, following Fish and Game Commission
policy, catchable r ainbow tr out wer e no longer stocked into Pescader o Cr eek to pr ovide for a
summer tr out fisher y (B. Hunter , CDFG, unpubl. letter of 6 M ar ch 1980). However , it was
also mentioned that about 10,000 year ling steelhead wer e planted into Pescadero annually as a
stock enhancement measur e. For example, 10,120 M ad River steelhead (@ 22.0/kg) wer e
planted on 14 Apr il 1975; 10,070 M ad River steelhead (@ 209.4/kg) on 22 August 1978; 8,013
M ad River steelhead (@ 23.4/kg) on 29 Apr il 1980; and 8,140 steelhead (@ 8.2/kg) fr om Point
Ar ena Ponds (lot or egg sour ce not specified) on 21 M ar ch 1985.

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 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

The abundance of age 0+ and 1+ steelhead was deter mined at the fifth and sixth r oad
cr ossings upstr eam fr om the mouth of Pescader o Cr eek, by use of the r emoval method dur ing
fall 1986 (J. J. Smith, San Jose State Univer sity, unpubl. data). Density estimates based on
twothr ee electr ofishing passes wer e 32.6 and 57.1 tr out/30 m at br idge 5 and 6, r espectively
(site lengths wer e 85 m and 37 m, r espectively). On 30 October 1987, tr out densities were very
similar to the year befor e: 28.0 and 64.0 tr out/30 m. The standar d lengths ( SD) of tr out at
each site in the 1987 sur vey wer e 71 14 mm and 73 17 mm; thus, most tr out wer e age 0+ at
these sites.
With acquisition of the mar sh lands at the mouths of Pescader o Cr eek and Butano
Cr eek (see below) by the Califor nia Depar tment of Par ks and Recr eation, much attention
dur ing the 1980 s was dir ected towar d development of a management plan for the Pescader o
M ar sh Natur al Pr eser ve. As par t of this inter agency effort, Smith (1987, 1990) determined the
impor tance of the Pescader o lagoon as r ear ing habitat for j uvenile steelhead pr ior to their
migr ation to the ocean.

Butano Creek and tributarie

The lar gest tr ibutar y to the Pescader o Cr eek dr ainage is Butano Cr eek, which is in
r eality a separ ate maj or dr ainage that only shares a common lagoon with Pescadero Creek. As
for the Pescader o, the contempor ar y r ecor d of steelhead use of Butano Cr eek is fair ly
substantial and dr aws heavily fr om infor mation contained in the CDFG files.
Juvenile steelhead wer e obser ved in Butano Cr eek dur ing a mid-1930 s CDFG str eam
sur vey. The sur veyor had seen adult steelhead spawning and spawning success was apparently
good. Fishing pr essur e was noted as heavy. High quality spawning gr ounds existed in the
middle por tion of the dr ainage, and small ir r igation diver sions wer e identified in the middle
and lower por tions of the str eam. Ear ly CDFG stocking r ecor ds showed that the population
was supplemented with 10,000 j uvenile steelhead in each of 1930, 1932, 1933, and 1934; 15,000
in each of 1935 and 1936; 20,000 (@ 1,340/kg) fr om Big Cr eek in June 1938; and 2,000 (@
2,116/kg) fr om Big Cr eek in June 1939.

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 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

The next CDFG sur vey occur r ed in December 1948. The surveyor found that a barrier
water fall, Butano Falls, blocked upstr eam migr ation of steelhead spawner s, about 4.8 km
above the entr ance to Butano Canyon. L ogging was under way fur ther upstr eam in the
water shed. One or two adult steelhead wer e obser ved, finger lings wer e abundant, and
j uveniles up to 15 cm wer e seen in the summer . Fishing pr essur e on the str eam was heavy
dur ing the summer tr out season when angler s fished for j uvenile steelhead and r esident
r ainbow tr out, the latter of which occur r ed above the bar r ier water fall.
Dur ing a sur vey of Butano Cr eek on 2526 August 1958, the CDFG noted that
spawning ar eas had become silted since the 1948 survey, the cause being the combined effect of
upstr eam logging oper ations and heavy winter r ains. Rear ing habitat in the form of pools and
shelter was appar ently adequate for steelhead. Below Butano Falls, 510 cm long j uvenile
steelhead wer e common except near the str eam mouth, while above the falls young-of-the-year
r esident r ainbow tr out wer e scar ce, ther e wer e some 57.5 cm tr out, and a few 15 cm tr out.
Few fish wer e seen in the nor th for k of Butano Cr eek, and slashings fr om logging cover ed the
south for k which pr ecluded the evaluation of fish r esour ces ther e. The total sur vey distance,
fr om the mouth to the for ks, was about 13 km. Fishing pressure in summer was only moderate
by this time.
Pr oblems with sedimentation and logging debris in Butano Creek were persisting when
the CDFG sur veyed the str eam again in July 1964. Despite the effects of poor water shed
management in the headwater s, the steelhead and r ainbow tr out populations also per sisted
although the impacts on population gr owth could not be assessed based on available
infor mation.
South Butano Cr eek was sur veyed mor e closely by the CDFG on 30 July 1964, fr om its
confluence with the main stem to the headwater s, for a distance of near ly 9 km. This str eam
was r egar ded as an impor tant tr ibutar y to Butano Cr eek because of its contr ibution of
per ennial summer flow. The cr eek contained sever al maj or migr ation bar r ier s and was
heavily silted due to the effects of logging. Nonetheless, a small population of resident rainbow
tr out was able to exploit the small gr avel patches and r ear ing pools. Young-of-the-year , 45

33
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

cm in length, occur r ed in a visually estimated density of 8 fish/30 m, while older trout, 913 cm
in length, had a density of about 2 fish/30 m. The population was r epor tedly established as the
r esult of plants made sever al year s before by an ex-warden of the CDFG. Fishing pressure was
light.
The 1976-77 dr ought gr eatly increased the demand on water resources in the Pescadero
Cr eek system, as evidenced by the volume of water applications, pr otests, and other r elated
documents contained in the CDFG files. To pr ovide pr otest dismissal ter ms for water
applications in the lower most 7.1 km of Butano Cr eek, a CDFG instr eam flow study
deter mined that a minimum bypass flow of 0.3 m3 was r equir ed dur ing 1 November1 May to
allow passage of upstr eam migr ating adult steelhead and coho salmon (K . R. Ander son and I .
L . Paulsen, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 1 October 1979). This flow would also allow for
downstr eam passage of post-spawning adult steelhead and emigr ating smolts.
The main tr ibutar y to Butano Cr eek, L ittle Butano Cr eek, is also a known
steelhead/r ainbow tr out str eam. Ear ly CDFG r ecor ds showed that the steelhead population
was supplemented with 10,000 j uveniles in 1935 and 8,000 in 1936. When sur veyed by the
CDFG on 28 August 1958, a 6 m high silted-in flashboar d dam, located about 4.5 km upstream
fr om the confluence with Butano Cr eek, mar ked the upstr eam extent of steelhead access in the
L ittle Butano. The dam diver ted water to Upper Bean Hollow L ake via a flume. Spawning
gr ounds below the dam wer e r ated as fair ; the best spawning gr avels for steelhead existed
above the dam. Rear ing habitat in the for m of pools and shelter was best in the lower most
str eam ar ea. Young-of-the-year steelhead, 57.5 cm in length, were abundant in the portion of
str eam below the dam, and wer e estimated in densities up to about 23 tr out/30 m. Young-of-
the-year wer e gener ally less abundant above the dam, and wer e consider ed to be the pr ogeny
of r esident r ainbow tr out. Near the headwater s, r esident rainbows up to about 23 cm in length
wer e obser ved. Removal of the abovementioned dam would allow steelhead access to another
2.4 km or mor e of pr oduction ar ea.
When sur veyed from the mouth to headwaters by the CDFG during 1017 August 1962,
spawning and r ear ing conditions in L ittle Butano Cr eek wer e appar ently much the same as in

34
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

the 1958 sur vey. However , a 4.5 m high bedr ock falls, located about 250 m above the
confluence with Butano Cr eek, was identified as a complete bar r ier to upstr eam migr ation of
anadr omous salmonids. I nter estingly, this bar r ier was either for med dur ing the inter im, or
was simply over looked in the 1958 sur vey. A culver t, located about 500 m below the
flashboar d dam, was also a potential migr ation bar r ier . I n addition to the abovementioned
flume, ther e was a new diver sion at a sandbag dam. Siltation caused by old logging operations
was noted as a pollution pr oblem. Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow trout were seen from the mouth
to the headwater s, although they wer e scarce in the uppermost stream area. The fish above the
bar r ier s wer e consider ed to be r ainbow tr out, most of which wer e 2.55 cm long young-of-the-
year , but a few 1012.5 cm tr out wer e also seen. Tr out density above the bar r ier s was visually
estimated at 1520 fish/30 m. Juvenile steelhead and coho salmon wer e obser ved below the
bedr ock falls.
The entir e L ittle Butano Cr eek was sur veyed by the CDFG on 78 June 1977, dur ing
the second year of the 1976-77 dr ought. The status of spawning and r ear ing habitat for
r ainbow tr out was appar ently much the same as in pr evious sur veys. New potential migration
bar r ier s and diver sions wer e identified. Cattle caused some pollution (manure and eroded soil
in the str eam) in the lower cr eek ar ea. Rainbow tr out, 2.515 cm in length, occur r ed at a
visually estimated density of 20 fish/30 m between the bedrock falls near the stream mouth and
the flashboar d dam. Rainbow tr out wer e not seen above this point; thus, tr out distr ibution in
the L ittle Butano was gr eatly r educed r elative to obser vations made dur ing the pr evious 20
year s. Although the exact cause was not r eadily identifiable, upstr eam water development in
Butano State Par k, which included a pumping station at a concr ete dam, may have been a
factor . Evidently, this tr end has not been evaluated since 1977.

Fall Creek
The Pescader o tr ibutar y, Fall Cr eek, was sur veyed by the CDFG on 16 August 1962.
An 2.4 m natur al bedr ock bar r ier limited steelhead access to the lower most 274 m of str eam.
About 40% of this str eam length compr ised high quality spawning gr ounds, and old r edds

35
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

wer e obser ved. Rear ing habitat was appar ently only suitable for age 0+ salmonids, due to the
shallowness of the cr eek. No diver sions wer e seen. Steelhead and/or r ainbow tr out j uveniles,
2.55 cm long, wer e pr esent at a visually estimated abundance of 20 fish/30 m.

Little Boulder Creek

When sur veyed by the CDFG on 15 August 1962, L ittle Boulder Cr eek was noted as an
impor tant tr ibutar y to Pescader o Cr eek because of its per ennial flow. Only the lowermost 1.2
km of the cr eek was available to steelhead because of an impassable bedr ock bar r ier .
However , within this r each, the cr eek contained high quality spawning gr avel and suitable
r ear ing habitat for steelhead. Juvenile tr out, 2.55 cm in length, wer e abundant and visually
estimated at 75 tr out/30 m. Older tr out up to 23 cm long wer e also obser ved. No fish wer e
seen above the bedr ock bar r ier . Ther e was a water diver sion to a lumber mill.

Peters Creek
Peter s Cr eek was sur veyed by the CDFG on 5 August 1962, fr om its confluence with
Pescader o Cr eek to a natur al water fall bar r ier located about 9.3 km upstr eam. Suitable
spawning habitat for salmonids was scar ce in the lower most 2.4 km of str eam due to siltation
caused by logj ams, but was gener ally abundant further upstream. Rearing habitat in the form
of pools and shelter was appar ently adequate for j uvenile steelhead. L ogj ams consisting
mostly of debr is fr om pr ior logging oper ations cr eated potential bar r ier s to fish migr ation in
the lower most 3.2 km of the str eam. One water diver sion was noted. Steelhead and/or
r ainbow tr out wer e abundant thr oughout the str eam, at visually estimated densities of 50150
tr out/30 m. An estimated 98% of these fish wer e 2.55 cm long (age 0+) while the r emaining
2% r anged in length fr om 7.5 to 20 cm.

Pilarcitos Creek Drainage

Dur ing the winter of 1975-76, entr y of adults fr om the ocean and their migr ation to
upstr eam spawning gr ounds wer e appar ently r estr icted due to a lack of precipitation and thus
r educed str eam flow. No adult steelhead wer e obser ved at one check point on Pilarcitos Creek

36
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

on 26 Febr uar y 1976 despite recent rainfall (G. Scoppettone, DFG, unpubl. memo. of 25 March
1976).

Arroyo Leon
The Ar r oyo L eon is a maj or tr ibutar y which has its confluence with Pilarcitos Creek at
the community of Half M oon Bay. Juvenile steelhead wer e pr esent in the Arroyo L eon during
a mid-1930 s CDFG sur vey of the cr eek. Spawning gr ounds for steelhead wer e patchily
distr ibuted, but natur al pr opagation was successful. Two 6 m diversion dams were barriers to
steelhead migr ation. Fishing pr essur e was moder ate on what was mentioned to be a small
steelhead r un. The population was supplemented with 10,000 j uvenile steelhead in 1930.

Pomponio Creek Drainage

Within r ecent geological histor y, only the lower most 1.6 km of Pomponio Cr eek has
been available to steelhead because of a 7.5 m water fall at that point. The CDFG sur veyed the
entir e 9.7 km of str eam on 29 August 1958. Spawning ar eas wer e of gener ally poor quality
above the fall, and only somewhat better below. Pools with cover pr ovided r ear ing habitat
both above and below the fall, although they wer e especially numer ous and deep below. L ocal
r esidents suppor ted the view that steelhead could not ascend the water fall. Relatively many
j uvenile steelhead, 57.5 cm long, wer e captur ed by seine and otherwise observed downstream
fr om the fall, along with a 56 cm post-spawner . Only two tr out, 12.5 and 15 cm long, wer e
captur ed at two locations above the water fall. These r esults cor r obor ated the pr esence of
steelhead below the fall, and pr esumably r esident r ainbow tr out above. L ocal r esidents
r epor ted tr out 3035 cm long above the fall. Ther e was a small r eser voir near the headwater s
fr om which water was diver ted for agr icultur al pur poses. Releases fr om the r eser voir
r epor tedly maintained a per ennial flow in Pomponio Cr eek.
Smith (1987, 1990) captur ed no steelhead by seining the small Pomponio Cr eek lagoon
on 11 & 16 June 1985 and 16 June 1986. Water quality was unsuitable for steelhead rearing in
summer . I n contr ast, two smolts over 20 cm long wer e captur ed ther e on 30 December 1985.
Smith (1990) suggested that the lagoon was used as a winter feeding ar ea by juvenile steelhead

37
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

pr ior to their migr ation to sea.

Purisima Creek Drainage

Pur isima Cr eek has evidently not been populated by steelhead within recent geological
histor y because of a 10 m water fall at the cr eek mouth. When sur veyed by the CDFG on 18
August 1956, the cr eek had high quality spawning and r ear ing habitats for r ainbow tr out.
Tr out wer e seen r anging in length fr om about 7.5 to 20 cm. The population had also been
supplemented with catchable r ainbow trout, and the stream was managed for its resident trout
fisher y. Ther e wer e sever al flashboar d dams along the middle and lower cr eek sections fr om
which water was pumped for ir r igation.
The condition of the cr eek and status of its r ainbow tr out population wer e essentially
unchanged when sur veyed by the CDFG on 26 September 1958. No catchable tr out wer e
planted that year and it was assumed that the r ainbow tr out population was self-sustaining.
Tr out plants by the CDFG wer e discontinued in 1963. The CDFG has conducted two
electr ofishing sur veys in the cr eek since that time, which have confir med the persistence of the
r ainbow tr out population. On 25 October 1974, one 30.5 m section was sampled and 17
r ainbow tr out wer e captur ed that aver aged 98 55 mm FL (r ange, 51216 mm FL ; W. E.
Str ohschein, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 13 November 1974). For ty-thr ee tr out wer e captur ed
on 21 August 1986; these fish aver aged 55 21 mm SL (r ange, 35113 mm SL ; CDFG,
unpubl. file data).

San Gregorio Creek Drainage

The San Gr egor io Cr eek system is one of the pr incipal steelhead pr oduction ar eas in
San M ateo County. The cr eek appar ently pr oduced steelhead and coho salmon in commercial
quantities when sur veyed in 1870 (Skinner 1962). Degr adation of the system was alr eady
under way at that time, however , due to the effects of logging, saw mills, and flour mills. So, it
is r easonable to assume that the anadromous fish populations were previously even larger than
the ones which suppor ted the commer cial fisher y in 1870.
I n Febr uar y 1962, the local CDFG war den r epor tedly obser ved a gr oup of about 25

38
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

adult steelhead enter ing San Gr egor io Cr eek at one time (CDFG, unpubl. field notes of 28
Febr uar y 1962). The war den also indicated that maximum spawning run size in the creek was
about 1,000 adults, and that the 1961-62 r un was not this lar ge but possibly compr ised a few
hundr ed fish.
Coots (1973) investigated steelhead r ear ing and emigr ation in San Gregorio Creek and
lagoon. He fished a downstr eam migr ant tr ap, situated about 450 m upstr eam fr om the
lagoon, fr om the last week of Febr uar y 1971 thr ough 2 July 1971. Juvenile steelhead
displaying smolt char acter istics r anged fr om 55 to 246 mm FL . Based on scale ageing and
length-fr equency distr ibutions, about 60% of smolts wer e one year olds, 39% wer e two year
olds, and <1% wer e thr ee year olds or older . M ovement of year ling and older ( 100 mm FL )
smolts thr ough the tr ap followed a near ly nor mal distr ibution with tails extending fr om the
fir st of M ar ch thr ough the end of June; the mode was at the end of Apr ilfir st of M ay. The
adipose fin was clipped fr om 4,775 year ling and older smolts for r ecover y in lagoon sampling.
Coots (1973) sampled the lagoon weekly by seining fr om 17 June 1971 thr ough 26
August 1971. The lagoon was open to the ocean thr oughout most of this period, thus making it
impossible to make an accur ate estimate of smolt population size using a tr aditional mar k-
r ecaptur e model. Because only 181 clipped smolts wer e r ecover ed in the lagoon, Coots (1973)
suggested that most smolts tr apped and mar ked in the cr eek did not r emain in the lagoon but
instead pr oceeded dir ectly to the ocean. M ost steelhead captur ed in the lagoon wer e
subyear lings and year lings. Year ling steelhead given individual tags in the lagoon dur ing
ear ly July 1971 (n = 26) and r ecaptur ed ther e dur ing mid- to late July 1971 (n = 5) gr ew in
length and weight at an aver age r ate of 0.28 mm/d and 0.29 g/d, r espectively.
Coots (1973) also captur ed 215 spent adult steelhead in the downstr eam migr ant tr ap,
of which 123 wer e males and 92 wer e females. Although downstr eam movement occur r ed
dur ing all four months of tr apping, 83% of adults wer e captur ed dur ing Apr il and M ay 1971.
M ales aver aged about 43 cm FL , females about 47 cm FL , and both sexes combined about 45
cm FL (r ange, 30.580.0 cm FL ). Thus, these fish wer e about 22% smaller on aver age than

39
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

those sampled at Waddell Creek by Shapovalov and Taft (1954), assuming post-spawners were
r epr esentative of the entir e adult population. Spawning activity in the cr eek was obser ved
thr ough the fir st week of M ay 1971. Two peaks in spawning activity wer e detected: one in
December 1970 and another dur ing M ar chApr il 1971 when an incr ease in str eam flow
allowed spawner s to enter the cr eek. Consequently, two distinct fr y emer gence per iods wer e
also obser ved: one in Apr il 1971 and another that star ted in mid-M ay and continued thr ough
June 1971.
Coots (1973) also sur veyed sever al sections of San Gr egor io Cr eek in August 1971 for
pr esence of j uvenile steelhead. Few wer e found in a 0.5 km low-velocity r each j ust upstr eam
fr om the lagoon. Juveniles wer e abundant in a r iffle ar ea near San Gr egor io, about 1.6 km
upstr eam fr om the lagoon. Young-of-the-year steelhead were abundant in riffles, and yearling
and older steelhead wer e pr esent in pools and cutbank ar eas, in a shelter ed str eam ar ea about
8 km fr om the mouth. Coots (1973) sur mised that r educed r ear ing habitat associated with low
summer flow was likely a limiting factor for steelhead pr oduction in San Gr egor io Cr eek.
The CDFG sur veyed San Gr egor io Cr eek fr om the mouth to its headwater str eams,
Alpine and L a Honda cr eeks, for a distance of about 17 km on 3 & 6 October 1975. Spawning
ar eas wer e abundant in the upper str eam, and fr equent but inter mittent in the middle and
lower str eam. Rear ing habitat for j uvenile steelhead was appar ently adequate. No barriers to
fish migr ation wer e noted, but 19 diver sions wer e identified, most of them for agr icultur e.
Siltation, due to logging and agr icultur al activities, was noted as a pollution problem. Juvenile
steelhead wer e pr esent in the str eam. Angling pr essur e for adult steelhead at San Gr egor io
Cr eek was noted as moder ate.
An electr ofishing survey was conducted on 13 October 1975 to verify steelhead presence
in the str eam (G. G. Scoppettone and K . R. Ander son, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 3 Febr uar y
1976). I n a 37 m r each about 2.3 km above the mouth, only two steelhead, 1820 cm FL , wer e
captur ed. I n 91 m appr oximately 6.8 km fr om the mouth, about 25 young-of-the-year
steelhead wer e shocked. I n 91 m of str eam near the confluence of L a Honda and Alpine
cr eeks, j uvenile steelhead wer e numer ous and all but one (age 1+, 12.7 FL ) wer e pr obably

40
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

young-of-the-year . These fish r anged fr om 4.8 to 11.2 cm FL , and aver aged 7.4 cm FL (n =
66).
Despite a confluence with the ocean, no adult steelhead or redds were observed at three
sites on two occasions dur ing late Febr uar year ly M ar ch 1976 in San Gr egor io Cr eek (G.
Scoppettone, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 25 M ar ch 1976 and 19 Apr il 1976). Entr y of adults
fr om the ocean and their migr ation to upstr eam spawning gr ounds were apparently restricted
due to a lack of pr ecipitation dur ing the winter of 1975-76, and thus r educed str eam flow. I n
r elation to pr otests of subsequent water applications, the CDFG deter mined that a minimum
bypass flow of 0.55 m3/s in winter and spr ing was necessar y for unimpair ed upstr eam and
downstr eam migr ation of adult steelhead in the cr eek (I . L . Paulsen and K . R. Ander son,
CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 11 M ar ch 1980).
On 26 October 1979, the CDFG sur veyed 4.7 km of the middle por tion of San Gregorio
Cr eek. The str eam mouth was open to the ocean at this time, following a major autumn storm.
The condition of spawning substr ate and pr esence of fish could not be evaluated because of
high tur bidity. The str eam appear ed to pr ovide suitable r ear ing conditions for j uvenile
salmonids, however , and no migr ation bar r ier s wer e obser ved within the sur vey ar ea. Five
water diver sions wer e noted. Even though fish wer e not dir ectly obser ved dur ing this sur vey,
the str eam system was still assumed to be a maj or pr oduction area for both steelhead and coho
salmon.
An adult steelhead was obser ved in the upper cr eek ar ea on 23 Januar y 1981 dur ing
inspection of an oil spill by CDFG per sonnel (H. W. Jong, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 23
Febr uar y 1981).
On 20 M ar ch 1985, 8,140 j uvenile steelhead (@ 8.2/kg) fr om Point Ar ena Ponds in
M endocino County wer e planted in San Gregorio Creek, from Skyline Boulevard downstream
to the Coyote Cr eek confluence.
The CDFG sur veyed San Gr egor io Cr eek dur ing AugustSeptember 1985 in nearly its
entir ety, fr om the headwater s at L a Honda and Alpine cr eeks to the mouth. Spawning habitat
was r ated fr om poor to good with an aver age of fair . Rear ing habitat was r ated as good.

41
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

Siltation per sisted as a pollution pr oblem in the str eam. Two logj ams cr eated potential
migr ation bar r ier s, and 33 water diver sions wer e identified. The j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow
tr out population r anged fr om moder ate in size to abundant within the survey area. Two adult
steelhead, about 5161 cm long, wer e obser ved in the upper str eam.
The use of San Gr egor io Cr eek lagoon as r ear ing habitat for juvenile steelhead has also
been investigated over the year s. On 21 November 1969, 15 j uvenile steelhead, aver aging 142
mm in length (r ange, 109178 mm) wer e captur ed in the lagoon in an over night gill net set
(CDFG, unpubl. file data). Similar ly, on 4 December 1969, 49 j uvenile steelhead captured in a
30 m seine aver aged ( SD) 129 15 mm in length and 24.8 8.1 g in wet weight (r anges, 99
163 mm and 1046 g, r espectively). The slight differ ence in mean size and r ange may have
been due to differ ences in gear types used on each date. Coots (1973) sampled the lagoon in
1971 (see above). Smith (1987, 1990) deter mined the impor tance of the San Gr egor io Cr eek
lagoon as a r ear ing ar ea for j uvenile steelhead pr ior to their migr ation to the ocean as smolts.

Alpine Creek
Alpine Cr eek is one of the main headwater tributary streams in the San Gregorio Creek
system. Juvenile steelhead wer e pr esent in the cr eek dur ing a mid-1930 s CDFG sur vey.
Natur al pr opagation was noted as successful, fishing pr essur e as heavy, and that adult
steelhead had been caught that season. Ear ly CDFG stocking r ecor ds showed that the
population was supplemented with 8,000 j uvenile steelhead in 1930; 10,000 in 1932; 20,000 (@
917/kg) fr om Big Cr eek in June 1938; and 5,000 (@ 2,116/kg) fr om Big Cr eek in June 1939.
A total of about 6.4 km of Alpine Cr eek was sur veyed by the CDFG on 14 October
1963. Spawning ar eas wer e plentiful although some gr avels wer e cemented with sand and silt.
Pools wer e abundant but gener ally shallow, and many pr ovided little shelter for j uvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out because they wer e filling in with sediment. Over all, however , it was
j udged that the str eam pr ovided r ear ing habitat for a substantial number of young steelhead.
Sever al pump and pipe diver sions wer e noted on the str eam. About 1.8 km above the
confluence with L a Honda Cr eek, a 2.1 m high concr ete dam for med a complete bar r ier to

42
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

steelhead migr ation. Only six j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out, 7.515 cm long, wer e seen
above the concr ete dam. Below the dam, j uvenile steelhead aver aging 2.55 cm in length were
highly abundant and occur r ed in a visually estimated density of about 1,000 fish/30 m of
str eam.
The CDFG sur veyed 5.3 km of Alpine Creek on 17 August 1973. Spawning and rearing
habitats for steelhead wer e still abundant and of high quality; the siltation pr oblem identified
10 year s ear lier had appar ently not pr ogr essed to any noticeable degr ee. The concr ete dam
bar r ier mentioned above had been r emoved by use of dynamite to allow for steelhead passage.
Two lar ge water diver sions wer e noted. Juvenile steelhead, 510 cm long, occur r ed in
densities of about 1020 fish/pool thr oughout the entir e sur vey ar ea, and wer e also pr esent in
the two tr ibutar ies compr ising the headwater s of Alpine Cr eek. One 18 cm long steelhead was
obser ved in the lower cr eek ar ea. Because of its per ennial flow and over all natur al state,
Alpine Cr eek was viewed as an impor tant component in maintaining pr oduction of the San
Gr egor io steelhead stock.
On 29 M ar ch 1974, 18 adult steelhead, about 3676 cm in length, wer e captur ed and
tr anspor ted over a r oad culver t bar r ier near L a Honda wher e they wer e r eleased to continue
their spawning migr ation in Alpine Cr eek (W. E. Str ohschein, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 5
Apr il 1974). Scales wer e taken fr om five fish which r anged fr om 56 to 66 cm in length.
Year ling steelhead, 1012.5 cm long, wer e also obser ved dur ing the r escue oper ation.
On 13 October 1975, the CDFG evaluated the success of a fishway which had been
installed to enhance steelhead passage at the afor ementioned culver t bar r ier (G. G.
Scoppettone, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 18 Febr uar y 1976). Thir ty-seven j uvenile steelhead
wer e electr ofished for length measur ment fr om an 73 m r each of Alpine Cr eek, j ust
downstr eam fr om the confluence with M indego Cr eek, a maj or Alpine Cr eek tr ibutar y. Fork
lengths r anged fr om 4.3 to 10.9 cm, and aver aged 6.6 cm (SD = 1.8 cm); all trout captured were
pr obably age 0+. Thus, adult passage and par r r ecr uitment wer e successful due to the
fishway.
This same 73 m r each was sampled again by the CDFG on 8 August 1978 (S. G. Tor r es

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 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

and I . L . Paulsen, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 17 August 1978). Despite equipment malfunction,
about 25 j uvenile steelhead wer e electr ofished which r anged fr om 6.1 to 16.8 cm FL and
aver aged 8.4 cm FL . Two age-classes, 0+ and 1+, wer e appar ently r epr esented. Juvenile
steelhead aver aging about 10 cm FL wer e also seen in pools near the base of the Alpine Cr eek
fishway.
Dur ing the winter of 1975-76, entr y of adults fr om the ocean and their migr ation to
upstr eam spawning gr ounds wer e appar ently r estr icted due to a lack of precipitation and thus
r educed str eam flow. No adult steelhead or r edds wer e obser ved in Alpine Cr eek dur ing late
Febr uar y and ear ly M ar ch 1976 despite recent rainfall events (G. Scoppettone, CDFG, unpubl.
memo of 25 M ar ch 1976 and 19 Apr il 1976).
On 17, 19 & 21 November 1985, the CDFG sur veyed Alpine Cr eek fr om its headwaters
to the confluence with L a Honda Cr eek, cover ing a distance of 6.9 km. Spawning and r ear ing
conditions for steelhead seemed much the same as in pr evious sur veys. One potential
migr ation bar r ier was identified, as was one water diver sion. Steelhead r epor tedly still
spawned thr oughout Alpine Cr eek, and a few post-spawner s tr apped in the str eam had
successfully over summer ed ther e in 1985.

El Corte de Madera Creek and tributaries

El Cor te de M ader a Cr eek is a maj or tr ibutar y to San Gr egor io Cr eek. Juvenile
steelhead wer e pr esent dur ing a mid-1930 s CDFG sur vey of the str eam. A bar r ier water fall
was noted in the upper str eam ar ea, and the str eam r eceived heavy fishing pressure from local
r esidents. Ear ly CDFG stocking r ecor ds showed that the population was supplemented with
10,000 j uvenile steelhead in 1930; 6,000 in 1932; 10,000 in 1933; 8,000 in 1934; 10,000 (@
847/kg) fr om Big Cr eek in June 1938; and 3,000 (@ 1,905/kg) fr om Big Cr eek in June 1939.
When sur veyed by the CDFG in July 1942, j uvenile steelhead wer e common in the
lower most 1.6 km of the cr eek, and compr ised young-of-the-year , year lings, and 2-year -olds.
M igr ations bar r ier s wer e pr esent in the str eam above which ther e wer e pr esumably r esident
r ainbow tr out, based on the obser vation that young-of-the-year wer e pr esent but in r elatively

44
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

low densities. Ther e wer e 1015 cm long j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out thr oughout the
sur vey ar ea. Suitable spawning gr ounds for steelhead wer e pr esent, and no pollution sour ces
wer e noted. Four small diver sions wer e obser ved, one of which r equir ed a fish ladder. The El
Cor te de M ader a tr ibutar y, Deer Cr eek, was also sur veyed at this time by the CDFG. Suitable
spawning gr ounds for steelhead wer e pr esent but scatter ed, and natur al pr opagation was
noted as successful. Juvenile steelhead wer e obser ved, most of which wer e 57.5 cm in length
and up to about 15 cm.
The CDFG sur veyed El Cor te de M ader a fr om the mouth to 7.2 km upstr eam on 4
August 1964. Gr avels other wise suitable for steelhead spawning wer e heavily silted. The
spawning ar ea was estimated at about 1,472 m2, most of which was located in the lower most
3.2 km of the str eam. Rear ing habitat, in the for m of pools and shelter , was adequate for
j uvenile steelhead, although pools too wer e heavily silted. Fifteen migr ation bar r ier s wer e
identified, some of the maj or ones including a 3 m high cement dam, 3.7 m and 7.6 m bedr ock
falls, and two 9.1 high logging br idges. Thr ee minor water diver sions wer e noted. Siltation
fr om logging oper ations was a maj or pollution pr oblem. Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out
aver aged 5 cm in length (r ange, 2.515 cm), and r anged in visually estimated densities of about
10 tr out/100 m in the upper str eam to about 550 tr out/100 m in the lower str eam. So, despite
the appar ently degr aded condition of the str eam with r egar d to substr ate quality for
salmonids, pr oduction of j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out was still substantial, at least in the
lower cr eek ar ea.
The CDFG made a cur sor y inspection of the str eam on 2 Apr il 1985 (F. Gr ay, CDFG,
unpubl. memo. of 3 Apr il 1985) at which time two adult steelhead wer e obser ved, the lar ger of
which was estimated at about 3.6 kg. A heavy sediment load was noted in the str eam. Cattle
gr azing effects on the str eam wer e also obser ved; for example, r emoval of str eamside
vegetation.
A compr ehensive str eam sur vey was conducted by the CDFG on 10, 11 & 18 October
1985, cover ing 16 km fr om the headwater s to the mouth. Spawning sites wer e ver y limited
thr oughout the sur vey ar ea due to siltation r esulting fr om logging and cattle grazing. Rearing

45
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

habitat was also degr aded. Sever al maj or bar r ier s wer e still in place thr oughout the sur vey
ar ea, and sever al new diver sions had been installed since the 1964 survey. With cattle grazing,
cattle wastes and silt wer e polluting the lower str eam, the latter caused by bank er osion. A
substantial silt load and woody debr is wer e enter ing the upper str eam as well, as a r esult of
logging oper ations in the dr ainage. Rainbow tr out and/or young steelhead wer e obser ved
thr oughout the sur vey ar ea, except in the upper most section. Both juveniles (<15 cm long) and
older tr out (1546 cm) wer e obser ved, and their abundance was gener ally gr eater in the lower
str eam ar ea.

Kingston Creek
K ingston Cr eek is a per ennial San Gr egor io Cr eek tr ibutar y. Nothing was pr esent in
the CDFG file r egar ding the str eam s histor ical salmonid resources. However, on 6 June 1985,
the CDFG electr ofished a 38 m long section of the str eam and captur ed 11 j uvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out which r anged fr om 11.7 to 16.5 cm FL and averaged 14.2 cm FL (SD =
1.8 cm; L . Bor denave, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 15 July 1985). No young-of-the-year wer e
obser ved. This sur vey was made in connection with a water application on the str eam.
The CDFG conducted a follow-up sur vey of the lower most 0.8 km of the cr eek on 22
August 1985 to deter mine its suitability as a steelhead production area. Spawning and rearing
habitats wer e adequate for steelhead/rainbow trout. A possible water diversion was noted. An
impassable logj am bar r ier in the lower cr eek blocked steelhead access to most of the str eam.
Ther efor e, it was assumed that the fish captur ed in June 1985 wer e r ainbow tr out.

La Honda Creek
L a Honda Cr eek is one of the main headwater tr ibutar y str eams in the San Gr egor io
Cr eek system. Juvenile steelhead occur r ed in the cr eek dur ing a mid-1930 s CDFG sur vey.
High quality spawning gr ounds wer e available for steelhead use, and natural propagation was
successful. One diver sion dam was pr esent, but it was equipped with a fish ladder and intake
scr een. Fishing pr essur e for steelhead was noted as heavy. Ear ly CDFG stocking r ecor ds
showed that the population was supplemented with 12,000 j uvenile steelhead in 1930; 7,000 in

46
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

1931; 12,000 in 1932; 10,000 in 1935; and 8,000 in 1936.

About 11 km of L a Honda Cr eek, fr om the mouth to headwater s, wer e sur veyed by the
CDFG on 3 August 1964. Suitable spawning gr avels for steelhead wer e located pr imar ily in
the lower most 4.8 km of the str eam, and compr ised an ar ea of about 22,000 m2. High quality
r ear ing habitat was available to salmonids. Two water diver sions wer e noted, and ther e wer e
thr ee complete logj am bar r ier s and 20 par tial bar r ier s. Siltation was noted as a pollution
pr oblem and was attr ibuted to past logging oper ations. Juvenile steelhead and/or r ainbow
tr out occur r ed at a visually estimated density of 50 fish/30 m in the lower most 4.8 km of
str eam. These tr out r anged fr om about 1.5 to 12.5 cm in length, and aver aged 5 cm. No fish
wer e seen in the upper 6.4 km of the str eam.
The CDFG conducted a similar sur vey of L a Honda Cr eek on 27 September 1973.
Spawning and r ear ing habitats wer e appar ently in similar condition as in 1964. Sever al
bar r ier s and diver sions wer e noted, and ther e was an incr ease in pollution consisting mostly of
ur ban debr is, in addition to the alr eady pr esent silt and woody debr is fr om logging. Juvenile
steelhead occur r ed in the lower most 9 km of the str eam at visually estimated densities of 1520
tr out/pool and 2050 tr out/pool in the middle and lower reaches, respectively. Most trout were
510 cm in length (age 0+), although a few 1518 cm tr out (age 1+) wer e also seen in the lower
str eam.
No j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e seen under extr emely low flow conditions in
L a Honda Cr eek above the confluence with Woodr uff Cr eek on 10 August 1976 (M . Cogger ,
CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 30 August 1976). I n contrast, young-of-the-year steelhead averaging
about 6.5 cm FL wer e obser ved at this location on 4 August 1978, at a visually estimated
density of 100 fish/30 m (S. G. Tor r es, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 14 August 1978).
No j uvenile steelhead/rainbow trout were captured by electrofishing a 53 m reach below
a concr ete dam in upper L a Honda Cr eek near the community of Sky L onda on 31 M ay 1985
(J. For d, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 19 July 1985). L ampr ey ammocoetes wer e captur ed,
however , which indicated that ther e was an anadr omous connection to this str eam ar ea, at
least for the lampr ey.

47
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

The most r ecent comprehensive CDFG survey of L a Honda Creek was made during 19
20 July 1985. Spawning ar eas wer e of low quality except for scatter ed sites containing high
quality gr avels. Over all, though, spawning habitat was considered adequate. Rearing habitat
was also consider ed adequate for j uvenile steelhead, although r educed str eam flow and its
r elated effects (e.g. r educed deliver y r ate of dr ifting food par ticles) was j udged to be a limiting
factor for steelhead pr oduction. M any migr ation bar r ier s (mostly logj ams) and five water
diver sions wer e noted, and a campgr ound constr uction site was identified as a pollution
sour ce. Juvenile steelhead and/or r ainbow tr out, up to 20 cm in length, wer e obser ved
thr oughout the sur vey ar ea, except in the upper most sections near Sky L onda wher e the
str eam was dr y.
The most r ecent obser vation of j uvenile steelhead in L a Honda Cr eek was made on 2
October 1987 when a kill of 60 j uvenile steelhead (estimated at a density of 1,243 tr out/km)
r esulted fr om a massive sediment load to the str eam which gr eatly alter ed water quality and
filled in pool habitat (L . Ulmer , CDFG, unpubl. file letter of 13 October 1987).

San Pedro Creek Drainage

San Pedr o Cr eek is somewhat unique in that it is a highly ur banized str eam which
continues to suppor t a natur ally r epr oducing steelhead stock, in par t due to the inter ests and
effor ts of local r esidents in the community of Pacifica. Fr om an histor ical per spective, the
CDFG files indicate that adult steelhead wer e seen ascending the str eam to spawn in Apr il
1941. At that time, r anches dominated the dr ainage ar ea and it is assumed that the cr eek
system was in r elatively good condition. Ther e was tidewater at the str eam mouth, but no real
lagoon. The main stem was about 4 km long and for med by flow fr om thr ee for ks, the east
for k being the only one with per ennial flow. Water was diver ted fr om the cr eek system for
ir r igation.
However , by 1971 the cr eek habitat was sever ely degr aded due to the effects of garbage
dumping, r at poisoning, and wastewater dischar ge in conj unction with ur banization of the
ar ea. Appar ently, a fish kill had occur r ed on 22 December 1970. L ocal citizens for med a

48
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

committee to pr omote the pr otection and enhancement of San Pedr o Cr eek (J. L add, CDFG,
unpubl. memo. of 14 Januar y 1971).
Two adult steelhead wer e seen in the str eam dur ing a single spot check on 6 Apr il 1972
(E. Ar mstr ong, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 7 Apr il 1972). Adults ascended the str eam dur ing
the winter of 1972-73 as well (D. C. Er man, UC Ber keley, unpubl. letter of 9 Febr uar y 1973).
San Pedr o Cr eek was sur veyed by the CDFG in July 1973. Ur ban debr is was still common in
the str eambed, and spawning ar eas wer e both quantitatively and qualitatively limited.
Rear ing habitat was adequate, with the pr esence of pools and abundant r ipar ian cover .
Sever al bar r ier s to upstr eam migr ation wer e identified, especially at culver ts, and sever al
diver sions wer e obser ved, the lar gest being that for the Nor th Coast County Water Distr ict.
Stor m dr ains dischar ged into the cr eek. Juvenile steelhead wer e obser ved in all r eaches of the
main stem. As deter mined fr om electr ofishing samples, the trout ranged from 3.8 to 20.3 cm in
length and aver aged 8.9 cm. Steelhead wer e obser ved above all culver ts on the main stem, but
only below the water distr ict diver sion in the south for k of the cr eek system.
The size-str uctur e of the j uvenile steelhead population in San Pedr o Cr eek was
investigated on four occasions dur ing the 1970 s. On 3 July 1973, steelhead wer e sampled by
electr ofishing at four main stem stations (K . R. Anderson, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 29 August
1973). The fish r anged in size fr om 3.6 to 16.0 cm FL , and aver aged 8.0 cm FL (SD = 1.8 cm, n
= 220). Thus, r ear ing j uveniles wer e age 0+ and 1+, and 0+ tr out wer e pr opor tionately
dominant in number . Abundance estimates wer e also made in late summer 1973, by
electr ofishing seven str eam r eaches (1561 m) and applying the two-pass r emoval method of
population estimation (K . R. Ander son, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 13 November 1973).
Juvenile steelhead densities r anged fr om about 2.0 to 7.6 tr out/m, and aver aged ( SD) 5.1
2.3 tr out/m. Despite its somewhat degr aded condition, the cr eek system continued to suppor t
r elatively high densities of j uvenile steelhead.
On 10 October 1974, the aver age size of j uvenile steelhead electr ofished in four main
stem r eaches was 10.2 cm FL (r ange, 5.118.8 cm FL ; n = 125). The lar gest tr out (21.3 cm FL )
was found in the South For k San Pedr o Cr eek (K . R. Ander son, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 28

49
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

October 1974). On 17 September 1976, the aver age size of j uvenile steelhead electr ofished in
two main stem r eaches was 8.9 cm FL (r ange, 3.317.3 cm FL ; n = 26). Over all abundance of
j uvenile steelhead was appar ently lower than in pr evious sur veys (K . R. Ander son et al.,
CDFG. unpubl. memo. of 24 September 1976). Finally, on 15 November 1979, the mean size of
j uvenile steelhead electr ofished in two main stem r eaches was 9.4 cm FL (r ange, 5.616.8 cm
FL ; n = 43) (I . L . Paulsen and L . Fish, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 21 November 1979).
Estimated densities wer e 0.2 and 0.9 j uvenile steelhead/m, which wer e much lower than those
measur ed in 1973.
Despite appar ent differ ences in r elative year -class str ength, these four sur veys
demonstr ated that the j uvenile steelhead population in San Pedr o Cr eek consistently
compr ised two age-classes, 0+ and 1+, and that the 0+ gr oup dominated numer ically. The
r elatively small pr opor tion of 1+ tr out pr esent in any given sur vey indicates that the main
smolting age of steelhead in San Pedr o Cr eek is age 1.
Dur ing the winter of 1975-76, entr y of adults fr om the ocean and their migr ation to
upstr eam spawning gr ounds wer e appar ently r estr icted due to a lack of precipitation and thus
r educed str eam flow. Consequently, no adult steelhead or r edds wer e obser ved in San Pedr o
Cr eek on 26 Febr uar y 1976. Sever al adult steelhead, two estimated at 2.7 kg each, wer e
obser ved in the cr eek on 12 M ar ch 1976, however . The local war den estimated that 60 adult
steelhead had been poached at Adobe Road Bridge during this period (G. Scoppettone, CDFG,
unpubl. memo of 25 M ar ch 1976 and 19 Apr il 1976).
I n M ar ch 1978, about 600 steelhead died in San Pedr o Cr eek due to the stor m dr ain
dischar ge of an unknown poison, possibly chlor inated swimming pool water (The Times, San
M ateo, 22 June 1978).
By 1985, the headwater s of San Pedr o Cr eek wer e pr otected by virtue of their inclusion
in San Pedr o Valley County Par k. I n M ar ch 1985, 800 Dr y Cr eek steelhead (8.8/kg) wer e
stocked into the str eam. When sur veyed by the CDFG in M ay 1985 (J. For d and L .
Bor denave, DFG, unpubl. memo. of 29 July 1985), the cr eek system was in good condition
over all. Steelhead spawning habitat was abundant in the upper main stem, or middle fork, but

50
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

lacking in the nor th and south for ks. M ost spawning occur r ed within the par k boundar ies.
Spawning r epor tedly occur r ed as late as M ay, and dur ing the 19841985 spawning season,
ther e wer e about 40 pair s of spawning steelhead within a 30 m spawning r each. Obstr uctions
for upstr eam migr ating spawner s wer e identified, and storm drain pollution was still cited as a
pr oblem. I ndeed, on 10 M ar ch 1987, 600700 steelhead fr y, year lings, smolts, and adults were
killed in the nor th for k and 2 km of the main stem as the r esult of a toxic stor m dr ain
dischar ge, pr obably chlor inated swimming pool water .
The lower most 880 m of San Pedr o Cr eek was sur veyed by the CDFG on 28 September
1988 (C. Dayes and D. Becker , CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 21 October 1988). Age 0+ and 1+
steelhead, up to about 20 cm in length, wer e obser ved thr oughout the r each, including the
lagoon. Riffles pr ovided over 464 m2 of spawning gr avel for steelhead. Rear ing habitat was
good to excellent, and included abundant str eamside r ipar ian vegetation. Notably, the cr eek
had continuous flow to the lagoon and contained two consecutive year -classes of j uvenile
steelhead, despite two consecutive dr ought year s.

Tunitas Creek Drainage

The CDFG sur veyed the upper 6.4 km of Tunitas Creek on 18 April 1962, and the lower
3.2 km on 11 M ay 1962. Spawning ar eas for steelhead wer e scar ce in the headwater s, but of
high quality in the lower 3.2 km. Pool development and shelter wer e r ated as fair , although
the fr equency of pools was low, thus potentially limiting r ear ing habitat. L ogj ams occur r ed
thr oughout the str eam. One logj am about 1.2 km above the mouth was a pr obabe par tial
migr ation bar r ier to adult steelhead. Sever al small pump diver sions for domestic use wer e
obser ved. Steelhead usually had access to the lower most 3.2 km of str eam, up to the
confluence with the East (South) For k, and no j uvenile steelhead wer e obser ved above this
point. The aver age of four visual estimates of abundance was 26 tr out/100 m. Ver y few
steelhead over 13 cm wer e obser ved. The local CDFG war den estimated the annual steelhead
r un at 100200 adults.
I n contr ast to the 1962 sur vey, j uvenile steelhead wer e found in Tunitas Cr eek above

51
 STEELHEAD IN SAN MATEO CO.

the confluence with the East For k when sampled by the CDFG on 25 October 1974 (W. E.
Str ohschein, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 13 November 1974). Four teen steelhead, 56137 mm
FL , wer e captur ed in a single electr ofishing pass thr ough 7.5 m of str eam.
Dur ing the winter of 1975-1976, entr y of adults fr om the ocean and their migr ation to
upstr eam spawning gr ounds wer e appar ently r estr icted due to a lack of precipitation and thus
r educed str eam flow. No adult steelhead wer e obser ved in lower Tunitas Cr eek on 25
Febr uar y 1976 even though ther e was a shallow confluence with the ocean (G. Scoppettone,
CDFG, unpubl. memo of 25 M ar ch 1976).

East Fork Tunitas Creek

The CDFG sur veyed the entir e 1.6 km of the East For k Tunitas Creek on 28 July 1964.
This str eam was descr ibed as a valuable steelhead spawning and young-of-the-year r ear ing
ar ea. High quality spawning gr avels wer e continuous throughout the stream. Small pools and
cover pr ovided excellent r ear ing conditions. Ther e were nine windfall barriers although there
wer e fish above all of them. Only young-of-the-year steelhead, aver aging about 4 cm, wer e
obser ved, at a visually-estimated density of 164 tr out/100 m thr oughout most of the cr eek.

Whitehouse Creek Drainage

Although no detailed histor ical infor mation was discover ed for Whitehouse Cr eek,
Shapovalov and Taft (1954, p. 201) mentioned that the str eam suppor ted a ver y small
steelhead r un, r elative to the r uns obser ved at Scott and Waddell cr eeks dur ing the 1930 s
40 s. I n 1929, the steelhead population had been supplemented with 4,000 j uveniles fr om the
Scott Cr eek Egg Taking Station. A mor e r ecent CDFG document (P. Bontadelli, CDFG,
unpubl. memo. of 16 November 1987) stated that Whitehouse Creek has historically been and
continues to be a steelhead str eam . The CDFG sur veyed the cr eek fr om its headwater s to
mouth (8.2 km) on 22 June 1978. The upper most 1 km was dr y. M ost of the cr eek had
adequate spawning ar eas for steelhead, with quality gener ally incr easing with distance
upstr eam. Rear ing habitat, in the for m of pools and cover , was also adequate. Ther e wer e,
however , heavy silt and detr itus deposits in the lower most 5 km of str eam due to adj acent

52
agr icultur e and gr azing. I n addition, the lower most 1 km of str eam contained sever al
migr ation bar r ier s: the concr ete culver t passing the stream under Highway 1, a 2 m-high man-
made log dam near Highway 1, and debr is j ams caused by str eamside vegetation clear ed for
agr icultur e and bulldozed into the cr eek. The only surface diversion observed also occurred in
this r each. Ther e was also a light silt load in the upper cr eek fr om the adj acent dir t r oad.
Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out, visually-estimated at about 3 cm long, were only observed in
one r each about 45 km above the mouth.
When sur veyed again by the CDFG on 2 M ay 1988 and 1 June 1988, suitable
spawning and r ear ing habitats for steelhead wer e still found thr oughout most of the str eam.
Siltation fr om cattle gr azing and other str eamside activities continued to degr ade habitat
quality, especially in the middle and lower str eam ar eas. I n addition to the migration barriers
identified in 1978, many mor e wer e seen thr ough most of the str eam. Notable wer e a sacked
concr ete dam dir ectly below the Highway 1 br idge, a 4.6 m long culver t 1.2 m above water
sur face elevation, and var ious other logj ams, dams, r oad cr ossings, and blocked culverts. One
active sur face diver sion was seen, which car r ied water to Chandler Reser voir , an off-str eam
stor age facility. Despite the var ious impediments to access, j uvenile steelhead occur r ed at
sever al locations thr oughout the lower half of the dr ainage up to a concr ete dam that was a
complete bar r ier . Thr ee live adult steelhead and one car cass wer e also seen. Age 0+ r esident
r ainbow tr out wer e obser ved above the concr ete dam. Over all, Whitehouse Cr eek was r ated
as good to excellent for steelhead pr oduction, aside fr om localized siltation. The main factor s
limiting the population appear ed to be migr ation bar r ier s and low summer str eam flow.

Santa Cruz County

Aptos Creek Drainage

Snyder (1913) found j uvenile steelhead/rainbow trout in Aptos Creek when he sampled
ther e in summer 1909. Juvenile steelhead wer e pr esent in Aptos Cr eek dur ing a 1934 CDFG
sur vey. Spawning gr ounds wer e found thr oughout the str eam, natural propagation was rated
as ver y good, and fishing pr essur e for steelhead was heavy. When sur veyed again by the
CDFG in M ay 1941, the condition of the str eam was appar ently similar as in 1934, although

53
both young-of-the-year and older steelhead occurred in low abundance in the stream, and none
was seen in the lagoon.
Aptos Cr eek was not sur veyed again by the CDFG until July 1960. At that time, high
quality spawning and r ear ing habitats wer e still available, and no migr ation bar r ier s or
diver sions wer e seen. Densities of j uvenile steelhead in non-pool habitats r anged fr om about
510 tr out/30 m in the upper sur vey ar ea to 4065 tr out/30 m in the lower str eam. I n pools,
densities r anged fr om about 1020 tr out/pool. Siltation below Br idge Cr eek was believed to
have r educed the steelhead pr oduction capacity of the str eam somewhat thr ough loss of cover
for r ear ing fish. Fishing pr essur e was noted as light.
I n a summer 1965 CDFG sur vey, it was estimated that near ly 9 km of the str eam
contained inter mittent r eaches of spawning gr avels, 13 km contained high quality r ear ing
habitat, and ther e wer e no bar r ier s or diver sions. The aver age density of j uvenile steelhead
over the entir e str eam was about 3.3 tr out/m, except for a 0.8 km r each which contained 4.6
tr out/m. (Fish wer e sampled by use of a Br aille seine, cr esol poisoning, and dir ect visual
counts). The estimated total abundance of young steelhead was over 43,000 tr out. These fish
r anged in length fr om 4.3 to 8.9 cm, and aver aged 6.1 cm. Thus, all steelhead obser ved wer e
young-of-the-year ; natur al pr opagation was r ated as good. Fishing pr essur e was noted as
moder ate.
The adult steelhead r un in Aptos Cr eek as of 1968 was estimated by the CDFG at about
1,500 fish, although the method used to attain this estimate was not descr ibed.
I n Apr il 1976, the CDFG supplemented the Aptos Cr eek steelhead population with
1,000 j uveniles fr om the Noyo River .
I n late fall 1981, the mean SD density of smolt-sized steelhead at five sites was 3.1
2.9 tr out/m, which was somewhat below the county-wide aver age (der ived from Smith 1982b).
The mean SD of the site-specific mean lengths of these fish was 94 11 mm SL , which was
near aver age.
The cr eek was sur veyed by the CDFG in late M ay 1982, fr om the mouth to 2.4 km
above the confluence with Br idge Cr eek, following the disastr ous r ainstor ms of Januar y 1982
(L . Tur ner , CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 1 June 1982). Siltation, as a r esult of landslides, had

54
 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

degr aded both spawning and r ear ing habitat. I n addition to landslides, logjams created full or
par tial bar r ier s to fish migr ation. Fish food or ganisms wer e scar ce, and no j uvenile steelhead
wer e obser ved. Appar ently, the pr e-smolts pr esent the pr evious fall wer e killed or displaced
by the high flow, or emigr ated to the ocean. I n addition, the entir e 1982 year -class was
appar ently eliminated by siltation of the gr avels wher e eggs wer e incubating.
The most r ecent CDFG sur veys of Aptos Cr eek wer e conducted dur ing 1226 August
1985 (D. M ar ston, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 12, 20, & 26 August 1985). The str eam was
sur veyed over near ly 9 km, fr om the mouth to the ar ea known as the bottom of the incline,
within the Nisene M ar ks State Par k boundar y. Within the lower most 2.4 km, ther e r emained
a logj am fr om the 1982 flood which cr eated at least a par tial bar r ier to upstr eam migr ation of
adult steelhead. Suitable spawning ar eas wer e lacking below the bar r ier , but as one
pr ogr essed upstr eam thr ough the sur vey area, substrate particle size increased on average and
the over all abundance of suitable spawning gr avel incr eased. Pools and shelter for r ear ing
j uveniles wer e pr esent thr oughout the sur vey ar ea. Year ling steelhead wer e abundant below
the bar r ier in the lower str eam, but few young-of-the-year were present there. Trout were also
pr esent above the bar r ier , and their abundance generally increased toward the upstream area.
Their lengths r anged fr om about 2.5 to 20 cm. Some of these fish wer e believed to be r esident
r ainbow tr out. I n the upper most 2.8 km of the sur vey ar ea, both young-of-the-year and
year ling steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e abundant. A state par k r anger had seen an adult
steelhead in this ar ea.

Bridge Creek
The Aptos Cr eek tr ibutar y, Br idge Cr eek, was sur veyed by the CDFG in July 1960.
Spawning ar eas wer e fair to good in the middle and lower str eam, but ver y poor above an
impassable water fall bar r ier , about 2.5 km upstr eam fr om the confluence with Aptos Cr eek.
Rear ing habitat was adequate, especially in the middle and lower str eam. Juvenile steelhead,
515 cm long, wer e common thr oughout the middle and lower str eam, but absent above the
water fall.

55
 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Br idge Cr eek was not sur veyed again until M ay 1982, following the devastating storms
of Januar y 1982 (L . Tur ner , CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 2 June 1982). L andslides, logjams, and
falls r ender ed the str eam unuseable for steelhead. Besides restricted access due to barriers, the
str eam bottom was composed pr imar ily of r ubble and silt. No fish wer e obser ved in the cr eek
at that time, although j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e r epor tedly pr esent in Br idge
Cr eek in 1985 up to M aple Falls (D. M ar ston, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 26 August 1985).

Valencia Creek
I n late fall 1981, the mean SD density of smolt-sized steelhead at two sites in the
Aptos Cr eek tr ibutar y, Valencia Cr eek, was 4.9 0.9 tr out/m, which was above the county-
wide aver age (der ived fr om Smith 1982b). The mean SD of the site-specific mean lengths of
these fish was 94 0 mm SL , which was near aver age.

Arana Gulch Drainage

Ar ana Gulch is a small ur banized str eam which dischar ges into Woods L agoon, the
location of the Santa Cr uz Small Cr aft Har bor . M ention of steelhead in this stream dates back
to 1966 in the CDFG files; the r un was appar ently small. A 46 m section of Ar ana Gulch was
sur veyed by the CDFG in Januar y 1983 (J. L or enzana, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 26 Januar y
1983). Two 1-year -old j uvenile steelhead (8.5 and 11 cm in length) wer e captur ed, about 1.6
km above the har bor . Gener ally, the str eam was in poor condition due to upstr eam er osion
and r esultant sedimentation. Suitable spawning substr ate for steelhead was lacking in the
sur vey r each, and r ear ing habitat was ver y limited. An adult female steelhead was r eportedly
obser ved spawning in Ar ana Gulch on 1 M ar ch 1984 (F. Gr ay, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 7
M ar ch 1984). The size of the fish was estimated at 3.5 kg.

Baldwin Creek Drainage

As a r elative measur e of adult r un size, Shapovalov and Taft (1954, p. 201) mentioned
that the Baldwin Cr eek steelhead r un was smaller than those obser ved at Scott and Waddell

56
 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

cr eeks dur ing the 1930 s40 s. When sur veyed in its entir ety by the CDFG on 16 M ay 1960,
Baldwin Cr eek was descr ibed as having a per ennial flow that was not diver ted dur ing the
summer , and a lar ger population of O. mykiss than either of near by M aj or s and L aguna
cr eeks to the nor th. Salmonid spawning ar eas wer e pr opor tionately abundant, and j uvenile
r ear ing habitat in the for m of pools and cover was seemingly ample and of high quality. A
concr ete apr on was identified as a migr ation bar r ier for steelhead, and three flashboard dams
as potential bar r ier s, one of which cr eated a sizeable r eser voir about 1.6 km above the mouth
of the str eam. Juvenile tr out wer e seen in near ly ever y pool along the 4.8 km sur vey ar ea;
their lengths r anged fr om about 2.5 to 15 cm. The landowner at Baldwin Cr eek estimated the
aver age adult r un size to be 50 steelhead.
I n late fall 1981, the mean SD density of smolt-sized steelhead at five sites was 3.6
3.4 tr out/m, which was ver y near the county-wide aver age (der ived fr om Smith 1982b). The
mean SD of the site-specific mean lengths of these fish was 94 7 mm SL , which was also
near aver age.

Finny Creek Drainage

Although no detailed histor ical infor mation was discover ed for Finny Cr eek,
Shapovalov and Taft (1954, p. 201) mentioned that the str eam suppor ted a ver y small
steelhead r un, r elative to the r uns obser ved at Scott and Waddell cr eeks dur ing the 1930 s
40 s.

Laguna Creek Drainage

As a r elative measur e of adult r un size, Shapovalov and Taft (1954, p. 201) mentioned
that the L aguna Cr eek steelhead r un was smaller than those obser ved at Scott and Waddell
cr eeks dur ing the 1930 s40 s. The lower most 6.4 km of L aguna Cr eek wer e sur veyed by the
CDFG on 26 Febr uar y and 1 M ar ch 1960. Suitable spawning areas for salmonids were lacking
and thought to be a limiting factor to steelhead pr oduction. I n contr ast, r ear ing habitat for
j uvenile steelhead, in the for m of pools and cover , was abundant and of high quality. Natur al

57
 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

bedr ock falls, beginning at about 3.2 km above the mouth, wer e identified as migr ation
bar r ier s to adult steelhead. Water was diver ted fr om the str eam for both domestic and
agr icultur al uses. An adult steelhead, about 61 cm in length, was seen below the fir st bedr ock
bar r ier . Resident r ainbow tr out wer e noted in pools in upstr eam sections of the cr eek.
I n late fall 1981, the mean SD density of smolt-sized steelhead at five sites was 2.3
1.5 tr out/m, and thus below aver age (der ived fr om Smith 1982b). The mean SD of the site-
specific mean lengths of these fish was 102 18 mm SL , which was above the county-wide
aver age.
I n June 1985, the CDFG sur veyed two r eaches, totalling about 460 m, in lower L aguna
Cr eek downstr eam fr om the bedr ock falls (D. M ar ston, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 28 June
1985). Spawning habitat was limited in one r each but abundant in the other . Rear ing habitat
for j uvenile steelhead was adequate. Pollution types were silt and cattle waste. Both young-of-
the-year and year ling steelhead wer e obser ved. Ther e was no indication of over all str eam
condition and status of the steelhead/r ainbow tr out population.

Liddell Creek Drainage

As a r elative measur e of adult r un size, Shapovalov and Taft (1954, p. 201) mentioned
that the L iddell Cr eek steelhead r un was smaller than those obser ved at Scott and Waddell
cr eeks dur ing the 1930 s40 s. I n late fall 1981, the density of smolt-sized steelhead at one site
below the confluence of the east and west headwater for ks of L iddell Cr eek was 2.0 tr out/m,
which was below aver age (der ived fr om Smith 1982b). The mean length of these fish, 112 mm
SL , was well above aver age. The mean SD density of smolt-sized steelhead at two sites in the
west for k was 1.6 2.3 tr out/m, and thus below the county-wide aver age (der ived fr om Smith
1982b). The mean length of these fish, 104 mm SL , was above aver age. The mean SD
density of smolt-sized steelhead at five sites in the east for k, 1.0 0.5 tr out/m, was below
aver age (der ived fr om Smith 1982b). The mean SD of the site-specific mean lengths of these
fish, 87 12 mm SL , was also below aver age.

58
 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Majors (Coja) Creek Drainage

Although no detailed histor ical infor mation was discover ed for M aj or s Cr eek,
Shapovalov and Taft (1954, p. 201) mentioned that the stream supported a steelhead run which
was smaller than those obser ved at Scott and Waddell cr eeks dur ing the 1930 s40 s.
Accor ding to ear ly CDFG r ecor ds, the M aj or s Cr eek steelhead population was supplemented
with a plant of 2,500 j uveniles (@ 1,023/kg) from Brookdale Hatchery on 25 July 1938. During
194044, j uvenile r esident r ainbow tr out wer e planted at sizes of 1761,235/kg and total
annual weight allottments of 1.616.3 kg. The Apr il 1945 allottment was 5,000 j uvenile
r ainbow tr out at 7.5/kg (total allottment, 7.1 kg).
As of 1953, most, if not all, of the flow of M aj or s Cr eek was diver ted for use by the City
of Santa Cr uz, and steelhead fishing in 4.8 km of available tidewater was poor (CDFG, unpubl.
field notes of 24 June 1953).
The lower most 4.8 km of the cr eek wer e sur veyed by the CDFG on 6 M ay 1960. A 4.6
m water fall about 0.8 km upstr eam fr om the mouth mar ked the limit for upstr eam migr ation
of steelhead. Another maj or migr ation bar r ier was the 4.6 m City of Santa Cr uz dam about
3.2 km fr om the mouth. Spawning gr avels available to steelhead in the lower most 0.8 km of
the str eam wer e appar ently scar ce, but wer e mor e abundant for r esident r ainbow tr out
between and above the bar r ier s. Rear ing habitat in the for m of pools and cover was also poor
for steelhead and gener ally better for r esident r ainbow tr out in upstr eam sections. Siltation,
due to extensive logging damage in the water shed, was a pollution problem in the lower stream
below the Santa Cr uz dam. About 200 young-of-the-year steelhead, 2.5 cm in length, wer e
counted in the 0.8 km of str eam below the water fall bar r ier . Only six rainbow trout, 1025 cm
long, wer e seen between the migr ation bar r ier s. Densities of 1015 cm long tr out above the
dam wer e about 125 fish/km and 60 fish/km in two consecutive 0.8 km r eaches. Silt, in
addition to low summer flows because of the diver sion, wer e thought to limit tr out pr oduction
below the dam.
I n late fall 1981, the mean SD density of smolt-sized steelhead at six sites was 2.6

59
 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

2.4 tr out/m, which was below the county-wide aver age (der ived from Smith 1982b). The mean
SD of the site-specific mean lengths of these fish was 89 9 mm SL , which was below
aver age.
On 27 October 1983, the CDFG made a single electr ofishing pass thr ough a 46 m
section below the Santa Cr uz dam and above the lower water fall bar r ier and captur ed 33
r ainbow tr out which aver aged XX mm FL (r ange, XXXX mm FL ; in pr ep). Due to dam
oper ations and other factor s, sediment input into this por tion of the str eam was high. L ow
flow conditions below the dam possibly incr eased pr edation r isk of the tr out (F. Gr ay, CDFG,
unpubl. memo. of 8 November 1983).
The CDFG sur veyed M aj or s Cr eek on 21 November 1988, fr om the mouth to its
headwater east and west br anches. Spawning habitat was limited thr oughout the sur vey area
due to the per sistently high sediment load. However , ther e wer e scatter ed sections of exposed,
loose gr avels in high gr adient ar eas wher e the flushing effect of the flow was pr esumably
gr eatest. Rear ing habitat in the for m of pools and cover was appar ently quite adequate for
salmonids. Water falls, dams, culver ts, and logj ams cr eated either potential or complete
migr ation bar r ier s for steelhead. Thr ee diver sions wer e noted. The distr ibution of O. mykiss
within the dr ainage was the same as in ear lier sur veys: j uvenile steelhead inhabited the
lower most 0.8 km of the str eam below the fir st water fall bar r ier , while r esident r ainbow trout
occur r ed in both the main stem and br anches above the water fall bar r ier . The aver age total
length of r esident r ainbow tr out in the upper main stem and west br anch was XX mm (r ange,
XXXXX mm TL ; in pr ep). L ocal r esidents indicated that the adult steelhead r un in M aj or s
Cr eek was lar ge at one time, and that it had suppor ted a local consumptive fisher y.

Medler Creek Drainage

Although no detailed histor ical infor mation was discover ed for M edler Cr eek,
Shapovalov and Taft (1954, p. 201) mentioned that the stream supported a steelhead run which
was smaller than those obser ved at Scott and Waddell cr eeks dur ing the 1930 s40 s.

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 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Pajaro River Drainage, including portions in Monterey, San Benito,

and Santa Clara counties
Relatively detailed infor mation on the histor ical distr ibution of j uvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out in the Paj ar o River dr ainage was available because of the
compr ehensive sur veys conducted by Snyder (1913) in 1909, the CDFG in 1967 (L ollock 1968),
Smith (1982a) dur ing 197274, and Smith (1982b) in 1981. The CDFG files also contained a
var iety of infor mation fr om over the year s which is included in the following accounts.
Snyder (1913) collected j uvenile steelhead at four mainstem Paj ar o River sites:
upstr eam fr om the Cor r alitos Cr eek confluence to shor tly above the San Benito River
confluence. The species was neither pr esent in the main stem below the Cor r alitos Cr eek
confluence nor above the Uvas Cr eek confluence. Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e also
pr esent in the main stem, fr om its upper to lower r eaches, dur ing a 1934 CDFG sur vey.
Spawning gr ounds appar ently existed all along the r iver . Rainbow tr out wer e not planted
because of a high density of exotic pr edator y fishes pr esent in the str eam and lagoon, such as
black bass (M icr opter us spp.) and str iped bass (M or one saxatilis), r espectively.
By 1960, j uvenile steelhead use of the lower Paj ar o River as r ear ing habitat may have
ceased, as none was captur ed at the Highway 101 cr ossing or in the lagoon when sampled with
a seine and gill net by the CDFG dur ing 910 December 1959 (M . R. Schr eiber , CDFG,
unpubl. intr aoffice cor r . of 24 Febr uar y 1960). Fish collections made in the lower Paj aro with
a minnow seine dur ing 196466, fr om near the mouth to near the Highway 101 cr ossing, also
r evealed an absence of j uvenile steelhead (R. N. L ea, unpubl. fish collection data of 20
September 19645 June 1966).
Adult steelhead wer e r epor tedly taken by angler s in the Paj ar o River lagoon in late
Januar y 1962, but inter mittent flow in the lower r iver pr evented the ascent of the spawning
r un (R. N. Hinton, CDFG, unpubl. field notes of 28 Januar y12 Febr uar y 1962). By 5
Febr uar y 1962, steelhead wer e taken as far upstream as the Highway 1 crossing, and they were
migr ating into tr ibutar ies such as Eur eka Gulch on Cor r alitos Cr eek and possibly lower Uvas

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 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Cr eek by 12 Febr uar y 1962.

The 1963-64 steelhead r un was r epor tedly the lar gest and compr ised the lar gest fish
since 1955 (M . L . Johnson, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 18 M ar ch 1964). The local game warden
estimated the Paj ar o steelhead r un at 1,500 adults, and spawning occurred in Corralitos Creek
and its tr ibutar y, Br own s Valley Cr eek, in Pescader o Cr eek as far upstream as about 5 km, in
Uvas Cr eek, and at a gr avel plant near Gilr oy in the main stem (see below for fur ther
infor mation on the tr ibutar ies mentioned). As of 1965, the average annual steelhead spawning
r un was estimated at about 1,000 adults (M . L . Johnson, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 1 Apr il
1965). Run size was gener ally gr eater in year s of high r ainfall. As par t of a planning effor t,
the CDFG listed the annual steelhead spawning r un in the Paj ar o River at about 2,200 fish
(Califor nia Depar tment of Fish and Game 1965). L ollock (1968) r epor ted that the annual run
fluctuated between about 500 and 2,000 adult pair s, based on local game warden observations
dur ing the pr evious decade or so (M . L . Johnson, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 22 August 1966).
The 1965-66 r un was conser vatively estimated at 1,000 spawning pair s.
When the Paj ar o dr ainage was sur veyed by the CDFG dur ing JulyAugust 1967
(L ollock 1968), the Paj ar o River lagoon was used pr imar ily as a migr ation cor r idor for adult
steelhead r etur ning to spawn in the r iver system, and for steelhead smolts emigr ating to the
ocean. The sandbar at the mouth was seldom completely closed, and so passage to and fr om
the ocean was possible dur ing most of the year . The lagoon was appar ently not an impor tant
r ear ing ar ea for j uvenile steelhead, based on a complete lack of steelhead captur es dur ing this
and pr evious sur veys (see above). Agr icultur al dr ains wer e a per sistent sour ce of plant
nutr ients and pr obably pesticides. The Watsonville sewage tr eatment plant and stor m dr ain
system wer e occasional pollution sour ces, and in 1967 a lar ge sediment load enter ed the lower
r iver fr om the Gr anite Rock Company which silted fish habitat in the upper lagoon.
About 40 km of the main stem Paj ar o River was also sur veyed at this time, fr om the
upper end of the lagoon to San Felipe L ake in the Santa Clar a-San Benito counties por tion of
the r iver (L ollock 1968). The lower r iver below the Gr anite Rock Company s quar r y was

62
 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

heavily silted and no longer ser ved as spawning and r ear ing habitat for steelhead, but
r emained impor tant as a migr ation cor r idor to upstr eam ar eas. The lower r iver area was also
channelized annually for flood contr ol pur poses. The r iver section fr om the quar r y to the
Highway 101 cr ossing contained high quality spawning and r ear ing habitat, although no
j uvenile steelhead wer e obser ved dur ing this sur vey. Water was extr acted fr om the r iver by
sever al pumps along this section, for agr icultur al and industr ial uses. The section upstr eam
fr om Highway 101 was again unsuitable for steelhead spawning and rearing, but important for
migr ation to and fr om Uvas and L lagas cr eeks. Types and sour ces of pollution included
sediment fr om the Gr anite Rock Company, which eliminated steelhead spawning and rearing
habitat in the lower Paj ar o River , and pesticides fr om agr icultur al dr ainage. The Gr anite
Rock Company compensated the CDFG for the stocking of 5,000 M ad River steelhead
year lings, as mitigation for losses due to their sediment input in the lower r iver (M . L .
Johnson, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 17 December 1974).
Conditions in the lower Pajaro River remained unimproved for steelhead spawning and
j uvenile r ear ing when, on 24 July 1973, an electr ofishing sur vey in thr ee sections downstr eam
fr om M ur phy s Cr ossing r evealed the continued absence of steelhead (R. Johansen, CDFG,
unpubl. memo. of 13 August 1973). This finding was cor r obor ated by fish collections made in
the lagoon and lower r iver dur ing 19701974 by local ichthyology students (G. M . Cailliet,
M oss L anding M ar ine L abor ator ies, unpubl. file letter and attachments of 30 M ay 1974).
Smith (1982a) did not find j uvenile steelhead at the four mainstem Paj ar o River sites,
upstr eam fr om the Cor r alitos Cr eek confluence to shor tly above the San Benito River
confluence, wher e they wer e collected by Snyder (1913). The degr adation of steelhead
spawning and r ear ing habitat, as descr ibed above, was cited as the likely cause for this
r eduction in distr ibution. These conditions per sisted when Smith (1982b) electr ofished five
mainstem r eaches in late fall 1981, fr om the r iver mouth to the mouth of Pescadero Creek, and
captur ed no steelhead, although sever al other native fish species wer e pr esent. Smith (1982a)
found that spawning success was low throughout the system during the very dry water years of

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 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

1971-72, 1975-76, and 1976-77. Steelhead spawning occur r ed at two mainstem sampling sites
in the wet water year of 1972-73, but ver y few young sur vived summer r ear ing conditions.
On 6 M ar ch 1985, the CDFG planted 6,750 j uvenile steelhead (@ 9.9 fish/kg) of War m
Spr ings Hatcher y (Russian River , Sonoma County) or igin into the Paj ar o River at the
Highway 101 cr ossing.
The cur r ent status of the Paj ar o River steelhead population is uncer tain (K . R.
Ander son, CDFG, per s. comm. of 9 July 1992). Nehlsen et al. (1991) listed the Paj ar o River
steelhead stock as being at a high r isk of extinction.

Corralitos Creek and Tributaries

The Paj ar o River tributary, Corralitos Creek, is the first major tributary that spawning
steelhead can access as they migr ate into the Paj ar o River dr ainage. Neither this cr eek nor its
tr ibutar ies wer e sampled by Snyder (1913), but CDFG r ecor ds beginning in the 1930 s, and
Smith s (1982a,b) later wor k, pr ovide a compr ehensive impr ession of steelhead and r ainbow
tr out use in these str eams.
The CDFG sur veyed an appr oximate 0.4 km por tion of upper Cor r alitos Cr eek, and
about 1.6 km of the Cor r alitos tr ibutar y, Shingle M ill Gulch, to Gr izzly Flat, on 16 November
1960. Ther e wer e scattered spawning areas in Corralitos Creek downstream from Shingle Mill
Gulch, but vir tually none in the tr ibutar y itself. Rear ing habitat was adequate for young
steelhead thr oughout the ar ea. Ther e wer e sever al small domestic diver sions. Juvenile
steelhead and/or r ainbow tr out wer e pr esent thr oughout the sur vey ar ea. Density estimates
wer e made by the CDFG along Cor r alitos Cr eek on 1 July 1960. Ther e was an aver age of 30
tr out/30 m in the lower r eaches; 20 tr out/30 m between Eur eka Gulch and Gr izzly Flat in
Shingle M ill Gulch; and 10 tr out/30 m in upper Cor r alitos Cr eek. As of 1960, Cor r alitos
Cr eek was allotted monthly plants of 2,000 catchable r ainbow tr out dur ing M ayJuly of each
year . Angling pr essur e was high for r ainbow tr out dur ing late spr ingear ly summer , and in
addition to planted tr out, the catch pr obably also included j uvenile steelhead.
L ower Cor r alitos Cr eek, fr om the mouth to Eur eka Gulch, was surveyed by the CDFG

64
 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

on 20 Januar y 1961. Gr avel occur r ed in scatter ed patches thr oughout the survey area, but the
substr ate contained a high pr opor tion of sand which may have r educed the quality of these
ar eas for steelhead spawning. Suitable j uvenile steelhead r ear ing habitat, in the form of pools
and cover , was found especially upstr eam fr om the town of Cor r alitos. The City of
Watsonville maintained a diver sion dam on the cr eek, equipped with an adequate fish ladder,
about 1.1 km nor th of Cor r alitos. This diver sion r emoved a lar ge pr opor tion of the str eam
flow. Sever al other pump diver sions and wells wer e also obser ved along the str eam. Ur ban
debr is polluted the lower r eaches of the cr eek. Few j uvenile steelhead and/or r ainbow tr out
wer e seen; steelhead pr oduction below the diver sion dam was appar ently limited by a lack of
str eam flow and suitable spawning substr ate. Fishing pr essur e was high above Cor r alitos
dur ing late spr ingear ly summer when catchable r ainbow tr out wer e planted (see above).
An adult steelhead was obser ved at the base of the fish ladder at the Watsonville
diver sion dam on 14 Febr uar y 1962. Br own tr out, which wer e intr oduced to Corralitos Creek
dur ing the 1940 s, wer e captur ed thr oughout the cr eek by anglers during spring 1962; one fish
was r epor tedly about 38 cm in length. Juvenile steelhead, 510 cm in length, wer e common
thr oughout upper Cor r alitos Cr eek above the Watsonville diver sion dam, on 24 July 1962
(CDFG, unpubl. field notes of Febr uar yJuly 1962).
When the entir e 24 km of the cr eek, including its headwater tr ibutar ies, was sur veyed
by the CDFG in late August 1967 (L ollock 1968), the most favor able spawning ar eas wer e still
found between the Watsonville diver sion dam and Shingle M ill Gulch. Small pr opor tions of
upper Cor r alitos, Shingle M ill Gulch, and its tr ibutar y, Rattlesnake Gulch, also compr ised
suitable spawning gr ounds. Rear ing habitat for j uvenile steelhead was of par ticular ly high
quality thr oughout the ar ea upstr eam fr om the diver sion dam; pools gener ally incr eased in
size as one pr oceeded downstr eam fr om the headwater s. The ar ea below the diver sion dam
functioned only as a migr ation cor r idor as channelization for flood contr ol eliminated all
steelhead spawning and r ear ing habitat. Juvenile steelhead and/or r ainbow tr out wer e
obser ved thr oughout the sur vey ar ea, except in the lower most por tion of the main stem

65
 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Cor r alitos Cr eek. Fishing pr essur e was high dur ing the spr ing and ear ly summer when the
cr eek r eceived 7,500 catchable r ainbow tr out annually.
Dur ing an electr ofishing sur vey on 28 July 1972 (R. Whaley, CDFG, unpubl. field corr.
to M . Johnson of 28 July 1972), the CDFG found j uvenile steelhead and/or rainbow trout, 2.5
20 cm in length, in two sample sections of Shingle M ill Gulch. Trout, 2.515 cm in length, were
also captur ed in sample sections of Cor r alitos Cr eek both above and below the Shingle M ill
Gulch confluence, and in a section fur ther downstr eam but still above the Watsonville
diver sion dam. No fish wer e captur ed in the small Cor r alitos headwater tr ibutar y, Diablo
Gulch. Smith (1982a) found j uvenile steelhead and/or r ainbow tr out in Cor r alitos Cr eek
dur ing 197274, both above and below the confluence with Br own s Valley Cr eek.
Some 350 year ling steelhead fr om M ad River Hatcher y wer e planted in Cor r alitos
Cr eek in spr ing 1976 as mitigation for fish losses caused by an unspecified event.
I n late fall 1981, the mean SD density of smolt-sized steelhead at nine Cor r alitos
Cr eek sites was 5.3 6.2 tr out/m, which was well above the county-wide aver age (der ived
fr om Smith 1982b). The mean SD of the site-specific mean lengths of these fish was 98 4
mm SL , which was also above aver age.
Cor r alitos Cr eek was sur veyed by the CDFG dur ing 2123 June 1982, fr om near
Br own s Valley Cr eek to about 0.6 km above the confluence with Shingle M ill Gulch (L .
Tur ner , CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 29 June 1982). The negative influence of fine sediment was
still evident in the cr eek. The only suitable spawning gr ounds within the sur vey ar ea wer e
found between the confluences of Clipper and Shingle M ill gulches, wher e gr avels wer e 57.5
cm in diameter and 25 cm deep. Juvenile steelhead r ear ing habitat, in the for m of pools and
cover , was adequate, although the pools wer e silted. Visually estimated abundances of young-
of-the-year and year ling steelhead wer e ver y low downstr eam fr om Clipper Gulch (10/30 m
and 2/30 m, r espectively) but high upstr eam fr om ther e, especially between Clipper and
Shingle M ill gulches ( 100+/30 m and 10/30 m, r espectively). Eight logjams and four chutes
or falls wer e located; six of the logj ams wer e classified as par tial migr ation bar r ier s.

66
 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

I mpr ovements wer e subsequently made at two sites to enhance fish passage. I n addition,
str eam bed conditions, which wer e degr aded fr om sediment input fr om the Januar y 1982
flood, wer e r estor ed to nor mal thr ough natur al pr ocesses by the end of 2 years, except in areas
wher e land use r esulted in chr onic input (Hecht 1984).
The Cor r alitos tr ibutar y, Br own s Valley Cr eek, was sur veyed by the CDFG in 1934.
Steelhead wer e pr esent, and it was noted that natur al pr opagation was ver y successful. Ear ly
stocking r ecor ds showed that the steelhead population was supplemented with 12,000 juveniles
in 1930, 18,000 in 1932, and 10,000 in 1933. The City of Watsonville maintained a diver sion
dam with a fish ladder , about 3.2 km above Cor r alitos. Juvenile steelhead, 510 cm long, were
common in the str eam above the dam when obser ved by the CDFG in August 1945. Steelhead
this size wer e also common below the dam in Januar y 1961, in densities of 1525 tr out per
pool. Expanded densities wer e estimated at about 185800 tr out/km. Spawning and r ear ing
habitat was of high quality. Above the dam, j uvenile steelhead densities were much lower; 25
tr out per pool, or about 60185 tr out/km. A local r esident r epor ted that fair number s of
steelhead ascended the str eam in winter , and that the fish r an far up the system when flows
wer e gr eat enough. When sur veyed by the CDFG between Gamecock Canyon Cr eek and the
diver sion dam in Januar y 1962, spawning gr avels wer e limited and scatter ed, and j uvenile
steelhead (2.510 cm long) wer e ver y scar ce. Adults were reportedly taken by poachers. A fish
kill of undeter mined cause below the diversion dam on 16 February 1964 revealed the presence
of at least seven adult steelhead, two gr ilse , and about 50 j uvenile steelhead.
When Br own s Valley Cr eek was sur veyed by the CDFG in early August 1967 (L ollock
1968), flow became subter r anean about 0.8 km above the confluence with Cor r alitos Cr eek.
Suitable spawning gr avels wer e found in this dr y section, which may have pr ovided favorable
spawning ar eas for steelhead dur ing the winter when sur ficial flow was continuous.
Other wise, the highest quality spawning ar eas existed between the diver sion dam and the
mouths of the headwater tr ibutar ies, Ramsey Gulch and Gamecock Canyon Cr eek; limited
spawning ar eas also occur r ed in the tr ibutar ies. Rear ing habitat for j uvenile steelhead, in the

67
 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

for m of pools and cover , was adequate wher e per ennial flow existed. I mpassable cascades,
cr eated by bedr ock and boulder s, existed in upper Gamecock Canyon Cr eek, and thr ee
logj ams limited fish movements on Ramsey Gulch, about 3.2 km upstream from the confluence
with Br own s Valley Cr eek. I n addition to the diversion dam, several pumps and wells diverted
water fr om the cr eek system. Juvenile O. mykiss existed throughout the survey area, including
above the bar r ier s in the tr ibutar ies. Sever al 20 cm long tr out were seen in Gamecock Canyon
Cr eek, which wer e likely r esident r ainbows. Smith (1982a) also found j uvenile steelhead
and/or r ainbow tr out in Br own s Valley and Gamecock Canyon cr eeks dur ing 197274.
I n late fall 1981, the mean SD density of smolt-sized steelhead at two sites in Browns
Valley Cr eek was 5.4 4.9 tr out/m, which was well above the county-wide aver age (der ived
fr om Smith 1982b). The mean SD of the site-specific mean lengths of these fish was 105 5
mm SL , which was also well above aver age. The density of smolt-sized steelhead at this time at
one site in each of Ramsey Gulch and Gamecock Canyon cr eeks, tributaries to Browns Valley
Cr eek, was 2.0 and 1.3 tr out/m, r espectively, both of which wer e well below aver age (der ived
fr om Smith 1982b). M ean length in Ramsey Gulch, 119 mm SL , was well above average, while
that in Gamecock Canyon, 84 mm SL , was well below aver age.
The following ar e miscellaneous bits of infor mation discover ed for other Cor r alitos
Cr eek tr ibutar ies. Eur eka Gulch was sur veyed by the CDFG on 24 August 1945. The str eam
contained high quality spawning ar eas, and j uvenile steelhead wer e pr esent. I n late fall 1981,
the mean SD density of smolt-sized steelhead at thr ee sites in Shingle M ill Gulch was 4.2
0.8 tr out/m, which was slightly above aver age (der ived fr om Smith 1982b). The mean SD of
the site-specific lengths of these fish, 90 6 mm SL , was below aver age.

Llagas Creek
The mater ial on steelhead in this str eam is cur r ently being r eviewed.

Pacheco Creek
The mater ial on steelhead in this str eam is cur r ently being r eviewed.

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 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Pescadero Creek
The Paj ar o River tr ibutar y, Pescader o Cr eek, was sur veyed by the CDFG in 1967
(L ollock 1968). This sur vey is cur r ently being r eviewed.
I n late fall 1981, the mean SD density of smolt-sized steelhead at two Santa Clar a
County sites was 2.0 0.5 tr out/m, which was well below the sur vey-wide aver age (der ived
fr om Smith 1982b). The mean SD of the site-specific mean lengths of these fish was 127 0
mm SL , which was the highest sur vey-wide aver age.

San Benito River and tributaries

The mater ial on O. mykiss in this str eam is cur r ently being r eviewed.

Uvas Creek
The mater ial on steelhead in this str eam is cur r ently being r eviewed.

Respini Creek Drainage

Although no detailed histor ical infor mation was discover ed for Respini Cr eek,
Shapovalov and Taft (1954, p. 201) mentioned that the stream supported a steelhead run which
was smaller than those obser ved at Scott and Waddell cr eeks dur ing the 1930 s40 s.

San Lorenzo River Drainage

The San L or enzo River has played a centr al r ole in the histor y of steelhead in Santa
Cr uz County. Pr ior to 1905 and the enactment of law which set the daily bag limit at 50 tr out,
fisher men would catch fr om 200 to 350 j uvenile and adult steelhead per day in the San
L or enzo and other local str eams and sell them at Santa Cr uz (Welch 1929). I n 1905, the
County of Santa Cr uz established a hatcher y in the San L or enzo dr ainage at Br ookdale
(Shebley 1922). An egg collecting station was built on Scott Cr eek to pr ovide eggs for the
Br ookdale Hatcher y. The Scott Cr eek facility was oper ated j ointly by the Califor nia Fish
Commission and the County. Pr oduction fr om Br ookdale was pr imar ily used to enhance the
steelhead populations of Santa Cr uz, San M ateo, Santa Clar a, and M onter ey counties,
although fr y wer e shipped elsewher e as well. Both Br ookdale Hatcher y and the Scott Cr eek

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Egg Collecting Station wer e taken over by the State of Califor nia in 1912. The wor k
conducted at these facilities was apparently very successful (Fish and Game Commission 1913).
Heavy flooding in ear ly 1940 sever ely damaged the egg collecting station, and its oper ation
was discontinued (D. Str eig, M onter ey Bay Salmon and Trout Project, unpubl. report: History
of fish cultur al activities in Santa Cr uz County with r efer ence to Scott and Waddell cr eeks).
The Br ookdale Hatcher y continued pr oduction thr ough 1953 hatching sur plus eggs fr om
CDFG hatcher ies in nor ther n Califor nia.
Regar ding the natur al distr ibution and abundance of steelhead in the San L or enzo
system, in summer 1909 Snyder (1913) found j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out at each of six
sites, fr om the K ings Cr eek confluence in the upper dr ainage to Santa Cr uz in the lower most
dr ainage. The CDFG conducted a cr eel census on the San L or enzo and tr ibutaries during 12
M ay 1943, the opening of the summer tr out season (CDFG, unpubl. file data). This sur vey
r eflected the same widespr ead distr ibution of j uvenile steelhead/rainbow trout throughout the
system. I n addition to in the main stem, catches wer e made in Zayante, Fall, Newell, Bear ,
Boulder , and K ings cr eeks. The mean size of 592 tr out seen in the 85 cr eels checked aver aged
112 20 mm (r ange, 76178 mm), and the aver age catch r ate was 2.87 3.44 tr out/h (r ange,
017 tr out/h).
I n an ear lier sur vey conducted on 1 M ay 1939, the CDFG checked cr eels fr om Ben
L omond to 1.6 km above Br ookdale Hatcher y (CDFG, unpubl. file data). Fifty-one angler s
wer e checked who had captur ed 105 mar ked steelhead that aver aged 165 mm, and 406
unmar ked steelhead that aver aged 127 mm. Dur ing 13 M ay 1942, 176 cr eels wer e checked
which contained 1,110 tr out caught at a r ate of 3.03 tr out/h. These creel surveys indicated that
the har vest of lar ge number s of small j uvenile steelhead continued to occur as of c. 1940.
I n r elation to these fisher y assessment activities, from June 1938 through July 1939, the
CDFG supplemented the steelhead population in the San L or enzo with 526,355 juveniles from
the Big Cr eek and Br ookdale hatcher ies. Of these, 7,046 were marked (L . Shapovalov, CDFG,
unpubl. memo. of 23 November 1954). Dur ing 194041, 11,080 mar ked, M t. Whitney str ain

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r ainbow tr out wer e stocked in the r iver , and 538 mar ked, M t. Shasta str ain r ainbow tr out
wer e stocked dur ing 194142.
By the 1940 s, fisher y management at the San L or enzo River had intensified in an
attempt to balance var ious fisher y needs in the face of a gr owing local human population and
associated development. A CDFG document of late 1948 pr ovided a snapshot view of the San
L or enzo and its steelhead/r ainbow tr out population at that time (Assistant Fisher ies Biologist
[unsigned], CDFG, unpubl. memo. to G. I . M ur phy of 14 December 1948). Adult steelhead
enter ed the r iver to spawn following the fir st fall r ains in October and November . The r un
typically peaked in Januar y and continued thr ough M ar ch and sometimes into June.
Steelhead used an estimated 125 km of str eam for spawning in the main stem and tr ibutar ies.
The str eam was managed for basically thr ee fisher ies: (i) the winter steelhead fisher y in the
lower main stem, (ii) a summer tr out fisher y in tr ibutar ies below Boulder Cr eek, and (iii) an
ear ly summer only tr out fisher y in the main stem and tr ibutar ies fr om Boulder Cr eek and
above. Str eam flow was typically ver y low dur ing AugustNovember . Ther e wer e many
diver sions for domestic water supply. The river mouth remained open to the ocean throughout
the year in all but below nor mal water year s.
As of 1951, the CDFG estimated that over 300,000 tr out wer e caught each year in the
San L or enzo system (R. M . Paul, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 6 Apr il 1951). These fish included
both j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out caught in the summer fishery, and adult steelhead in the
winter . CDFG stocking was limited despite the pr esence of the Br ookdale Hatcher y in the
system. Natur al pr oduction was lar ge enough to maintain the population and associated
fisher ies. CDFG effor ts to maintain the r un wer e limited to pollution and bar r ier contr ol.
Sand and gr avel plants on Zayante Cr eek and their dischar ge of silt wer e a chr onic pollution
sour ce, although a cour t r uling stopped dischar ges in summer . Swimming pool dr ain water
was an occasional sour ce of fish mor tality.
During 195455, the CDFG (Pintler 1956) conducted electrofishing surveys immediately
befor e and after the opening of the summer tr out season to deter mine (i) if maintaining open

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and closed fishing ar eas of the r iver pr otected year ling steelhead fr om angling, and (ii) if
planting of catchable r ainbow tr out had a negative effect on the j uvenile steelhead population.
Of 36 km of mainstem r iver , about 11 km above the Boulder Cr eek confluence wer e open to
summer fishing, while the 25 km below wer e closed. Near absolute counts of fish wer e made
on four occasions in nine 30.5 m sections in the open ar ea, and in 10, 30.5 m sections in the
closed ar ea fr om late Apr il 1955, j ust pr ior to the opening of the trout season, through late July
1955. The aver age density of year ling-size (>75 mm FL ) steelhead in the open ar ea decr eased
fr om 110 tr out/100 m to 25 tr out/100 m over the cour se of the study. Ther e was a
cor r esponding incr ease in aver age density in the downstr eam closed ar ea of 83 tr out/100 m to
309 tr out/100 m. Thus, ther e appeared to be a net downstream movement of yearling steelhead
into the closed ar ea fr om late Apr il to late July. Pintler (1956) concluded that maintaining the
downstr eam closed ar ea did indeed protect the yearling steelhead. During the same period, the
aver age density of young-of-the-year size (<75 mm FL ) steelhead incr eased in both ar eas as
emer gence pr ogr essed; fr om 80 to 498 tr out/100 m and 42 to 565 tr out/100 m in the open and
closed ar eas, r espectively.
To get at the second question, two small plants of catchable rainbow trout were made in
the upstr eam ar ea open to fishing: 2,504 on 9 June 1955 and 3,001 on 23 June 1955. None of
these fish was found in the closed ar ea while electr ofishing ther e, and their depletion in the
sampling pr ogr am in the open area suggested they were readily harvested, thus minimizing the
oppor tunity for competition with juvenile steelhead. Creel censuses on the weekends following
these plants showed that, on aver age, about 82% of the catch was composed of planted tr out.
Stomach content analysis of 96 catchable r ainbow tr out did not suggest pr edation on j uvenile
steelhead. Although these r esults suggested little dir ect impact of planted catchable r ainbows
on j uvenile steelhead, Pintler (1956) concluded that a continued planting pr ogr am should be
appr oached conser vatively so as not to induce significant fishing mor tality on the wild fish.
For example, he suggested that the opening of the summer tr out season be delayed until 30
M ay to pr ovide a lar ger window of oppor tunity for year ling steelhead to escape to the

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downstr eam closed ar ea.

Following heavy flooding in December 1955, the lower San L or enzo River within the
city of Santa Cr uz was dr edged and channelized to enhance flood contr ol. The CDFG
r epor ted concer n over steelhead passage under low-flow conditions at the citys diversion dam
wher e lar ge r ocks had been placed for r einforcement (S. C. Smedley, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of
16 M ar ch 1959). This document also mentioned that between 7,600 and 18,000 angler s fished
the r iver for steelhead annually, r esulting in an estimated catch of between 1,350 and 5,650
steelhead.
The local CDFG war den r epor ted that angler s caught about 200 adult steelhead in the
San L or enzo lagoon on 1 December 1962 (CDFG, unpubl. field notes of 5 December 1962).
About 100 wer e taken on 2 December 1962. These steelhead weighed up to 2.7 kg but averaged
only about 0.7 kg. Angling was much slower on 5 December 1962 when only two steelhead
wer e obser ved in 2 h.
I n 1965, the CDFG estimated the annual steelhead spawning r un in the San L or enzo
River at about 23,000 fish, based on the obser vations of local field per sonnel (Califor nia
Depar tment of Fish and Game 1965).
The CDFG sur veyed the mainstem San L or enzo fr om headwaters to mouth during 15
18 September 1966. Spawning gr avels wer e in suitable condition for steelhead use above
Boulder Cr eek, but wer e silted fr om ther e to the mouth. Siltation r esulted fr om logging, r oad
building, gr ading, and sand plant oper ations thr oughout the dr ainage (see tr ibutar y
infor mation below), and constituted 8% of the str eam bottom in the mainstem San L or enzo.
Rear ing habitat in the for m of pools and cover was pr esent thr oughout the str eam. There was
a culver t bar r ier at the Highway 9 cr ossing in the Water man Gap ar ea in the upper San
L or enzo, and a logj am bar r ier about 2 km downstr eam. These bar r ier s mar ked the upstream
limit for steelhead spawner s. M any small pumps diverted water to vacation homes in summer,
and the pumping facility at the dam in Santa Cr uz was a maj or year -r ound diver sion.
Juvenile r ainbow tr out wer e seen above the culver t barrier, and juvenile steelhead occurred in

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high densities thr oughout the str eam below this point. Despite what appear ed to be high
steelhead pr oduction, the sur veyor still cautioned that unless sedimentation was cur bed,
spawning and r ear ing habitat for steelhead would be ser iously damaged.
I n 1970, the CDFG estimated the abundance of juvenile steelhead from Waterman Gap
to the mouth of the San L or enzo by electr ofishing sever al r andomly-selected 30.5 m reaches in
15 1.6-km sections (L . K . Puckett, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 30 December 1971). Abundance
was estimated using the two-pass r emoval method. Juvenile steelhead abundance ranged from
48 tr out/100 m in the upper r iver to 239 tr out/100 m in SK M 16, and aver aged 115 45
tr out/100 m among the 15 sections. Although abundance was lowest thr ough the thr ee
upper most km, over all abundance did not var y significantly with SK M (p>0.15).
Dur ing the last week of Apr il and fir st week of M ay 1972, a coalition of volunteer s and
the CDFG r escued >500 adult steelhead fr om the lagoon of the San L or enzo River (W.
Gr eenwald, CDFG, unpubl. photo r epor t, Oper ation Steelhead, of 31 M ay 1972). The
steelhead had enter ed the r iver to spawn but wer e unable to migr ate upstr eam because of low
flow. These fish wer e tr ucked to holding ponds at Silver K ing Oceanic Far ms, at the mouth of
Waddell Cr eek in Santa Cr uz County, wher e they wer e spawned. The eggs wer e hatched at
the CDFG hatcher y on the M ad River , Humboldt County wher e the young steelhead would be
r ear ed to year lings and then stocked back in the San L or enzo and elsewher e.
Dur ing the mid-1950 s (Fisher 1957) and the fir st half of the 1970 s (M . L . Johnson,
CDFG, unpubl. memo. r epor t of 22 November 1971; B. Snider , CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 5
September 1974; Johansen 1975; L . B. Boydstun, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 2 September 1975),
the CDFG monitor ed fishing effor t and catch in the San L or enzo River winter steelhead
fisher y. The obj ective of these studies was to develop a baseline against which to (i) evaluate
the contr ibution of futur e plants of hatcher y-r ear ed year ling steelhead to the fisher y (Fisher
1957), and (ii) evaluate pr oposed water development in the system (Johansen 1975). The catch
r ate dur ing the 1953-54 and 1954-55 seasons aver aged 0.044 0.013 tr out/h (r ange, 0.035
0.053 tr out/h). Catch r ates fr om 1970-71 thr ough 1974-75 aver aged 0.026 0.004 tr out/h

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(r ange, 0.0200.030 tr out/h), and thus tended to be lower . This appar ent differ ence was also
r eflected in expanded estimates of total seasonal catch which averaged 3,770 2,652 steelhead
(r ange, 1,8955,645 steelhead) dur ing the mid-1950 s and 1,546 544 steelhead (range, 1,035
2,368 steelhead) dur ing the fir st half of the 1970 s. Johansen (1975) discussed the fact that
habitat degr adation in the system, in par ticular siltation which had incr eased to an estimated
65% of the str eam bottom by 1972, along with the apparent decrease in catch rates and annual
catches suggested an actual decline in the steelhead population. He reiterated that logging and
associated activities, subdivision development, and water pr oj ect constr uction were primarily
r esponsible for obser ved habitat degr adation.
Johansen (1975) also collected size infor mation on steelhead captur ed in the fisher y.
Although the minimum steelhead size seen in the census was about 20 cm FL , only those >25
cm FL wer e consider ed adults. I n 1971-72 and 1972-73, angler -caught adults aver aged 52 cm
FL and 47 cm FL , r espectively. The combined season aver age was 49 cm FL . The lar gest
adult obser ved in the census was 81 cm FL , although an angler caught a 86.4 cm long fish at
the r iver mouth on 19 November 1974 (Salinas Califor nian, 20 November 1974, p. 26).
On 26 Apr il 1977, the CDFG r escued 114 emigr ating adult steelhead fr om the for ebay
of the Felton Diver sion Dam on the San L or enzo River (P. P. Chappell, CDFG, unpubl. memo.
of 5 M ay 1977). An estimated 7580% of the fish were spent, but few appeared moribund with
bacter ial and fungal infections. The fish wer e r eleased in the San L or enzo lagoon.
The CDFG conducted a cr eel census on the upper San L or enzo and sever al tr ibutar ies
dur ing 2628 M ay 1979, the opening of the summer tr out season (M . L . Johnson, CDFG,
unpubl. memo. of 4 June 1979). This later opening date r eflected Pintler s (1956)
r ecommendation for a delayed season on the San L or enzo to pr otect year ling steelhead (see
above). Angling pr essur e was light as only 18 angler s wer e seen dur ing 90 h of census time
over the 3 d per iod. About 89% of the angler s wer e on the upper San L or enzo and Fall Creek,
wher e 100% of the fish seen wer e caught. The aver age catch r ate, 0.96 2.15 tr out/h, was
thr ee times lower than that seen in cr eel sur veys conducted c. 1940 (see above). Only 17

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 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

j uvenile steelhead wer e seen in cr eels, and these fish aver aged 140 47 mm TL (n = 16). The
r elatively low use, low catch r ate, and small catch could be attr ibuted to the delayed opening
date and escapement of year ling steelhead to the downstr eam closed ar ea, a reduced steelhead
population, the absence of planted tr out, or some other factor (s).
Dur ing the 1976-77 thr ough 1978-79 steelhead seasons, the CDFG made fish counts at
the Felton Diver sion Dam. As of 10 M ar ch 1977, 628 adult steelhead had moved up the San
L or enzo (B. Gr aham, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 10 M ar ch 1977), which was about 39% of the
total of 1,614 for the 1976-77 season (M . L . Johnson, CDFG, 17 September 1979). A minimum
of 242 adult steelhead passed dur ing 1977-78, and 452 dur ing 1978-79. These were considered
minimum counts as the tr ap was not oper able all the time.
Johnson also mentioned that up to 25,000 year ling steelhead, when available, wer e
stocked annually in the San L or enzo. A stocking summar y in the CDFG str eam sur vey file
showed that between 1963 and 1980, 230,716 j uvenile steelhead wer e stocked in the San
L or enzo, of which 95% wer e year lings and 5% wer e young-of-the-year . I n addition, fr om
1960 thr ough 1972, the CDFG planted 231,403 catchable r ainbow tr out in the mainstem San
L or enzo to suppor t summer tr out fishing. The stocking pr ogr am was discontinued after 1972
because of an incr ease in pr ivate owner ship and shr unken public access to the r iver (M . L .
Johnson, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 13 November 1973).
I n late fall 1981, the mean density of smolt-sized steelhead at 10 mainstem r iver sites
was 980 930 tr out/100 m, which was the highest county-wide aver age (der ived fr om Smith
1982b). The mean of the site-specific mean lengths of these fish was 97 10 mm SL , which
was also above aver age.

Bear Creek and tributaries

The San L or enzo tr ibutar y, Bear Creek, was surveyed by the CDFG in November 1956.
The str eam was descr ibed as an impor tant spawning and r ear ing ar ea for San L or enzo River
steelhead. L ogging oper ations wer e under way in the vicinity 9 km upstr eam fr om the mouth.
Bar r ier s wer e pr esent in the logging ar ea, and silt and debr is polluted the str eam immediately

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below this point. The str eam contained adequate spawning and r ear ing habitat in the middle
and lower sur vey ar ea. Juvenile steelhead wer e scar ce above the logging ar ea, but common
below. L ocal r esidents r epor ted that the cr eek suppor ted a substantial r un of steelhead each
year . The Bear Cr eek steelhead population was supplemented with j uvenile plants dur ing
194047, and in 1956.
Bear Cr eek was br iefly sur veyed by the CDFG in January 1961. Spawning and rearing
habitats wer e in good condition. Natur al pr opagation was highly successful as an abundance
of 510 cm j uvenile steelhead was obser ved, r oughly estimated at 185370 tr out/km. Adult
steelhead r epor tedly spawned in the cr eek dur ing the winter of 1960-61, and redds and 34 cm
long young-of-the-year wer e obser ved in high abundance near Elks Par k on 19 April 1961. I n
a r elated document fr om that time, it was mentioned that the CDFG had planted 6,000
catchable r ainbow tr out in Bear Cr eek each summer , but that this pr actice had been
discontinued.
The cr eek still consisted of high quality spawning and r ear ing habitat when sur veyed
by the CDFG in July 1971. At least two age-classes of j uvenile steelhead wer e obser ved in
abundance. Catchable-size tr out wer e noted. Potential bar r ier s and the upstr eam limit of
tr out distr ibution wer e identified.
Cabr illo College students made abundance estimates of j uvenile steelhead in Bear
Cr eek dur ing September October 1972. Two to four r eaches within each of six 1.6-km
sections wer e sampled by electr ofishing using the two-pass r emoval method of population
estimation. Densities over the 10 km study ar ea r anged from 99 to 708 trout/km, and averaged
( SD) 612 412 tr out/km.
About 60 steelhead r edds wer e obser ved in lower Bear Cr eek in June 1980 (L . Tur ner ,
CDFG, unpubl. file r epor t of 30 July 1980). Steelhead fr y wer e abundant, and individuals
r anging in length fr om 15 to 35.5 cm wer e common fr om the cr eek mouth to a ser ies of
water falls located about 0.3 km below the confluence with Shear Cr eek. These falls wer e
j udged to be the upstr eam limit for adult steelhead immigr ation. A few fr y wer e obser ved

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 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

between the falls and Shear Cr eek; these fish may have been the pr ogeny of r esident r ainbow
tr out inhabiting the str eam above the bar r ier falls. The Bear Cr eek tr ibutar y, Deer Cr eek,
contained an abundance of steelhead fr y and older tr out (1030.5 cm long) fr om its mouth up
to a per manent water fall bar r ier . Again, above this point, trout density was low and may have
r epr esented an isolated r esident r ainbow tr out population.
I n late fall 1981, the mean SD density of smolt-sized steelhead at thr ee sites in Bear
Cr eek was 3.9 2.3 tr out/m, which was about the county-wide aver age (der ived fr om Smith
1982b). The mean SD of the site-specific mean lengths of these fish was 102 6 mm SL ,
which was above aver age.
Bear Cr eek was gener ally in good condition following the heavy stor ms of Januar y
1982, as deter mined by a CDFG sur vey in M ay 1982 (L . Tur ner , CDFG, unpubl. memo.).
Redds wer e obser ved in the lower str eam. Steelhead fr y wer e pr esent but appar ently in low
densities. Older tr out, 1530.5 cm long, wer e common in deep pools. Sever al bar r ier s wer e
identified.

Boulder Creek and tributaries

Both age 0+ (<7.5 cm) and older j uvenile steelhead (>7.5 cm) wer e captur ed dur ing a
CDFG electr ofishing sur vey in a 61 m r each of the San L or enzo tr ibutar y, Boulder Cr eek, in
M ay 1954. When sur veyed again by the CDFG in November 1956, spawning areas were rated
as lacking to fair , r ear ing habitat was especially good in the middle and lower sections of the
str eam, and both young-of-the-year (57.5 cm) and older j uvenile steelhead (7.520 cm) wer e
obser ved. Six par tial or complete bar r ier s wer e identified, but no diver sions wer e noted. I t
was also noted that the Boulder Cr eek steelhead population had been supplemented with
j uvenile plants dur ing 194047.
By the tine of the next CDFG sur vey in August 1966, habitat degr adation due to
siltation was becoming an incr easing pr oblem in the str eam, although suitable spawning and
r ear ing habitat was still obser ved. The abundance of j uvenile steelhead (410 cm) was noted
as low, and aver age density was estimated at about 1 tr out/m. The condition of the stream was

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appar ently similar when sur veyed by the CDFG in July 1971; spawning and r ear ing habitat
was noted as good below Br acken Br ae Cr eek wher e the gr eatest abundance of young-of-the-
year and year ling steelhead and r esident r ainbow tr out was seen. Sever al potential or full
bar r ier s wer e noted.
A total of 19 par tial and full bar r ier s, including logj ams, wer e identified by the CDFG
in June 1980 (L . Tur ner , CDFG, unpubl. file r epor t of 31 July 1980). L ow densities of juvenile
steelhead wer e obser ved in the lower and mid-cr eek sections, with 2030.5 cm fish common in
pools. At least some of these lar ger fish wer e pr obably r esident r ainbow tr out. The
distr ibution of suitable spawning substr ate was appar ently much mor e r estr icted than in
pr evious sur veys; two steelhead r edds wer e seen.
I n late fall 1981, the mean SD density of smolt-sized steelhead at four sites was 3.4
2.7 tr out/m, which was slightly below aver age (der ived fr om Smith 1982b). The mean SD of
the site-specific mean lengths of these fish was 105 4 mm SL , which was well above aver age.
The str eam was j udged to be in fair condition by the CDFG in M ay 1982 (L . Tur ner ,
CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 18 M ay 1982). Spawning ar eas wer e scatter ed and often cemented
with silt in the lower str eam. The best spawning ar eas wer e now located above Har e Cr eek
wher e numer ous steelhead r edds wer e obser ved. This ar ea also contained an abundance of
steelhead fr y. Siltation was still noted as a pr oblem, especially below the Boulder Cr eek
Countr y Club, and sever al par tial and complete bar r ier s wer e identified.
The effect of sedimentation in the cr eek was investigated by the CDFG in August 1982,
in r elation to a constr uction pr oj ect (R. C. Benthin, CDFG, unpubl. file r epor t of 2 September
1982). The density of both inver tebr ates and j uvenile steelhead was clearly lower downstream
fr om the constr uction site, wher e the per centage of fine mater ial in the substr ate was higher
than above the constr uction site.
I n late fall 1981, the density of smolt-sized steelhead at one site in Jamison Cr eek, a
Boulder Cr eek tr ibutar y, was 2.6 tr out/m, which was below aver age (der ived fr om Smith
1982b). The mean length of these fish was 94 mm SL , which was slightly below aver age. The

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 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

upper por tion of this str eam was choked with logging debr is when obser ved by the CDFG in
June 1980 (L . Tur ner , CDFG, unpubl. file r epor t of 31 July 1980). A few j uvenile steelhead
and/or r esident r ainbows up to 25 cm in length wer e obser ved in the lower cr eek.

Branciforte Creek and tributaries

Br ancifor te Cr eek, a tr ibutar y to the San L or enzo River, was surveyed by the CDFG in
October 1956. Spawning gr ounds for steelhead wer e pr actically nonexistent in Br ancifor te
Cr eek due to extensive sedimentation, but appar ently ther e wer e some suitable ar eas in
tr ibutar y str eams. Rear ing habitat was also of gener ally poor quality. Sever al bar r ier s wer e
identified, some of which wer e per manent blockages to upstream migrants. Juvenile steelhead
wer e ver y scar ce. The str eam was stocked with j uvenile steelhead and catchable r esident
r ainbow tr out fr om 1940 to 1956.
Br ancifor te Cr eek was sur veyed br iefly by the CDFG in December 1960; no adult or
j uvenile steelhead wer e obser ved. Dur ing another br ief sur vey on 3 Febr uar y 1961, two adult
steelhead (about 30 and 61 cm long) wer e seen spawning on a r iffle at the downstream end of a
small pool. No j uveniles or other adults wer e obser ved.
The CDFG sur veyed Br ancifor te Cr eek fr om its mouth to its headwater s, a distance of
about 14.5 km, in mid-August 1966. Although r egarded as an insignificant steelhead stream in
ear lier sur veys, the cr eek was now descr ibed as an impor tant spawning and r ear ing ar ea for
San L or enzo steelhead and coho salmon. Suitable spawning gravel was available for steelhead,
but siltation was still cited as a gr owing pr oblem. Rear ing habitat was appar ently best in the
middle and upper str eam ar eas. Despite a somewhat impr oved habitat r ating, j uvenile
steelhead (47.5 cm long) still occur r ed only in low densities, at an aver age of about 2 tr out/30
m.
By the time the cr eek was sur veyed by the CDFG in August 1971, siltation and septic
tank leakage had r uined histor ic spawning and r ear ing ar eas below Jar vis Road, above which
ther e was little steelhead habitat. Juvenile steelhead wer e pr esent thr oughout the str eam, but

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only in ver y low densities (<3 tr out/30 m).

Dur ing a CDFG bar r ier sur vey in July 1980, j uvenile steelhead wer e seen again only in
low densities. I n addition, about 80 steelhead r edds wer e obser ved in silty substrate, about 0.3
km downstr eam fr om the confluence with Gr anite Cr eek. I t was noted that silt cover ed the
substr ate along the entir e obser ved length of str eam, to above the confluence with Cr ystal
Cr eek.
The condition of Br ancifor te Cr eek was lar gely unchanged when sur veyed by the
CDFG in June 1982 (L . Tur ner , CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 7 July 1982). Juvenile steelhead
wer e scar ce, and age 0+ tr out wer e concentr ated at a few locations in the lower str eam.
Numer ous dams appear ed to have inhibited the flushing of silt fr om the system, r ender ing the
str eam unsuitable for salmonid pr oduction.
The Br ancifor te Cr eek tr ibutar y, Car boner a Cr eek, was sur veyed by the CDFG on 16
October 1956, fr om the mouth to Zanze s, 5.6 km upstr eam, wher e ther e was a 12 m high
bedr ock water fall bar r ier . Ther e was also a logj am bar r ier in the lower str eam, near the
county hospital. Although spawning gr avels wer e pr esent thr oughout the sur vey ar ea, they
wer e of the highest quality in the mid-section, above the logj am. Rear ing habitat was
adequate, in ter ms of pools and shelter . Sever al diver sions wer e obser ved, which wer e
adequately scr eened. Siltation was a pollution pr oblem in a 0.8 km mid-section r each wher e
logging had occur r ed; the str eam was clogged with logging debr is ther e as well. Juvenile
steelhead, 510 cm long, wer e common thr oughout the sur vey ar ea. The fish wer e r elatively
abundant in the mid-section and scar cer in the upper and lower sections. Over all, the str eam
was r ated as the most impor tant steelhead spawning and r ear ing tr ibutar y to Br ancifor te
Cr eek. The steelhead population was supplemented with a plant of j uveniles in 1953.
When sur veyed again by the CDFG in August 1966, the condition of Car boner a Cr eek
was lar gely unchanged, although the over all abundance of j uvenile steelhead was appar ently
lower . I n the lower str eam, the estimated density was 100 tr out/30 m. These fish wer e 45 cm
long. No fish wer e seen in the mid-section of the sur vey ar ea, and few wer e seen fur ther

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upstr eam.
By the time of the next CDFG sur vey on 21 September 1974, siltation, as a r esult of
logging oper ations, had become a gr eater pr oblem. M ost spawning ar eas wer e appar ently
degr aded.
O. mykiss, about 530.5 cm in length, occur r ed in low densities thr oughout the cr eek,
fr om the mouth to the bedr ock water fall, when sur veyed for bar r ier s by the CDFG on 11
August 1980. Sever al par tial and full bar r ier s wer e identified, and a fish kill was obser ved in
the lower str eam which included 32 steelhead.
I n late fall 1981, the mean SD density of smolt-sized steelhead at thr ee sites was 0.5
0.5 tr out/m, which was the lowest county-wide average (derived from Smith 1982b). The mean
SD of the site-specific mean lengths of these fish was 95 9 mm SL , which was ver y near
aver age.
Car boner a Cr eek was sur veyed up to the bedr ock water fall by the CDFG in late June
1982, following the heavy stor ms of Januar y 1982 (L . Tur ner , CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 8 July
1982). Spawning gr avels wer e still best in the middle por tion of the sur vey ar ea, and the
deepest r ear ing pools wer e in the middle and upper sections. Age 0+ O. mykiss were present in
the middle and lower sections, but in low densities. L ar ger tr out, 1025 cm long, wer e
obser ved in the deep pools in the upper section. Over all, the str eam was in fair condition. No
other maj or bar r ier s wer e pr esent besides the bedr ock water fall. Silting was moder ate.
A small Car boner a Cr eek tr ibutar y, Camp Ever s Cr eek, was surveyed by the CDFG in
Januar y 1985 (W. Str ate, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 9 Januar y 1985). The str eam was highly
degr aded due to a lack of r ipar ian vegetation and siltation, and no fishes wer e seen. However,
no bar r ier s wer e pr esent and with habitat impr ovement, the cr eek was j udged to have
potential as a steelhead pr oduction ar ea.

Clear Creek
The San L or enzo tr ibutar y, Clear Cr eek, j unctions with the San L or enzo River at
Br ookdale. When sur veyed by the CDFG in Januar y 1957, the str eam was descr ibed as

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unimpor tant for steelhead because a per manent bedr ock bar r ier at the mouth pr ecluded
upstr eam migr ation of adult spawner s. No fish wer e obser ved in the cr eek, despite plantings
of hatcher y-r ear ed r esident r ainbow tr out in 1945 and 1947. Nor wer e any fish seen in the
lower str eam in October 1959. Dur ing a CDFG bar r ier sur vey in mid-M ay 1980, thr ee
r esident r ainbow tr out, 2025 cm long, wer e obser ved in lower Clear Creek. The creek mouth
still contained a complete migr ation bar r ier , and other bar r ier s wer e identified upstr eam.

Fall Creek
The San L or enzo tr ibutar y, Fall Cr eek, was sur veyed by the CDFG in June 1956.
Natur al r epr oduction was r ated as poor for that year; juvenile steelhead were observed only in
low densities up to an impassable water fall, about 5 km upstr eam fr om the mouth. I n the
lower most str eam ar ea, the density of 2.54 cm long j uveniles was about 56 tr out/pool.
Juvenile steelhead wer e also obser ved in lower Fall Cr eek in October 1959.
I n an August 1966 CDFG sur vey, it was indicated that about 11 km of Fall Cr eek was
available to steelhead for spawning and rearing. Spawning gravels were abundant throughout
most of the str eam, and r ear ing habitat was at least adequate. However, the diversion dam for
the community of Felton s domestic water supply acted as a bar r ier to adult upstr eam
migr ation. Few j uvenile steelhead wer e seen above the dam; below, they occur r ed at a density
of about 1520 tr out/30 m. At the time of this sur vey, the CDFG planted about 1,000 catchable
r ainbow tr out per week dur ing the summer tr out season. Overall, the stream was judged to be
in excellent condition.
Abundance estimates of j uvenile steelhead in 3.2 km of Fall Cr eek in 1970 wer e 77
tr out/100 m in the lower most 1.6 km, and 52 tr out/100 m in the contiguous 1.6 km upstr eam
(L . K . Puckett, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 30 December 1971). The CDFG obser ved two adult
steelhead in the str eam on 20 November 1973.
I n October 1975, the CDFG deter mined the abundance, size, and biomass of j uvenile
steelhead in four 30 m sections in Fall Cr eek (P. P. Chappell, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 13
November 1975). The aver age abundance was 2,842 tr out/km or 8,028 tr out/ha, and aver age

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biomass was 33.5 kg/ha. Aver age tr out size was about 68.5 mm FL .
The CDFG captur ed j uvenile steelhead, 520 cm long, by electr ofishing in ear ly June
1978 (D. M . Eimoto, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 11 July 1978). Steelhead fr y wer e seen both
above and below the Felton water filter plant.
The CDFG conducted a sur vey of bar r ier s in Fall Cr eek in Apr il 1980. A total of 15
par tial and complete bar r ier s, including logj ams, was identified in the main cr eek, and the
tr ibutar ies, Bennett Cr eek and South For k Fall Cr eek, wer e completely impassable for
upstr eam migr ating fish due to waterfalls and slash in the streams from old logging operations.
By this time, fish passage pr oblems at the Felton diver sion dam had been solved by
installation of a fishway. Steelhead fr y wer e common in Fall Cr eek fr om its mouth to above
the confluence with the south for k, after which fr y became scar ce. Thr ee adult steelhead were
seen in a pool in the lower str eam, and one 20 cm tr out fur ther upstr eam.
I n late fall 1981, the mean SD density of smolt-sized steelhead at two sites was 3.9
2.3 tr out/m, which was j ust about aver age (der ived fr om Smith 1982b). The mean SD of the
site-specific mean lengths of these fish was 93 2 mm SL , which was somewhat below average.
Fall Cr eek was sur veyed again by the CDFG in Apr il 1982, following the January 1982
stor ms. Spawning habitat appar ently r emained intact fr om the mouth to the confluence with
the south for k. Above this point, siltation as a r esult of two maj or landslides had degr aded
both spawning and r ear ing habitat. Sever al migr ation bar r ier s wer e identified. Eight adult
steelhead wer e seen in the lower str eam ar ea.
I n November 1983, a composite electr ofishing sample fr om five sample r eaches of Fall
Cr eek (411.5 m) pr oduced the following abundance estimates: 0.70 age-0+ tr out/m and 0.46
age-1+ tr out/m. The mean standar d length of 0+ and 1+ fish was 61.0 mm and 109.2 mm,
r espectively.

Kings Creek
The San L or enzo headwater tr ibutar y, K ings Cr eek, was sur veyed by the CDFG in
1956, 1966, 1971, 1974, and 1980 (Smith 1982b), although the CDFG file containing these

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sur vey r epor ts was not discover ed. I n late fall 1981, the density of smolt-sized steelhead at one
site was 3.3 tr out/m, which was below aver age (der ived fr om Smith 1982b). The mean length
of these fish, 84 mm SL , was also below aver age.

Newell Creek
Newell Dam for ming L och L omond Reser voir on the San L or enzo tr ibutar y, Newell
Cr eek, was built dur ing 1962-63. The dam blocks steelhead access to the upper cr eek. The
CDFG stocked the r eser voir with 611,729 catchable rainbow trout from 1963 through 1976. I n
late fall 1981, the mean SD density of smolt-sized steelhead at thr ee sites was 4.3 2.0
tr out/m, which was above aver age (der ived fr om Smith 1982b). The mean SD of the site-
specific mean lengths of these fish was 100 5 mm SL , which was also above aver age.

Zayante Creek and tributaries

The San L or enzo tributary, Zayante Creek, was surveyed from its mouth to headwaters
for a distance of 13 km, by the CDFG in October 1956. This cr eek was descr ibed as one of the
best steelhead spawning and r ear ing ar eas in the entir e San L or enzo dr ainage. Spawning
gr avels wer e in excellent condition in the upper str eam, but became incr easingly silted as one
pr ogr essed downstr eam. Rear ing habitat was also of higher quality in the middle and upper
str eam ar eas. Cor r espondingly, j uvenile steelhead wer e scarce to common in the lower stream
up to Quail Hollow Road, and incr eased in abundance fur ther upstr eam. Ther e wer e 14
par tial and four complete logj am bar r ier s, and sever al unscr eened diver sions. Siltation was
cited as the main pollution pr oblem, the sour ces being er oded mater ials fr om a logged ar ea in
the upper water shed, and a sand plant in the lower stream area. The steelhead population was
supplemented with plants of hatcher y-r ear ed j uveniles fr om 1940 to 1947.
The lower most 2.4 km of the South Br anch Zayante Cr eek wer e also sur veyed by the
CDFG in October 1956. High quality spawning and r ear ing habitats for steelhead wer e
obser ved. Juvenile steelhead, 7.510 cm long, wer e common to abundant in the lower section
of the sur vey ar ea, and scar ce in the upper section. Thr ee complete logj am bar r ier s wer e

85
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identified, and ther e was a natur al bedr ock bar r ier about 2.8 km upstr eam fr om Zayante
Cr eek. No diver sions or signs of pollution wer e seen.
On 3 Febr uar y 1961, the CDFG observed seven adult steelhead resting in pools between
Quail Hollow br idge and L ompico Cr eek. A steelhead r edd was seen j ust upstr eam fr om the
confluence with L ompico Cr eek on 13 Apr il 1961. The CDFG sur veyed lower Zayante Creek,
fr om the mouth to the confluence with L ompico Cr eek, in Apr il 1964. Siltation was still a
chr onic pr oblem in this por tion of the str eam, especially in the lower most 2.4 km wher e O.
mykiss fr y occur r ed at an appr oximate density of 375 fish/km. Above this area, 188 trout were
counted which r anged in length fr om 5 to 46 cm, and aver aged about 10 cm. Total abundance
in this upper ar ea was estimated at 400500 fish, consisting of a mixed migr ator y and resident
r ainbow tr out stock. Additional stocking of O. mykiss in Zayante Cr eek occur r ed fr om 1956
to 1960. Fishing pr essur e was noted as heavy.
The upper Zayante Cr eek headwater s wer e also sur veyed by the CDFG ar ound this
time. Siltation had appar ently become a pr oblem in this ar ea since the 1956 sur vey. The
sur vey section included a 9 m bedr ock bar r ier . O. mykiss occur r ed in r elatively lower
densities above the bar r ier , and these fish wer e likely r esident r ainbow tr out. Young-of-the-
year , about 5 cm long, wer e abundant, and older tr out wer e common with numer ous
individuals up to 28 cm. As one pr ogr essed downstr eam fr om the bar r ier , j uvenile steelhead
density incr eased fr om about 100 tr out/km to about 260 tr out/km.
The adult steelhead r un in Zayante Cr eek as of 1968 was estimated by the CDFG at
about 800 fish, although the method used to attain this estimate was not descr ibed. Juvenile
steelhead sizes and densities wer e measur ed in the lower cr eek fr om Quail Hollow Br idge to
j ust above the confluence with L ompico Cr eek on 18 June 1968 (M . L . Johnson, CDFG,
unpubl. file r epor t of 10 July 1968). Fish wer e sampled by use of electr oshocking in 3060 m
long sections, and abundances wer e deter mined with the two-pass r emoval method of
population estimation. Densities in thr ee mainstem sections wer e 40 tr out/30 m (below
L ompico Cr eek), 275 tr out/30 m (above L ompico Cr eek), and 25 tr out/30 m (Quail Hollow

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Br idge). M ost fish captur ed wer e young-of-the-year and mean lengths in each section wer e
about 37 mm, 55 mm, and 48 mm, r espectively. No fish wer e captur ed in lower L ompico
Cr eek, and in a headwater s section, tr out density was low (4 tr out/30 m) but mean length (114
mm), and thus age, of these fish was gr eater . The lar gest individual measur ed 160 mm.
I n October November 1970, the CDFG determined juvenile steelhead lengths, weights,
and abundances in the upper most 9.7 km of Zayante Cr eek (L . K . Puckett, CDFG, unpubl.
memo. of 25 June 1971). Fish wer e sampled by use of electr oshocking in 10 30-m sections, and
abundances wer e determined with the two-pass removal method of population estimation. The
aver age section density was about 61 tr out/30 m, and total abundance was estimated at 19,100
tr out (95% C.L ., 15,90022,360). The number and per cent of age 0+, 1+, and 2+ tr out was
18,031 (94.4% ), 1,012 (5.3% ), and 57 (0.3% ), r espectively. Age 0+ steelhead r anged in length
fr om about 4 to 11 cm, and the mode in their length-fr equency distr ibution was between 5 and
7.5 cm. Age 1+ steelhead r anged in length fr om about 11 to 15 cm, and the single age 2+ tr out
captur ed was about 22 cm. Based on age-class specific sur vival r ates to adulthood fr om
Shapovalov and Taft (1954), the number of adults pr oduced fr om the j uvenile population
obser ved in fall 1970 would be about 540 adult steelhead 2 (95% C.L ., 450630). The total
biomass of the j uvenile population was estimated at 95.5 kg, or 9.8 kg/km.
Juvenile steelhead samples wer e taken on 1920 Januar y 1977 by electr ofishing thr ee
30-m sections in lower Zayante Cr eek (CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 27 Januar y 1977). M ean (
SD) steelhead length in the composite sample was 8.8 2.6 cm (n = 82; r ange, 4.815.2 cm).
Age 1 fish wer e r oughly <9.5 cm long and compr ised 62% of the sample, while age 2 fish wer e
9.5 cm long and compr ised 38% of the sample.
Dur ing the 1978-79 spawning season, 53 redds were located in Zayante Creek; 34 (64% )
wer e downstr eam fr om a proposed dam site near the confluence with Mountain Charlie Gulch,

2. I n a r ewor king of Puckett s data, D. Dettman (unpubl. file r epor t attached to letter of D. W. K elley, 9 M ay 1979)
ar r ived at a lower estimate of 153 r etur ning adult steelhead.

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19 (36% ) wer e upstr eam fr om the dam site (D. W. K elley, Zayante Cr eek Fish and Wildlife
I nvestigation Repor t for the M onth of Apr il 1979, 9 M ay 1979). Adult steelhead had migrated
into Zayante Cr eek dur ing high flows in Febr uar y 1979. M oving sand was identified as a
potential pr oblem for embr yo sur vival in the r edd, although some sur vival occur r ed as
evidenced by the pr esence of emer gent steelhead fr y.
I n late fall 1981, the mean SD density of smolt-sized steelhead at thr ee sites was 7.2
7.0 tr out/m, which was r elatively high (der ived fr om Smith 1982b). The mean SD of the site-
specific mean lengths of these fish was 89 3 mm SL , which was below aver age.
I n 1984, r emoval of a bedr ock water fall bar r ier allowed steelhead access to an
additional 8 km of str eam habitat in the Zayante Cr eek system.
The Zayante Cr eek tributary, Bean Creek, was surveyed by the CDFG in October 1956.
The str eam was noted as one of the better steelhead pr oduction ar eas in the San L or enzo
River dr ainage. High quality spawning gr ounds were apparently abundant throughout the 11
km sur vey ar ea, and r ear ing habitat seemed adequate. L ogj ams cr eated complete migr ation
bar r ier s at two locations in the middle and upper sur vey ar ea. Juvenile steelhead, 57.5 cm in
length, wer e abundant thr oughout the sur vey ar ea. The lar gest tr out seen wer e about 15 cm
long. I t was also noted that hatcher y-r eared juvenile steelhead and resident rainbow trout had
been stocked in Bean Cr eek dur ing 194043 and 195051.
Thr ee pair s of adult steelhead wer e seen spawning on a r iffle near the Salvation Ar my
camp br idge on 1 M ar ch 1957.
Juvenile steelhead wer e obser ved in Bean Cr eek in June 1962 dur ing a CDFG spot
check. The str eam was sur veyed fr om the mouth to its headwater s (14.5 km) by the CDFG in
September 1966. By this time, siltation had r educed spawning ar eas for steelhead; ther e were
shor t r eaches of loose gr avel in the middle str eam ar ea, but none was found in the lower
str eam ar ea. Dischar ge fr om sand pr ocessing plants was the main silt sour ce. Pools were very
shallow, but shelter was adequate, and migr ation bar r ier s wer e identified, the upper most
being a bedr ock water fall which mar ked the upstr eam limit for migr ating fish. The lower

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 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

str eam contained j uvenile steelhead (57.5 cm in length) at a density of about 1015 tr out/30
m. No fish wer e obser ved in the upper str eam ar ea.
Abundance estimates wer e made by electr ofishing sever al r andomly-selected 30 m
r eaches in six 1.6-km sections of Bean Creek in 1970, using the two-pass removal method (L . K.
Puckett, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 30 December 1971). Juvenile steelhead abundance r anged
fr om 24 tr out/100 m at the mouth to 74 tr out/100 m in the upper str eam, and aver aged 53 17
tr out/100 m among the six sections.
When sur veyed by the CDFG in July 1971, the siltation pr oblem, especially in lower
Bean Cr eek, was appar ently alleviated. Spawning and rearing areas were present, and in good
condition, fr om the mouth to above Glenwood. Juvenile steelhead, including young-of-the-
year , wer e abundant.
The mean ( SD) length of j uvenile steelhead electr ofished at two stations in Bean
Cr eek on 13 October 1973 was 7.1 1.4 cm; lengths r anged fr om 4.6 to 13.7 cm (der ived fr om
unpubl. CDFG data). So, j uveniles wer e mostly age 0+, although a few 1+ tr out wer e also
pr esent. Five adult steelhead (3850 cm long) and one 25-cm male O. mykiss were observed in
a 122 m r each of Bean Cr eek near M t. Her man on 20 November 1973.
Er osion/siltation and bar r ier pr oblems in Bean Cr eek wer e identified by the CDFG in
ear ly June 1980. Young steelhead, mostly 2.55 cm but up to 25 cm in length, wer e obser ved
fr om the mouth to above Camp Redwood Glen. Six steelhead r edds wer e seen between
M acK enzie Cr eek and Camp Redwood Glen (L . Tur ner , CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 58 June
1980).
I n late fall 1981, the mean SD density of smolt-sized steelhead at four sites was 3.1
2.9 tr out/m, which was slightly below aver age (der ived fr om Smith 1982b). The mean SD of
the site-specific mean lengths of these fish was 98 5 mm SL , which was above aver age. The
density of smolt-sized steelhead at this time at one site in L ockhar t Gulch, a Bean Cr eek
tr ibutar y, was 1.0 tr out/m, which was well below aver age (der ived fr om Smith 1982b). The
mean length of these fish was 119 mm SL , and thus well above aver age.

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The CDFG sur veyed Bean Cr eek in Apr il 1982 following the heavy stor ms in Januar y
1982. Steelhead access was blocked by numerous logjam and debris dams, and spawning areas
wer e ver y limited due to extensive siltation. Some young-of-the-year steelhead were observed.
Another Zayante Cr eek tr ibutar y, M ountain Char lie Gulch, contained numer ous
j uvenile steelhead at its mouth when sur veyed by the CDFG in October 1959. Smith (1982b)
also noted this cr eek as a pr oductive spawning tr ibutar y for steelhead, but did not sample it.

San Vicente Creek Drainage

The San Vicente Cr eek steelhead population was supplemented by the CDFG with a
total of 71,000 hatcher y-r ear ed j uveniles dur ing 193039. As a compar ative measur e of adult
r un size, Shapovalov and Taft (1954, p. 201) mentioned that the San Vicente steelhead run was
smaller than those obser ved at Scott and Waddell cr eeks dur ing the 1930 s40 s. Natur ally
pr opagated j uveniles (7.5 cm in length) wer e seen in the str eam by the CDFG in August 1960.
I n M ar ch 1962, both adult and j uvenile steelhead wer e obser ved below a landslide which had
tempor ar ily blocked the str eam. The str eam and its dr ainage ar ea wer e developed
consider ably dur ing the late 1960 s and ear ly 1970 s; development activities substr ate
extr action, water diver sion and/or impoundment, and logging.
I n late fall 1981, the mean SD density of smolt-sized steelhead at six str eam sites was
4.7 2.3 tr out/m, which was above the county-wide aver age (der ived fr om Smith 1982b). The
mean SD of the site-specific mean lengths of these fish was 88 5 mm SL , which was below
aver age.
I n July 1985, the CDFG r escued a 79 cm, 5-year -old adult steelhead fr om San Vicente
Cr eek and tr ansfer r ed it to the mouth of Scott s Cr eek. An appr oximately 1.6 km section of
the cr eek, above the Pfyffer diver sion, was sur veyed by the CDFG on 26 June 1985 (D.
M ar ston, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 27 June 1985). Unembedded spawning gr avel was
abundant, and young-of-the-year steelhead juveniles were also abundant. Some yearlings were
seen in lar ger pools. Scr eened diver sions wer e pr esent, and some siltation was occurring from
the washing out of tempor ar y dams, and fr om bank er osion. Fish passage was r ated as good,

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and r ear ing habitat for j uvenile steelhead was excellent.

An adj acent downstr eam section of San Vicente Cr eek was sur veyed in early July 1985
(D. M ar ston, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 3 July 1985). Suitable spawning gr avels wer e pr esent
thr oughout this 2 km section, and young-of-the-year steelhead wer e abundant (about 700
seen). One adult was also obser ved. Potential bar r ier s wer e identified.
The lower por tion of the str eam was sur veyed by the CDFG in late July 1985 (D.
M ar ston, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 25 July 1985). High quality spawning substr ate was not
pr esent in this ar ea, but numer ous young-of-the-year and year ling steelhead wer e obser ved
ther e. Rear ing habitat appear ed adequate. A diver sion dam acted as a tempor ar y migr ation
bar r ier , and ther e was an unscr eened off-str eam diver sion channel which entr ained j uvenile
steelhead. Ther e was also some pollution in this lower str eam ar ea, located within the town of
Davenpor t. So, despite consider able development, San Vicente Cr eek was still a highly
pr oductive steelhead str eam.
M ill Cr eek. I n the San Vicente tr ibutar y, M ill Cr eek, in late fall 1981, the mean SD
density of smolt-sized steelhead at two sites was 3.4 2.6 tr out/m, or slightly below aver age
(der ived fr om Smith 1982b). The mean SD of the site-specific mean lengths of these fish was
79 0 mm SL , which was the lowest county-wide aver age.

Scott Creek Drainage

Estimates of the number of females in the spawning r uns dur ing 190540 (Fig. 12) ar e
cur r ently being developed fr om egg collection and fecundity data (p. 148 in Shapovalov and
Taft 1954 for length-fecundity r elationship of Scott Cr eek steelhead).
Ear ly fish planting r ecor ds for Santa Cr uz County showed that the Scott Cr eek
steelhead population was supplemented with 121,000 j uveniles in 1913 and 148,000 in 1915 (D.
Str eig, M onter ey Bay Salmon and Tr out Pr oj ect, unpubl. r epor t: Histor y of fish cultur al
activities in Santa Cr uz County with r efer ence to Scott and Waddell creeks). Planting data for
other year s dur ing 19051929 wer e either missing or wer e composites for all of Santa Cr uz

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County and, thus, did not specify the number of j uvenile steelhead stocked in Scott Cr eek
alone. These plants wer e of Scott Cr eek steelhead cultur ed at either the Big Cr eek or
Br ookdale hatcher ies, except in 1928 when 152,000 steelhead fr om the M t. Shasta Hatcher y
wer e planted in Santa Cr uz County because fur unculosis (Aer omonas salmonicida) destroyed
most of the pr oduction at the local hatcher ies.
CDFG fish stocking r ecor ds fr om the 1930 s showed that the population was
supplemented with 8,000 j uvenile steelhead in 1930; 65,000 in 1932; 42,340 in 1933; 37,764 in
1934; 5,614 in 1935; 115,000 in 1936; 174,986 (@ 371,340/kg) in 1938; and 221,034 (@ 44
4,233/kg) in 1939. All these plants compr ised Scott Cr eek steelhead hatched at Big Cr eek or
Br ookdale. No specific Scott Cr eek planting r ecor d was discover ed for 1940 when the Big
Cr eek Hatcher y was closed (L eitr itz 1970; see Big Cr eek, below), but all steelhead planted in
Santa Cr uz County that year wer e of Scott Cr eek or igin. Juvenile steelhead planted in Santa
Cr uz County in 1941 wer e fr om eggs of Pr air ie Cr eek Hatcher y or igin which wer e hatched at
Br ookdale. The hatcher y oper ation at Br ookdale continued until 1953 (L eitr itz 1970; see San
L or enzo River Dr ainage) supplied with sur plus eggs fr om other CDFG hatcheries in northern
Califor nia. I n a CDFG file letter of 27 M ay 1948, it was indicated that 6,000 r esident r ainbow
tr out (@ 705 fish/kg) would be stocked dur ing the 1948 season. I t was also mentioned that
stocking had not been car r ied out in Scott Cr eek in 1947. No r ecor ds have been found which
specify plants made in Scott Cr eek or other Santa Cr uz County str eams dur ing the remainder
of the per iod, 194253 (D. Str eig, M onter ey Bay Salmon and Tr out Pr oj ect, unpubl. r epor t:
Histor y of fish cultur al activities in Santa Cr uz County with r efer ence to Scott and Waddell
cr eeks). Consult Dayes (1987) for fur ther infor mation per taining to the histor y of fish culture
and r elated activities in Santa Cr uz County.
When Scott Cr eek was sur veyed by the CDFG in 1934, it was already apparent that the
stability of the str eam envir onment was being impacted by water extr action. Twelve
diver sions, which consisted of pumps with scr eened intakes, wer e counted. The sur veyor
indicated in the r epor t that the cr eek dr ied up in two maj or r eaches due to the effects of

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pumping: fr om the mouth to 3.2 km upstr eam; and fr om Seaside School to the mouth of Big
Cr eek, for a distance of about 2.4 km.
Of cour se, the Scott Cr eek dr ainage at that time was still ver y impor tant for both the
natur al and ar tificial pr oduction of steelhead and coho salmon in Santa Cr uz County.
Abundant spawning gr ounds wer e available to anadr omous salmonids up to a 6 m waterfall in
the headwater s (distance upstr eam not indicated in this sur vey). Angling pr essur e for these
fishes was heavy upstr eam fr om the confluence with M ill Cr eek, the only por tion of Scott
Cr eek wher e fishing was allowed.
On 30 September 1942, the CDFG obser ved sever al schools of 200400 j uvenile
steelhead each in the lower por tion of Scott Cr eek which usually compr ises a lagoon, although
no lagoon was for med on this date because the cr eek was open to the ocean. The total number
of tr out in about 90 m of str eam was estimated at 1,5003,000 fish. The steelhead r anged in
length fr om about 10 to 25 cm, although most wer e about 1318 cm long. The obser ver
believed that these fish would be migr ating back upstr eam later dur ing the fall and winter , as
was seen in near by Waddell Cr eek (L . Shapovalov, CDFG, unpubl. field cor r . of 15 October
1942).
Dur ing a sur vey of low flow conditions in coastal str eams dur ing July 1952, the
Califor nia State Division of Water Resour ces r epor ted that j uvenile steelhead wer e pr esent in
lower Scott Cr eek, about 450 m upstr eam fr om Highway 1.
The CDFG made an infor mal sur vey of Scott Cr eek on 23 December 1960 to check for
the pr esence of adult steelhead. The cr eek had no fr eshwater connection with the ocean on
that date, thus blocking entr y of migr ant spawner s. Although no adults wer e obser ved in the
cr eek, j uvenile steelhead, 57.5 cm in length, wer e common thr oughout the sur vey ar ea.
A mor e extensive sur vey of the lower most 6.4 km of the cr eek was conducted by the
CDFG on 5 Febr uar y 1961. High quality spawning gr ounds wer e abundant, especially
upstr eam fr om Big Cr eek. Rear ing habitat in the for m of pools and cover was abundant in the
upper 4.8 km of the sur vey ar ea. No migr ation bar r ier s wer e noted in the sur vey ar ea,

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although the 6 m water fall in the headwater s was mentioned as still being a bar r ier . The
numer ous pump diver sions for ir r igation continued to desiccate por tions of the lower str eam.
On this date, however , the cr eek was open to the ocean. The Scott Cr eek headwater s and
tr ibutar ies had per ennial flow. One adult steelhead was obser ved about 90 m above the
confluence with M ill Cr eek. Juvenile steelhead, 510 cm in length, wer e common thr oughout
the sur vey ar ea, and occur r ed at visually estimated densities of about 100150 tr out/km and
150300 tr out/km, above and below Big Cr eek, respectively. Natural propagation appeared to
be highly successful. Angling pr essur e for adult steelhead was thought to be heavy.
CDFG file documents fr om 196164 r eiter ated the annual pr oblems associated with
unscr eened diver sion of ir r igation water fr om lower Scott Cr eek, and r esultant losses of lar ge
number s of j uvenile steelhead and coho salmon fr om entr ainment and desiccation.
I nstr eam conditions at Scott Creek had apparently degraded appreciably by the time of
the next CDFG sur vey on 1416 June 1982 (L . Tur ner , CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 25 June
1982). The str eam was sur veyed fr om the mouth to about 10.5 km upstr eam fr om the Pacific
Ocean in the headwater s. Siltation had appar ently become a pr oblem in the str eam, per haps
as a r esult of the heavy stor ms of Januar y 1982. Spawning gr avels wer e shallow and occurred
only in scatter ed patches. Pools wer e shallow and silted in, and logj ams pr ovided the only
cover in most of the sur vey ar ea; ther e wer e some deeper pools and under cut banks in the
upper str eam. Thir ty-five logj ams wer e counted in the sur vey ar ea, of which 22 wer e r ated as
par tial and 10 as complete bar r ier s to fish migr ation. Despite the lack of potential spawning
sites and numer ous hindr ances to fish movement, local r esidents r epor ted that the str eam
r eceived its lar gest r un of adult steelhead and coho salmon since the 197677 dr ought.
Fur ther mor e, r epr oduction was appar ently highly successful because, accor ding to the
sur veyor , any 30 m section of the cr eek, fr om the mouth to the headwater s, liter ally
explode(d) with hundr eds of young-of-the-year salmonids.
On 14 August 1984, the CDFG captur ed 192 j uvenile steelhead in Scott Cr eek, by
electr ofishing seven r eaches compr ising 195 m of habitat upstream from the bridge crossing on

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Big Cr eek L umber Company pr oper ty (tr out density 1 fish/m). The fish averaged 6.4 cm SL
(SD = 2.8 cm; r ange, 3.020.8 cm SL ); thus, the sample r eflected dominance of 0+ tr out in the
age str uctur e of the j uvenile population in this por tion of the cr eek. Similar ly, age 0+ and 1+
steelhead wer e abundant in an appr oximately 180 m r each of Scott Cr eek, just upstream from
the M ill Cr eek confluence, dur ing a br ief CDFG sur vey on 10 July 1985.
The long-ter m pr oblem of water extr action in lower Scott Cr eek intensified dur ing the
r ecent six-year (1986-87 to 1991-92) drought in California. During August 1987, most of creek,
fr om the lagoon to a diver sion point about 1.6 km upstr eam, was dewater ed, leaving only
stagnant, isolated pools as fish habitat (L . Ulmer , CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 30 September
1987). One known downstr eam-moving adult steelhead and sever al j uveniles wer e able to
sur vive, at least tempor ar ily, in these pools, although dead steelhead were also observed in this
str eam r each. About 0.5 km above the diversion, the abundance of juvenile steelhead and coho
salmon was estimated at 974 fish/km (SE = 203 fish/km; estimate made by use of electrofishing
and thr ee-pass depletion method), with coho salmon r epr esenting 9% of the catch. Thus, the
potential loss of j uvenile steelhead in the lower cr eek was on the or der of about 1,400 fish, due
to the effects of water r emoval and subsequent deter ior ation of water quality in r emaining
pools. Steelhead losses may have also occur r ed in the lagoon as the water level dropped due to
r educed inflow, and maximum sur face water temper atur e appr oached 25 C and salinity
incr eased to over 5 ppt (J. J. Smith, San Jose State Univer sity, unpubl. data). Similar
conditions occur r ed in the lagoon again in August 1988 when most steelhead pr esent died.
Obser ved dead steelhead r anged fr om 11 to 40 cm FL (mean SD = 16 3 cm FL ; n = 97),
while str essed and dying individuals wer e gener ally smaller , 814 cm FL (n = 9). L ar ge
sculpins wer e also found dead.
I n addition to Jennifer Nelsons memorandum on downstream migrant trapping results
in 1992, population estimation data collected by Snider in 1988 and Jones in 1991 ar e also
cur r ently being summar ized.

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Big Creek
Scott Cr eek s lar gest tr ibutar y, Big Cr eek, has played an impor tant r ole in the cultur e
of steelhead in Santa Cr uz County. The Big Cr eek Hatcher y began oper ations in 1927 as a
supplement to the Br ookdale Hatcher y on the San L or enzo River , because of a deficient water
supply at the latter site (D. Str eig, M onter ey Bay Salmon and Tr out Pr oj ect, unpubl. r epor t:
Histor y of fish cultur al activities in Santa Cr uz County with r efer ence to Scott and Waddell
cr eeks). As at Br ookdale, eggs fr om Scott Cr eek steelhead wer e hatched at the new facility,
and the young r ear ed for local stocking. The Big Cr eek Hatcher y was not without its own
pr oblems, however , wher e br eakouts of fur unculosis gr eatly r educed pr oduction in 1928 and
1939. Heavy flooding in ear ly 1940 sever ely damaged the hatcher y (L eitr itz 1970), as well as
the Scott Cr eek Egg Collecting Station, and oper ations at both facilities wer e discontinued.
Consult Dayes (1987) for fur ther infor mation per taining to the histor y of the Big Cr eek
Hatcher y.
CDFG fish stocking r ecor ds fr om the 1930 s showed that the Big Cr eek steelhead
population was supplemented with 26,000 j uveniles in 1930 (10,000 above and 16,000 below an
impassable water fall, r espectively); 27,000 in 1932 (12,000 above and 15,000 below the
water fall, r espectively); 7,220 in 1933; 14,768 in 1934; 60,000 in 1935; 30,000 in 1936; 136,956
(@ 2681,340/kg) fr om Big Cr eek Hatcher y in 1938; and 183,971 (@ 384,233/kg) fr om Big
Cr eek Hatcher y in 1939.
Histor ically, Big Cr eek has suppor ted a small r un of wild steelhead. The cr eek was
sur veyed by the CDFG in 1934. Anadr omous salmonids had access to only the lowermost 4 km
of the cr eek because of an impassable water fall bar r ier , leaving about 7 km upstr eam.
Juvenile steelhead and coho salmon wer e pr esent in the str eam por tion below the water fall.
Salmonid spawning gr ounds, and consequently the extent of natur al pr opagation, wer e
descr ibed as poor . The sur veyor believed that no wild population of r ainbow tr out existed
above the water fall, and that the tr out pr esent above the fall wer e only the r esult of stocking
and not natur al pr opagation. An hydr oelectr ic power gener ating plant was located in the

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upper water shed which tempor ar ily diver ted water fr om the creek; its intake was unscreened.
Fishing pr essur e on Big Cr eek was r ated as heavy.
The CDFG sur veyed the lower most 4 km of the cr eek up to the water fall bar r ier , and
the upper most 1.6 km of the headwater s, on 1314 January 1958. The intervening 4.8 km were
not sur veyed because of limited access to this str eam r each. M uch of the str eam substrate was
gr anitic sand. Ther e wer e some salmonid spawning ar eas in the lower section but none in the
upper section. Rear ing habitat in the for m of pools and cover was adequate for j uvenile
steelhead in the lower section. I n addition to the abovementioned water fall bar r ier , two mor e
such natur al bar r ier s r epor tedly existed in the unsur veyed por tion of the str eam. One small
summer diver sion occur r ed in the extr eme headwater s. No steelhead or coho salmon wer e
obser ved dur ing this sur vey, although local r esidents r epor ted that these fishes continued to
utilize the lower cr eek available to them. Contr ar y to the 1934 sur vey, a wild population of
r esident r ainbow tr out r epor tedly inhabited the str eam above the water fall.
The CDFG obser ved j uvenile steelhead in lower Big Creek, at the confluence with Scott
Cr eek, on 13 October 1959.
When the CDFG sur veyed the lower cr eek up to the fir st water fall on 7 July 1960,
spawning and r ear ing conditions for steelhead wer e appar ently much the same as in the 1958
sur vey. The visually estimated density of young-of-the-year steelhead was 34 fish/30 m
thr oughout the sur vey ar ea. These fish wer e 45 cm in length. Siltation was noted as a factor
which was possibly limiting steelhead pr oduction in the cr eek. The local land owner s claimed
that the adult steelhead r un had declined consider ably since 1930.
Dur ing a br ief check of a 400 m r each of lower Big Cr eek on 5 Febr uar y 1961, the
CDFG saw no adult spawner s, but j uvenile steelhead wer e obser ved at a visually estimated
density of 13 fish/pool.
The over all condition of lower Big Cr eek as a salmonid pr oduction ar ea appar ently
impr oved dur ing the ensuing 20 year s. When surveyed for logjam barriers by the CDFG on 17
June 1982 (L . Tur ner , CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 29 June 1982), spawning ar eas for steelhead

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wer e descr ibed as being adequate and existed fr om the mouth to the fir st water fall, the
upstr eam limit of the sur vey. Pools and cover wer e gener ally adequate for j uvenile steelhead,
although low-velocity ar eas for newly-emer ged fr y wer e scar ce. Young-of-the-year salmonids
wer e common in later al habitats. Siltation was noted as minor , and none of the six logj ams in
the sur vey ar ea compr ised a complete bar r ier to fish migr ation.
The CDFG obser ved an abundance of young-of-the-year steelhead in lower Big Cr eek
on 9 July 1985. A scr eened agr icultur al diver sion existed on the cr eek, about 18 m upstr eam
fr om the Swanton Road br idge cr ossing.
Dur ing habitat mapping surveys conducted by the CDFG during JulySeptember 1987,
j uvenile steelhead wer e obser ved at sever al locations in Big Cr eek, fr om the confluence with
Scott Cr eek to near the confluence with Ber r y Cr eek. M aximum estimated tr out lengths
r anged fr om 15 to 25 cm in some pools. Sediment sour ces wer e identified; e.g. er oding str eam
banks and r oad cr ossings.
Dean M ar ston s 1992 r epor t is cur r ently being r eviewed for inclusion her e.
I n 1982, fish cultur e activities on Big Cr eek were resurrected at the old CDFG hatchery
site by the M onter ey Bay Salmon and Tr out Pr oj ect. A summar y of these oper ations is
cur r ently being pr epar ed.

Little Creek
Jennifer Nelson s 1992 sur vey r epor t for L ittle Cr eek is cur r ently being r eviewed for
inclusion her e.

Mill Creek
M ill Cr eek is the upper most of the lar ger tr ibutar ies to Scott Cr eek. Steelhead and
coho salmon have histor ically had access to the lower most 4.2 km of the creek, at which point a
ser ies of natur al water falls blocks upstr eam migr ation of fishes. Ther e is a r eser voir in the
headwater s of the cr eek, the dam of which was constr ucted in 1889. The dam, which diver ted
water for power pr oduction, lacked a fishway. The r epor t of a 1934 CDFG sur vey indicated

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that spawning gr ounds existed in the lower creek which were utilized by steelhead and salmon.
Fishing pr essur e was r ated as heavy. Str eam flow was appar ently ver y low dur ing late
summer . Ear ly r ecor ds showed that the CDFG supplemented the M ill Cr eek steelhead
population with 8,000 j uveniles in 1932.
I n a CDFG sur vey made of M ill Cr eek Reser voir on 29 July 1948, it was r epor ted that
consider able number s of r ainbow tr out inhabited the r eser voir , and that natur al
r epr oduction was highly successful in the high quality spawning grounds which existed in Mill
Cr eek above the impoundment. The r eser voir had appar ently been stocked with r ainbow
tr out at ir r egular inter vals since at least the ear ly 1920 s. I t was not mentioned if wild resident
r ainbow tr out wer e histor ically also pr esent in the dr ainage above the water falls.
The CDFG sur veyed the lower most 2.4 km of M ill Cr eek on 25 July 1957. High quality
spawning gr ounds still existed in the lower cr eek, and r ear ing habitat for j uvenile steelhead in
the for m of pools and cover was at least adequate. Young steelhead, aver aging 57.5 cm in
length, wer e ver y abundant, and natur al r epr oduction was consider ed highly successful.
Angling pr essur e was light. I n addition to the abovementioned water falls and dam, a logj am
cr eated a potential migr ation bar r ier at the cr eek mouth. The main diversion on the creek was
at M ill Cr eek Reser voir , although one small r esidential diver sion was also noted in the lower
str eam. The M ill Cr eek Dam had washed out the pr evious winter , and the ear then dam
mater ial, as well as soft sediment fr om the r eser voir bottom, cover ed the str eam substr ate for
about 1.6 km below the dam. However , this condition did not per sist into the downstr eam
steelhead pr oduction ar ea on the sur vey date.
The CDFG obser ved an abundance of juvenile steelhead in Mill Creek, at its confluence
with Scott Cr eek, on 13 October 1959.
The lower most 4.2 km of M ill Cr eek, up to the fir st water fall barrier, were surveyed by
the CDFG on 7 July 1960. Spawning and r ear ing conditions for steelhead wer e appar ently
unchanged fr om the 1957 sur vey. Visually estimated densities of j uvenile steelhead wer e high
and gener ally incr eased as one progressed downstream through the survey area. The estimates

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r anged fr om 30 tr out/30 m near the water falls, to 100 tr out/30 m near the cr eek mouth. The
tr out wer e about 2.512.5 cm in length, and aver aged 57.5 cm. So, the j uvenile population
appar ently compr ised age 0+ and 1+ tr out, with 0+ tr out pr obably dominating in number .
M ill Cr eek was r ated as an exceptional steelhead str eam for its size, although it was the
sur veyor s opinion that any incr ease in upstr eam water diver sion would significantly impact
steelhead pr oduction.
The CDFG checked an appr oximate 1.6 km r each of lower M ill Cr eek on 5 Febr uar y
1961. No adult steelhead wer e seen, but j uveniles wer e abundant and occur r ed at densities of
510 tr out/pool.

Soquel Creek Drainage

Soquel Cr eek is histor ically one of the most impor tant steelhead spawning and r earing
str eams in Santa Cr uz County. Snyder (1913) found j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out in
Soquel Cr eek when he sampled ther e in summer 1909. The steelhead population was
supplemented with a total of 30,800 j uveniles (@ 1,0601,130/kg) fr om Br ookdale Hatcher y
dur ing JuneJuly 1938. A local angler r epor ted that an estimated 5,0006,000 j uvenile
steelhead (mostly <18 cm long) wer e taken on hook-and-line from Soquel Creek lagoon during
M ay 1947.
Soquel Cr eek, below the confluence of the east and west br anches, was surveyed by the
CDFG on 8 October 1959. Spawning and r ear ing habitats for steelhead wer e adequate, and
ther e wer e no migr ation bar r ier s. Juvenile steelhead wer e obser ved at ever y sur vey station.
These fish r anged in length fr om 2.5 to 25 cm, and aver aged about 5 cm. Juvenile abundance
in mainstem pools was gener ally not as gr eat as in pools in the east and west br anches (see
below). At the time of this sur vey, Soquel Cr eek was stocked with catchable r ainbow tr out
dur ing the summer tr out season each year .
Based on data collected dur ing the 1959 sur veys in the main stem and east and west
br anches of Soquel Cr eek, the abundance of j uvenile steelhead in the system was estimated at
17,500 fish. CDFG population sur veys dur ing the summer of 1962 indicated a similar number

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of young steelhead. This j uvenile abundance cor r esponded to an adult steelhead r un of

appr oximately 5001,000 spawning pair s (W. A. Evans, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 5 November
1962).
The CDFG made two str eamflow sur veys in Soquel Cr eek dur ing the summer of 1965,
dur ing which fish measur ements wer e made. At a single station on 24 June 1965, j uvenile
steelhead aver aged 9.1 cm in length (r ange, 6.913.0 cm) at a visually estimated density of
about 330460 tr out/100 m. On 19 August 1965, j uveniles at one site averaged 6.9 cm in length
(r ange, 5.67.9 cm) at a visually estimated density of about 330490 tr out/100 m.
A CDFG document fr om ear ly 1973 summar ized a var iety of statistics r egar ding the
Soquel Cr eek steelhead stock and fisher y up to that time (E. C. Fuller ton, CDFG, unpubl.
memo. of 5 Januar y 1973). I n addition to the estimate of adult r un size mentioned above, the
winter fisher y for steelhead and coho salmon compr ised about 1,000 angler -use days in 1970.
The summer tr out fisher y, which tar geted j uvenile steelhead r ear ing in the stream, comprised
about 12,000 angler -use days in 1970. Steelhead used about 32 km of the Soquel Creek system
for spawning and r ear ing. Resident r ainbow tr out existed in about 26 km of str eam above
bar r ier s to migr ator y salmonids.
I n late fall 1981, the mean SD density of smolt-sized steelhead at four main stem sites
was 1.0 0.7 tr out/m, which was well below the county-wide aver age (der ived fr om Smith
1982b). The mean SD of the site-specific mean lengths of these fish was 94 7 mm SL ,
which was slightly below aver age.
Young steelhead wer e obser ved dur ing a water quality investigation of Soquel Cr eek
lagoon in M ay 1988 (CDFG, unpubl. file r epor t of 21 M ay 1988). Juvenile steelhead wer e
obser ved feeding beneath the br idge in the lower lagoon. I n the upper lagoon, j uveniles wer e
46 cm long at a density of 3040 tr out/100 m. Some 3040 juvenile steelhead were observed at
the inflow to the lagoon.
STATUS: The Soquel Cr eek steelhead stock declined significantly dur ing the 1970 s,
coincident with incr eased diver sions and dr ought which r educed str eam flow. Siltation and

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other pollution, as well as the pr esence of migr ation bar r ier s, have likely also contr ibuted to
this decline.

Bates Creek
Bates Cr eek, a lower Soquel Cr eek tr ibutar y, was sur veyed by the CDFG in M ar ch
1957, and was r ated as a poor spawning and r ear ing str eam for steelhead. The watershed was
logged and, in addition to debr is in the str eam, er osion had led to extensive siltation.
Spawning substr ate was gener ally lacking thr oughout the sur vey ar ea. Juvenile steelhead,
about 7.5 cm in length, occur r ed only in low densities, and spawning success was r ated as low.
Ther e was a dam lacking a fishway about 2.4 km above the mouth. No fish wer e seen dur ing
br ief CDFG sur veys in December 1960 and Januar y 1962.
However , steelhead have continued to use this str eam. For example, in late fall 1981,
the density of smolt-sized steelhead at one site in Bates Creek was 2.0 trout/m, which was about
half the county-wide aver age (der ived fr om Smith 1982b). The mean length of these fish was
91 mm SL , which was also below aver age. I n JulyAugust 1986, j uvenile steelhead wer e
obser ved in numer ous pools downstr eam fr om the dam, and r esident r ainbow tr out above the
dam (County of Santa Cr uz 1986).

East Branch Soquel Creek

The CDFG sur veyed 11 km of the East Br anch Soquel Cr eek on 28 September 1959,
beginning at the confluence with the west br anch. Spawning and r ear ing habitats wer e in
excellent condition. Ther e wer e natur al boulder and bedr ock bar r ier s in the upper str eam.
Young tr out obser ved above the bar r ier s may have been r esident r ainbow tr out. The east
br anch was r ated as the most pr oductive steelhead ar ea in the Soquel dr ainage system; 11,500
j uvenile steelhead wer e counted along the length of stream available to migratory trout. These
fish aver aged about 5 cm in length (r ange, 2.515 cm). At the time of the sur vey, the lower
section of the east br anch was stocked annually with catchable r ainbow tr out.
I n late fall 1981, the mean SD density of smolt-sized steelhead at three sites in the east

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br anch was 2.0 2.0 tr out/m, which was below the county-wide aver age (der ived fr om Smith
1982b). The mean SD of the site-specific mean lengths of these fish, 102 14 mm SL , was
above aver age. I n JulyAugust 1986, j uvenile steelhead wer e abundant in the east br anch,
fr om its confluence with the west br anch to a bedr ock water fall near ly 10 km upstr eam
(County of Santa Cr uz 1986). Resident rainbow trout populated high quality salmonid habitat
above the falls.
The east br anch tr ibutar y, Amaya Cr eek, was sur veyed by the CDFG in M ar ch 1957.
I t was noted as a mostly pr istine spawning and nur ser y str eam for Soquel Cr eek steelhead.
The str eam had good to ver y good spawning ar eas and adequate r ear ing habitat. Ther e wer e
no diver sions and only par tial bar r ier s for med by logj ams. Juvenile steelhead, aver aging
about 7.5 cm in length, wer e common thr oughout the 1.6 km sur vey ar ea. A local r esident
r epor ted that adult steelhead had histor ically migr ated near ly up to Stetson-L ongridge Roads
to spawn.
By the time Amaya Cr eek was sur veyed again in October 1959, the effects of logging
had significantly degr aded the str eam habitat quality for pr oducing steelhead. Spawning
ar eas wer e now pr actically nonexistent in the upper two-thir ds of the str eam, siltation as a
r esult of er osion was common, and the lar ge amount of logging debr is clogging the str eam
cr eated many migr ation barriers. About 1,500 young-of-the-year steelhead were observed, but
only in the lower most thir d of the str eam.
Amaya Cr eek was not surveyed again by the CDFG until May 1982, following the heavy
stor ms of Januar y 1982. Only the lower most 0.4 km of the str eam was accessible due to fallen
tr ees and logj ams, and a few steelhead fr y wer e seen only at the cr eek mouth. The str eam
appar ently no longer suppor ted a r un of steelhead. I n JulyAugust 1986, O. mykiss wer e
obser ved in the cr eek; these fish wer e believed to be r esident rainbow trout due to the presence
of maj or logj am bar r ier s (County of Santa Cr uz 1986).
The east br anch tr ibutary, Hinkley Creek, was surveyed by the CDFG in 1959 and 1977
(Smith 1982b), although the file containing these sur vey r epor ts was not located. I n late fall

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1981, the density of smolt-sized steelhead at one site in Hinkley was 1.0 trout/m, which was well
below aver age (der ived fr om Smith 1982b). The mean length of these fish was 84 mm SL ,
which was also well below aver age.

Moores Gulch
I n late fall 1981, the density of smolt-sized steelhead at one site in M oor e s Gulch, a
main stem Soquel tr ibutar y, was 1.6 tr out/m, which was well below aver age (der ived fr om
Smith 1982b). The mean length of these fish was 97 mm SL , which was near aver age.

West Branch Soquel Creek

The CDFG sur veyed the West Br anch Soquel Cr eek on 30 August 1946, in its middle
por tion at the Napier dam located downstr eam fr om L aur el Cr eek. This dam was a
complete bar r ier to migr ant spawner s. Young-of-the-year steelhead were abundant below the
dam. Spawning ar eas wer e also obser ved above the dam, and j uvenile r esident r ainbows, 59
cm long, wer e fair ly common up to the confluence with L aur el Cr eek.
The headwater s of the west br anch, upstr eam fr om L aur el, wer e sur veyed by the
CDFG on 25 August 1948. Siltation and r ock- and logj ams wer e noted as pr oblems, the j ams
being the r esult of abandoned r ailr oad and logging oper ations. Juvenile r esident r ainbow
tr out, 513 cm long, wer e scar ce.
The west br anch was fully sur veyed by the CDFG on 5 October 1959. Spawning ar eas
wer e abundant, and r ear ing habitat was adequate. Juvenile steelhead wer e pr esent,
appar ently in low densities.
I n late fall 1981, the mean SD density of smolt-sized steelhead at thr ee sites in the
west br anch was 3.7 2.2 tr out/m, which was about aver age (derived from Smith 1982b). The
mean SD of the site-specific mean lengths of these fish, 87 5 mm SL , was well below
aver age. I n JulyAugust 1986, high densities of young-of-the-year steelhead were observed in
the west br anch, fr om its confluence with the east br anch to the water supply dam near the
confluence of Bur ns and L aur el cr eeks (County of Santa Cr uz 1986). O. mykiss wer e seen in

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lower densities above the dam; these fish may have been r esident r ainbow tr out.
I n late fall 1981, the mean SD density of smolt-sized steelhead at two sites in Hester
Cr eek, a west br anch tr ibutar y, was 2.3 0 tr out/m, which was rather below average (derived
fr om Smith 1982). The mean SD of the site-specific mean lengths of these fish was 88 2
mm SL , and thus also below aver age. I n JulyAugust 1986, j uvenile steelhead wer e abundant
in the lower most 1.3 km of Hester Cr eek. Fish believed to be r esident r ainbow trout inhabited
the str eam in r elatively low densities above a bedr ock water fall.

Waddell Creek Drainage

Waddell Cr eek and its steelhead population ar e best known as the obj ects of study by
Shapovalov and Taft (1954). This landmar k study pr ovided data on the natur al var iation in
number s of migr ant spawner s, as pr oduced by the str eam system dur ing the 1930 s3. Dur ing
the nine-year study per iod (193334 thr ough 194142), estimated total r un size r anged fr om
428 to 554 and aver aged 481 (SD = 40; data fr om Table 35 in Shapovalov and Taft 1954). The
over all decr easing tr end in total r un size (Fig. 13) was nearly significantly correlated with time
(r 2 = 0.42, p = 0.06), although it is not known if this r epr esented an actual decline in the
population, or a tempor ar y tr end of suboptimal recruitment years, possibly as a function of the
negative density-dependent stock-r ecr uitment r elationship of the population (see L ife History
Analysis).
Based on a CDFG file document (CDFG, unpubl. field note of 11 Febr uar y 1962), a
lar ge r un of adult steelhead r epor tedly enter ed Waddell Cr eek dur ing the fir st week of
Febr uar y 1962. Yet another file document indicated that, as of 1967, local CDFG war dens
estimated the adult steelhead r un in Waddell Cr eek at 350 fish or mor e (M . L . Johnson,
CDFG, unpubl. field cor r . of Apr il 1967).

3. A summar y and analysis of the life histor y of Waddell Cr eek steelhead, based on data from Shapovalov and Taft
(1954), wer e pr esented ear lier in the Results under L ife Histor y Analysis, and will not be r epeated her e.

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Seining sur veys wer e conducted in lower Waddell Cr eek, downstr eam fr om the
Highway 1 br idge, on 11 November 1970 and 1 M ay 1971 (sur veyor s and their affiliation not
identified). Juvenile steelhead were present throughout the survey area in both surveys, and in
the November 1970 sur vey, all wer e <25 cm in length and appear ed to be age 1+ fish.
Silver K ing Oceanic Far ms (or iginally Pacific M ar ine Enter pr ises) oper ated a
commer cial salmon r anching oper ation in the Waddell Cr eek lagoon dur ing the late 1960 s
and ear ly 1970 s. Steelhead, coho salmon, and chinook salmon fr om exotic hatcher y stocks
wer e r ear ed at their pr ivate hatcher y on Bean Cr eek, mar ked, and then r eleased at Waddell
Cr eek to emigr ate and gr ow to matur ity in the Pacific Ocean. The matur e fish would then
r etur n to be captur ed at a weir situated in lower Waddell Cr eek. A total of 77,000 steelhead
year lings was r eleased at Waddell Creek through 1971, representing progeny from the 1967-68
thr ough 1970-71 br ood year s (M . L . Johnson, CDFG, unpubl. pr ogr ess r epor t of 7 Januar y
1972). Although the data wer e incomplete, adult r etur ns dur ing the 1970-71 season included
16 mar ked steelhead, compr ising nine females and seven males. Among these fish, two females
weighed about 5 and 7 kg each, two males wer e also full-size adults, and five males wer e
j acks (males 2535 cm in length which have spent only one summer rearing in the ocean). I n
addition, 272 wild steelhead wer e passed upstr eam at the tr apping facility. As of 7 Januar y
1972 (1971-72 season), 17 wild steelhead had been counted at the tr ap. The entir e oper ation
was discontinued after a flood in Febr uar y 1973 destr oyed the tr apping facility.
Five adult steelhead, obser ved in a cr eel census conducted by Cabr illo College biology
students dur ing the 1971-72 season (unpubl. data in CDFG file), ranged in length from 53 to 75
cm. Captur e dates for these fish extended fr om 26 December 1971 thr ough 6 Febr uar y 1972.
Juvenile steelhead wer e incidentally captur ed while seining for str iped bass (M or one
saxatilis) in the Waddell Cr eek lagoon on 14 March 1972 (K. Boettcher, unpubl. file letter of 16
M ar ch 1972 to M . Johnson, CDFG).
The main stem and east for k of Waddell Cr eek wer e surveyed by the CDFG during 47
& 18 August 1980, fr om the mouth to 12 km upstr eam (B. Jong, CDFG, unpubl. file r epor t of

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September 1980). Siltation, fr om extensive str eambank er osion, was occur r ing in especially
the lower most 2 km of the main stem. Suitable spawning and r ear ing habitats for steelhead
wer e obser ved, pr esumably fur ther upstr eam. Juvenile steelhead densities at two 30 m
mainstem sites wer e 29 (95% C.I ., 4150) and 4 (0180) tr out/m2, as deter mined by
electr ofishing and application of the r emoval method of population estimation. Steelhead at
one site in the lower east for k occur r ed at an estimated density of 14 (560) tr out/m2.
Beginning at about 0.8 km upstr eam fr om the confluence with the west for k, a ser ies of falls
mar ked the upstr eam limit for movement of anadr omous fishes in the east for k. Densities of
r esident r ainbow tr out at thr ee 30 m sites in the east for k wer e 33 (590), 3 (090), and 12 (0
120) tr out/m2. Spawning and r ear ing habitats wer e r epor tedly limited in this high gr adient
str eam ar ea, yet densities of r esident tr out wer e compar able to those of j uvenile steelhead.
Sewage plant effluent fr om the Big Basin Redwoods State Par k was identified as a potential
pollution sour ce of eutr ophicating nutr ients and toxic chlor ine. Of five logj ams located in the
main stem, only one was a par tial migr ation bar r ier . About 13% of the Waddell Cr eek
water shed was logged between 1860 and 1966.
On 14 August 1984, the CDFG captur ed 93 j uvenile steelhead by electr ofishing in the
main stem Waddell Cr eek immediately downstr eam fr om the for ks, and upstr eam in both the
east and west for ks. The fish aver aged 6.6 cm SL (SD = 2.0 cm; r ange, 3.313.7 cm SL ); thus,
the sample r eflected dominance of 0+ tr out in the age str uctur e of the j uvenile population in
this por tion of the cr eek system.
The negative effects of water extr action on Califor nia str eams intensified dur ing the
r ecent six-year (1986-87 to 1991-92) dr ought. Dur ing August 1987, most of lower Waddell
Cr eek, fr om the lagoon to an agr icultur al diver sion dam about 1.4 km upstr eam, was
dewater ed (L . Ulmer , CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 30 September 1987). About 90 m above the
diver sion dam, the abundance of j uvenile steelhead and coho salmon was estimated at 315
fish/km (estimate made by use of electr ofishing and thr ee-pass depletion method), with coho
salmon r epr esenting 10% of the catch. Only 18 j uvenile steelhead and coho salmon wer e

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collected in about 0.6 km of str eam below the diver sion. Thus, the potential loss of j uvenile
steelhead in the lower cr eek was on the or der of about 400 fish, due to the effects of water
r emoval and subsequent deter ior ation of water quality in r emaining pools. Steelhead losses
may have also occur r ed in the lagoon as the water level dr opped because of r educed inflow,
leading to unsuitable water quality conditions for j uvenile steelhead. Similar conditions
appar ently occur r ed in the lower str eam and lagoon again dur ing the summer of 1988.
With r egar d to the latter point, Smith (1987, 1990) deter mined the impor tance of the
Waddell Cr eek lagoon as r ear ing habitat for j uvenile steelhead pr ior to their migr ation to the
ocean.
The spr ing downstr eam migr ation of j uvenile and post-spawner steelhead has been
monitor ed by tr apping since 1990, and this operation has produced at least preliminary results
r egar ding the size and composition of this migr ation (J. J. Smith, San Jose State Univer sity,
per s. comm.). I n addition, an attempt was made to tr ap the upstr eam spawning migr ation
dur ing the 1992-93 season, although high flow conditions hamper ed this effor t.
Ther e ar e sever al small headwater tr ibutar ies to Waddell Cr eek for which ther e is no
documentation of pr esence or absence of O. mykiss. These str eamlets include the west branch
tr ibutar ies, Timms and K elly cr eeks; and the east branch tributaries, Blooms Creek (including
its tr ibutar y, Semper vir ens Cr eek along with Union Cr eek) and Opal Cr eek (including its
tr ibutar ies, Rogers and Maddock creeks). These small feeder creeks are nonetheless important
because they contr ibute to the per ennial flow in the upper Waddell Cr eek dr ainage.

Wilder Creek Drainage

MONTEREY COUNTY

Alder Creek Drainage

When sur veyed by the CDFG on 19 July 1961, steelhead appar ently enter ed the lower
r eaches of Alder Cr eek dur ing wet year s. The str eam had a r elatively high gr adient, and
spawning ar eas wer e scar ce and limited to pockets of fine gr avel scatter ed thr oughout the

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upper and lower sections of the 3.2 km sur vey ar ea. Rear ing habitat for j uvenile steelhead,
in the for m of pools and cover , was adequate. The middle section contained thr ee complete
bar r ier water falls. No per manent diver sions wer e obser ved. The str eam appar ently
contained both r esident r ainbow tr out and j uvenile steelhead thr oughout the sur vey ar ea.
Fish lengths wer e 2.515 cm, with the modal length at about 9 cm SL . I n a ser ies of 20
pools, the aver age tr out density was 1.75 fish/pool. Shallow pools in the upper r eaches of
the cr eek contained few, if any, tr out. Due to the bar r ier s, it was r ecommended that the
str eam be managed for br own tr out.
On 8 M ay 1962, 6,000 br own tr out finger lings wer e stocked in the cr eek. Sur vival
was appar ently low as no br own tr out wer e captur ed by hook-and-line or hand br aille
when the cr eek was sampled dur ing 12 September 1963 (M . L . Johnson, CDFG, unpubl.
memo. of 14 October 1963). However , j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e caught,
r anging in length fr om 5 to 15 cm.
The over all condition of Alder Cr eek was appar ently unchanged when the
lower most 1.2 km wer e sur veyed by the U.S. For est Ser vice (USFS) on 17 September 1981.
Small to moder ate number s of steelhead r epor tedly r an up the str eam. The aver age
estimated density of tr out was 1012 fish/30 m. Fish lengths r anged fr om 2.5 to 15 cm, and
aver aged about 7.5 cm.

Anderson Canyon Creek Drainage

Ander son Canyon Cr eek, a small steep-gr adient per ennial str eam, has evidently not
been populated by steelhead within r ecent geological histor y, owing to a 3.7 m water fall
near the cr eek mouth at the Pacific Ocean. Resident r ainbow tr out have r epor tedly been
caught in the cr eek in the past, but none has been obser ved in r ecent year s, including
dur ing an electr ofishing sur vey j ust west of Highway 1 on 5 Apr il 1989 (Rischbieter 1990c).
The Rat Cr eek wildfir e in 1985 and subsequent heavy stor ms dur ing the winter of 1985-86
may have extir pated the tr out, or near ly so. As of 1989, the dr ainage had appar ently
r ecover ed fr om these per tur bations, which would allow for the r e-expansion or

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r eintr oduction of the species.

Big Creek Drainage

The Big Cr eek dr ainage is among the lar gest in souther n M onter ey County utilized
by steelhead. Shapovalov (1946) wr ote that, Good r uns of steelhead ascend the str eam
fr om the sea and spawn in both for ks below the falls. Resident fish of the steelhead-
r ainbow complex and possibly some sur vivor s and descendants of stocked tr out ar e pr esent
both above and below the falls in each for k.
The lower most 2.4 km of Big Cr eek wer e sur veyed by the CDFG on 6 September
1961. Suitable spawning gr avels wer e scar ce in the upper por tion of the sur vey ar ea, but
mor e abundant below the confluence with the Big Cr eek tr ibutar y, Devil s Canyon Cr eek,
which is located about 1.1 km upstr eam fr om the mouth. Rear ing habitat, in the for m of
pools and cover , was adequate. A bedr ock water fall bar r ier , about 2.4 km upstr eam fr om
the mouth, mar ked the upstr eam limit for steelhead migr ation. No diver sions wer e seen.
At the confluence of Big Cr eek and Devil s Canyon Cr eek, 510 cm long j uvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out occur r ed at a visually-estimated density of 8 fish/30 m. Tr out
densities wer e lower above this point, but as high as 55 fish/30 m near the cr eek mouth.
Tr out in the lower str eam wer e up to 15 cm long. Although none was seen, br own tr out
also r epor tedly occur r ed in the cr eek system, including Devil s Canyon Cr eek.
Since 1978, a significant por tion of the Big Cr eek dr ainage has been in the
possession of the Univer sity of Califor nia and administer ed as an ecological pr eser ve and
scientific r esear ch ar ea. Accor ding to per sonnel at the r eser ve, both the fr equency of lar ge
adult steelhead spawner s (>50 cm TL ) and the size of the r uns appear ed to decr ease over all
dur ing the 1986/871991/92 dr ought (J. Smiley, L andels-Hill Big Cr eek Reser ve, per s.
comm. of 13 December 1993). For example, two r uns of 10 or so r eadily-noticeable adults
wer e seen dur ing the 1986-87 spawning season. Nothing compar able has been obser ved
since then. Dur ing the r elatively wet 1992-93 spawning season, only smaller adults (about
3545 cm TL ) and their r edds wer e seen. Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out have per sisted

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in the cr eek system; these fish ar e mostly <18 cm TL although an occasional 2530 cm long
individual is obser ved. Over all, the Big Cr eek dr ainage is a stable str eam system that
should continue to pr ovide suitable spawning and r ear ing habitat for both steelhead and
r ainbow tr out.
Devil s Canyon Creek
Devil s Canyon Cr eek (a.k.a. South For k Big Cr eek) was sur veyed by the CDFG on
24 July 1945, fr om the confluence with Big Cr eek to an impassable water fall bar r ier about
2.8 km upstr eam, near the confluence with the Nor th For k Devil s Canyon Cr eek. Juvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out, including young-of-the-year , wer e common up to the falls.
The entir e cr eek (13 km) was sur veyed by the CDFG dur ing 2930 August 1961.
Spawning gr avels wer e scar ce in the upper sur vey ar ea, and wer e lar gely cemented by
limestone in the lower str eam. Rear ing habitat, in the for m of pools and cover , was
adequate for j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out. Bedr ock falls wer e numer ous. Juvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e seen thr oughout the str eam, including 68 cm long young-of-
the-year above the confluence with Big Cr eek. I n the headwater s above the steelhead zone,
r esident r ainbow tr out, r anging in length fr om 2.5 to 18 cm and pr obably compr ising at
least thr ee age-classes, wer e sampled by use of cr esote. Based on ver y limited sampling,
appr oximate densities wer e 10+ tr out/30 m near Big Cr eek, and 30+ tr out/30 m in the
headwater s. M ost fish wer e young-of-the-year .
Devil s Canyon Cr eek, fr om the confluence with the nor th for k to the middle and
south for k headwater s, was sur veyed by the U.S. For est Ser vice dur ing 45 October 1981.
The stability of the water shed was r educed by the Gamboa fir es, although the str eam itself
was gener ally in good condition. Natur al bedr ock falls, 3 18 m high, wer e common
thr oughout the sur vey ar ea and continued to pr eclude steelhead access beyond the nor th
for k confluence, as descr ibed above. An abundance of deep pools continued to pr ovide
high quality r ear ing habitat for r ainbow tr out. Resident r ainbow tr out, about 2.523.0 cm
long, wer e common in abundance, and occur r ed in aver age estimated densities of 82 and 49

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tr out/100 m in the main stem/south for k and middle for k, r espectively.

Big Sur River Drainage

The Big Sur River dr ainage is cur r ently among the lar gest of those systems south of
San Fr ancisco Bay that r emain mostly pr istine. Within r ecent geological histor y, only the
lower most 12 km or so of the r iver have been accessible to steelhead. Upstr eam migr ation
beyond this point in the steep and r ugged gor ge section of the r iver has been blocked by a
natur al bedr ock fall. This featur e mar ks the boundar y above which the r iver flows
thr ough the Ventana Wilder ness within the L os Padr es National For est. Pfeiffer Big Sur
State Par k is situated immediately downstr eam fr om this point along a por tion of the lower
r iver wher e r edwoods ar e a maj or component of the r ipar ian zone. This far south along
the Califor nia coast, fog no longer maintains the moistur e climate necessar y for continuous
stands of r edwoods, and the steep hillsides that compr ise the Big Sur dr ainage ar e
other wise dominated by gr assland, chapar r al, and oak woodland. The lower most 6.4 km of
the r iver flow thr ough Andr ew M oler a State Par k.
The following is a chr onological r undown of available infor mation on Big Sur River
steelhead and r esident r ainbow tr out. The catches of 48 angler s wer e checked on 1 M ay
1932, the opening day of the summer tr out season (J. H. Wales, CDFG, unpubl. file r epor t).
A total of 451 j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out was obser ved, about 97% of which wer e
age 1+ and 2+ and 10.015.0 cm long. The r emainder of the obser ved catch was tr out 18.0
25.0 cm in length and age 2+. Thr ee tr out about 30.5 cm in length wer e r epor tedly
caught, as wer e thr ee adult steelhead. Recently-emer ged steelhead fr y wer e abundant
along the str eam mar gins. Wales indicated that j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e
planted in the Big Sur River , but did not know when or how old the fish wer e at planting.
On 9 Apr il 1940, six adult steelhead wer e seen in the lar ge pool immediately below
the bar r ier falls, and many mor e wer e r epor tedly seen ther e a few weeks ear lier attempting
to ascend the falls (Shapovalov 1940). On 27 M ar ch 1946, the CDFG obser ved a fr esh r un
of adult steelhead in the r iver , again as far upstr eam as the bar r ier falls. Recently emer ged

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steelhead fr y wer e also seen downstr eam fr om the falls. I n 1953, the CDFG began stocking
catchable r ainbow tr out annually dur ing M aySeptember to suppor t a lower r iver spor t
fisher y. Pr ior to that time, r ainbow tr out finger lings had been planted for sever al year s.
The stocking ar ea was a 5 km r each, mostly within Pfeiffer Big Sur State Par k. Resident
r ainbow tr out have not been planted in the Big Sur River since 1975, following adoption of
the steelhead r ainbow tr out policy which pr ohibits the planting of r esident fish in steelhead
dr ainages.
About 19 km of the Big Sur River , fr om the bottom of the gor ge upstr eam to Sykes
Camp in the Ventana Wilder ness, wer e sur veyed by the CDFG dur ing JulyAugust 1957.
M ost of the sur vey ar ea was upstr eam fr om the impassable steelhead bar r ier , and thus
r epr esented the str eam por tion inhabited pr imar ily by wild r esident r ainbow tr out. The
r iver canyon was nar r ow and steep-sided, and contained many migr ation bar r ier s. High
quality spawning ar eas wer e limited. Rear ing habitat was adequate for both j uvenile and
adult r ainbow tr out. Rainbow tr out, 7.525 cm long, wer e obser ved thr oughout the sur vey
ar ea. However , r ecr uitment to the 1957 year -class was r egar ded as poor since few young-
of-the-year (fish 5 cm long) wer e seen.
On 4 Januar y 1961, str eam flow j ust above the lagoon was about 0.6 m3/s, and few
adult steelhead had been r epor ted in the r iver . Two steelhead, about 0.9 and 4.5 kg, wer e
caught in the sur f outside the lagoon. Other steelhead wer e also seen outside the r iver
mouth. A 1.4 kg steelhead was captur ed on 31 Januar y 1961.
Fisher (1961) captur ed 338 j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out in a downstr eam-
migr ant tr ap in the lower Big Sur River , dur ing 30 Apr il2 June 1959. The number of
downstr eam migr ants captur ed per day was gr eatest dur ing the fir st 3 days of the tr apping
per iod, and then decr eased shar ply and fluctuated ar ound a much lower level thr ough the
r emainder of the per iod. M ost (87% ) movement occur r ed dur ing the night or ear ly
mor ning. M ost downstr eam migr ants wer e believed to be 1-year -olds. Some 0+ steelhead
appar ently also enter ed the tr ap, although their r elative abundance was pr obably

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under estimated due to a low tr apping efficiency for fish that size. Str eam flow in the lower
Big Sur River aver aged 0.7 m3/s dur ing the study per iod, which was unchar acter istically
low for the month of M ay. Thus, these steelhead emigr ation data may not be
r epr esentative for nor mal or wet water year s.
On 19 Apr il 1961, young-of-the-year steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e seen thr oughout
the str eam r each within Pfeiffer Big Sur State Par k, and 12.515 cm long j uveniles wer e
common. An adult steelhead was caught in the lower r iver on 31 Januar y 1962. On 28
Apr il 1962, j uvenile steelhead captur ed on hook-and-line in the lower r iver at a r ate of 1.08
tr out/angler hour r anged in for k length fr om 10 to 18 cm, and aver aged about 14 cm (R. N.
Hinton, CDFG, intr aoffice cor r . of 31 M ay 1962). On 15 M ay 1962, four steelhead
estimated at 61 cm and 1.82.7 kg, and one at about 36 cm, wer e seen in a pool in the lower
r iver ar ea. On 22 M ay 1962, j uvenile steelhead, 510 cm long, wer e common in abundance
in pools up to the base of the bar r ier falls. I n 1965, the CDFG estimated the annual
steelhead spawning r un in the Big Sur River at about 300 fish, based on the obser vations of
local field per sonnel (Califor nia Depar tment of Fish and Game 1965).
The CDFG sur veyed the nor th and south for ks of the Big Sur River in August 1978,
following the M ar ble Cone fir e of 1977 (P. Chappell, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 11 June
1979). These headwater s wer e somewhat degr aded due to the fir e, yet r esident r ainbow
tr out wer e common in abundance, as deter mined by hook-and-line sampling.
Following sever al attempts and much discussion over the year s r egar ding r emoval
of the bedr ock bar r ier in the lower gor ge, the Big Sur dr ainage above the bar r ier was
sur veyed by the CDFG and USFS dur ing 14 July4 August 1981 to deter mine the quantity
and quality of str eam habitat that would become available to steelhead for spawning and
r ear ing (USFS str eam sur vey r epor ts, and summar y by R. C. Benthin, CDFG, unpubl.
memo. of 26 August 1981). High quality steelhead spawning and r ear ing habitats wer e
obser ved thr oughout the sur vey ar ea, including: the entir e 21.7 km of the main stem; the
lower most 1.6 km each of the mainstem tr ibutar ies, Ventana and L ion cr eeks, and the

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lower most 160 m of the Ventana Cr eek tr ibutar y, Doolans Hole Cr eek; the lower most 7.2
km of the Nor th For k Big Sur River ; and the lower most 4.0 km of the South For k Big Sur
River up to an 3.7 m high bedr ock migr ation bar r ier . So, with r emoval of the bedr ock
bar r ier in the lower gor ge, at least 36 km of habitat would become accessible to steelhead;
an unknown pr opor tion of another 19 km of unsur veyed str eam sections would also
become available. The mainstem tr ibutar ies, L ogwood and Ter r ace cr eeks, and the Nor th
For k tr ibutar y, Cienega Cr eek, all had an impassable bedr ock water fall at their mouths.
The Nor th For k tr ibutar y, Redwood Cr eek, was full of debr is, appar ently as a r esult of the
M ar ble Cone fir e. Resident r ainbow tr out, including young-of-the-year , wer e abundant in
all str eam sections sur veyed, and occur r ed in section specific visually-estimated aver age
densities of 40100 tr out/30 m. A subsample of 50 hook-and-line captur ed r ainbow tr out
aver aged about 15 cm FL (over all r ange, 10.035.0 cm FL ). The USFS str eam sur vey
r epor t indicated that the CDFG had planted r ainbow tr out at Bar low Flat in 1948, but
none since that time in the str eam ar ea above the gor ge.
Beginning in the fall of 1981 and thr ough the fall of 1984, a ser ies of modifications
was car r ied out on the bar r ier to enhance steelhead passage. Six adult steelhead wer e
obser ved by the CDFG on 18 M ar ch 1985 between Bar low Camp and the gor ge. Adult
steelhead have also been r epor tedly seen by angler s in upstr eam ar eas in subsequent year s
(K . R. Ander son, CDFG, per s. comm. of 9 July 1992).
On 7 November 1988, abundance estimates of j uvenile steelhead wer e made by the
CDFG in two sections of the lower r iver , each about 46 m long. Fish wer e sampled by
electr ofishing, mar ked, r eleased, and r esampled to make L incoln-Peter son abundance
estimates. I n a section j ust below the confluence with Post Cr eek, the calculated abundance
was 109 tr out/30 m. These fish aver aged 84 mm FL (r ange, 55247 mm FL ). The second
section, located in Andr ew M oler a State Par k, contained an estimated 128 tr out/30 m.
Aver age fish length was 82 mm FL (r ange, 55140 mm FL ). A sample of j uvenile steelhead
was also collected in M oler a Par k by electr ofishing on 17 July 1990 (D. C. Rischbieter ,

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Califor nia Depar tment of Par ks and Recr eation, unpubl. data); these fish aver aged 86 mm
SL (SD = 32 mm SL ; r ange, 50175 mm SL ).
The lar gest adult steelhead r epor ted fr om the Big Sur River was an illegal catch that
measur ed 90 cm and weighed about 7 kg (Rischbieter 1990a). Dur ing the 1992-93 season,
the r epor ted angler catch of adult steelhead in the Big Sur included one 79 cm female and
sever al 56 cm fish (M . Fitzsimmons, CDFG, per s. comm. of 13 M ar ch 1993).
Recent study of j uvenile steelhead habitat use in the lower Big Sur River shows that
the entir e ar ea, fr om the lagoon to the gor ge, r emains highly functional for steelhead
pr oduction (R. G. Titus, CDFG, unpubl. data of 19921994). Pr eliminar y analysis suggests
that most j uveniles leave the str eam after only one year of r ear ing, and that ther e is a
r elatively small pr opor tion of mainstem fish that appear s to be r esident r ainbow tr out.
M ost mainstem tr out ar e infested with encysted metacer car ia of the monogenetic
tr ematode, Neascus, a condition commonly r efer r ed to as black spot disease .
Resident r ainbows ar e still abundant above the bar r ier falls in the gor ge, and these
fish too have black spot disease (C. Car panzano, U.S. For est Ser vice, unpubl. letter of 24
September 1993). Some of these tr out may be j uvenile steelhead, but it is not clear if adult
steelhead ar e still able to negotiate the bar r ier falls.
STATUS: Over all, the Big Sur River continues to suppor t a healthy steelhead population,
one that Nehlsen et al. (1991) classified as a stock of special concer n.

Juan Higuera Creek

Juan Higuer a Cr eek is the lar gest per ennial tr ibutar y to the lower Big Sur River .
The CDFG sur veyed the cr eek on 8 August 1961. Steelhead spawning ar eas wer e lacking
as str eam substr ate mater ials wer e cemented by calcium car bonate pr ecipitates. Rear ing
habitat in the for m of pools and cover also appear ed limited. Sever al potential bar r ier s to
upstr eam movement of adult steelhead wer e identified. Two small pipe diver sions r emoved
water fr om the str eam. No fish wer e seen dur ing the sur vey although local r esidents
r epor ted that each small pool in the str eam suppor ted one catchable size (1520 cm long)

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j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out. Adult steelhead r epor tedly migr ated into Juan Higuer a
Cr eek dur ing high flow per iods in winter (R. L . M oor e, CDFG, unpubl. dr aft memo. of
August 1960).
Another long-time str eamside r esident and landowner cor r obor ated histor ical
pr esence of adult steelhead in Juan Higuer a Cr eek (K . Wr ight for D. Fee, Big Sur , CA,
per s. comm. of 4 Febr uar y 1994). Steelhead wer e seen and captur ed in the cr eek until
1972, when the combined effects of an upslope fir e and heavy flooding washed out the r oad
cr ossing near the cr eek mouth. A culver t was subsequently installed which then cr eated at
least a par tial bar r ier to upstr eam migr ating adult steelhead.
Recent study of j uvenile steelhead habitat use in the lower Big Sur River r eveals
that Juan Higuer a Cr eek is still well-populated with j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out (R.
G. Titus, CDFG, unpubl. data of 199294). Pr eliminar y analysis of population str uctur e
suggests that lower Juan Higuer a Cr eek is populated by a mixtur e of j uvenile steelhead
and r esident r ainbow tr out, as evidenced by a r elatively high pr opor tion of age 0+ fish.
What is not clear is whether steelhead actually spawn in the cr eek and their pr ogeny r ear
ther e, or if j uvenile steelhead migr ate into the cr eek fr om the Big Sur River . The
population in upper Juan Higuer a Cr eek is much mor e spar se in compar ison, and clear ly
char acter ized by a higher pr opor tion of lar ger , older individuals, including matur e adults,
suggesting a r esident r ainbow tr out population segment.

Post Creek
Post Cr eek enter s the lower Big Sur River within Pfeiffer Big Sur State Par k.
Shapovalov (1940a) descr ibed the cr eek as an inconsequential str eam that is r epor ted to
go completely or near ly dr y each summer , in his consider ation of potential hatcher y sites
in the par k and vicinity. I n contr ast, Rischbieter (1990d) noted the cr eek as an histor ically
per ennial str eam, and when sur veyed by the CDFG in 1980, the cr eek was identified as an
impor tant spawning and r ear ing ar ea for steelhead. At that time, only the lower most 275
m of the cr eek wer e accessible to steelhead because of an impassable logj am. The str eam

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habitat consisted pr imar ily of small pools and low gr adient r iffles. The calculated j uvenile
steelhead abundance for this ar ea was >1,000 fish, or >365 tr out/100 m of str eam.
The str eam habitat at Post Cr eek has degr aded significantly in r ecent year s
(Rischbieter 1990d). I n 1986, a landslide occur r ed about 335 m above the cr eek mouth
which intr oduced a lar ge amount of sediment into the lower cr eek. The sediment filled in
pools and cover ed spawning gr avels. The lower cr eek went dr y dur ing the summer fall
per iod of the dr ought year s 1988 and 1989. Appar ently, dr ought effects wer e exacer bated
by water withdr awal by the Ventana I nn and other upstr eam water user s. Rischbieter
(1990d) concluded that these conditions pr ecluded steelhead use of the cr eek, and no fish
wer e seen dur ing a br ief sur vey of the lower cr eek on 18 September 1992 (R. G. Titus,
Univ. Calif., Ber keley, unpubl. field notes).
Adult steelhead spawned in lower Post Cr eek dur ing the wet winter of 199293, and
steelhead fr y wer e seen in the cr eek, above the upper r oad cr ossing in the campgr ound, on
10 June 1993 (R. G. Titus, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 12 August 1993). On 9 July 1993, a 64
m long section, fr om the upper r oad cr ossing to the fir st foot tr ail cr ossing upstr eam, was
sampled by electr ofishing. Juvenile steelhead abundance was estimated using the two-pass
r emoval method. The estimated abundance of age 0+ steelhead was about 35 fish (54
fish/100 m), and that of age 1+ steelhead was 2 fish (3 fish/100 m). Age 0+ fish compr ised
about 94% of the steelhead catch. The mean ( SD) length of age 0+ steelhead was 55
12 mm TL (n = 34), and the two age 1+ fish wer e 101 and 137 mm TL . Age 0+ steelhead
also occur r ed between the upper r oad cr ossing and the cr eek mouth, but no fish wer e
found in the 50+ m of str eam spot-checked immediately above the foot tr ail cr ossing.
Sever al potential migr ation bar r ier s for adult steelhead still exist in lower Post Cr eek,
including the suppor t str uctur e for the foot tr ail cr ossing mentioned above, and sever al
logj ams that have accumulated lar ge volumes of sediment and gr avel. Post Cr eek has
pr obably suppor ted mor e extensive steelhead spawning and r ear ing, as cur r ent poor
conditions for steelhead pr oduction appear to be the pr oduct of logging effects and water

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diver sion. I t is not known if r esident r ainbow tr out per sist in the upper cr eek ar ea.

Bixby Creek Drainage

Bixby Cr eek is a small, spr ing-fed per ennial str eam tr ibutar y to the Pacific Ocean.
I t was sur veyed in its entir ety (8 km) by the CDFG dur ing 28 June17 August 1976. The
str eam contained high quality spawning and r ear ing habitats for steelhead. About 25
logj ams and snags existed in the sur vey ar ea, but they appar ently did not impede upstr eam
migr ation of adult steelhead as j uveniles wer e found at each of seven electr ofishing stations,
fr om the mouth to the headwater s. Juvenile steelhead abundance was estimated at six
stations using the two-pass r emoval method. M ean ( SD) density was 112 42 tr out/100
m (r ange, 52163 tr out/100 m). The tr out r anged in size fr om <3 cm FL to 30.4 cm FL ;
thus, potentially sever al age-classes wer e pr esent but no details wer e given r egar ding
population str uctur e. No r ecor ds wer e discover ed r egar ding steelhead use of the Bixby
Cr eek headwater tr ibutar ies, M ill and Tur ner cr eeks, nor its lar gest tr ibutar y, Sier r a
Cr eek.

Carmel River Drainage

I n 1965, the CDFG estimated the annual steelhead spawning r un in the Car mel
River at about 1,650 fish, based on the obser vations of local field per sonnel (Califor nia
Depar tment of Fish and Game 1965).
The CDFG files and other mater ial on the Car mel River ar e cur r ently being
r eviewed as the basis for this account. I ncluded is the long-ter m study summar ized by
Snider (1983); the assessment r epor t of Dettman and K elley (1986) and other r epor ts by D.
W. K elley & Associates; and K yle M ur phy s 1992 sur vey r epor t of the Car mel River
tr ibutar y, San Clemente Cr eek. Nehlsen et al. (1991) listed the Car mel River steelhead
stock as being at a high r isk of extinction. The decline in this population is the r esult of
blocked access to histor ic spawning and r ear ing ar eas upstr eam of dams, and extensive
water diver sion.

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Doud Creek Drainage

No j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e found in lower Doud Cr eek when spot-
sampled with a dip net on 18 October 1989 (Rischbieter 1990b). Although per ennial, this
str eam may simply be too small for steelhead use.

Garrapata Creek Drainage

Although a known steelhead str eam, no ear ly r ecor ds wer e discover ed r egar ding the
wild steelhead population in Gar r apata Cr eek. I n ear ly 1966, r ainbow tr out in a pr ivately
owned hatcher y on the cr eek wer e diagnosed with whir ling disease, which is caused by the
pr otozoan, M yxosoma cer ebr alis. Evidently, the disease spr ead into the cr eek itself as
uninfected fish placed in the cr eek became infected. Follow up studies wer e cur tailed due
to per sonnel constr aints and it is gener ally unknown whether the wild steelhead stock was
affected by the disease. However , in connection with per mitting of a new tr out far m on the
cr eek in 1975, ther e was no evidence of whir ling disease in test fish held in Gar r apata
Cr eek water on the far m pr oper ty.
Consider able development occur r ed in the Gar r apata Cr eek dr ainage dur ing the
1980 s for which ther e was gr eat concer n r egar ding impacts on fish and wildlife r esour ces.
The CDFG sur veyed the str eam in Febr uar y 1990, fr om the mouth to the headwater s, for a
distance of about 11 km. The sur vey r epor t indicated that Gar r apata Cr eek had per ennial
str eam flow. Sever al bar r ier s wer e identified which wer e cr eated by landslides, logj ams,
and falls/chutes, the latter of which included a 9 m water fall. M any bar r ier s wer e j udged
to fully block upstr eam movement of adult steelhead. Sever al diver sions wer e identified,
two of which led water to tr out ponds. Ther e was an abundance of suitable spawning
gr avels in the upper str eam, which wer e inaccessible to steelhead due to the 9 m fall.
Sampling for r esident r ainbow tr out was not conducted ther e. The lower r eaches of the
str eam contained some spawning r iffles and wer e r elatively fr ee of bar r ier s. Rear ing
habitat for j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out was of highest quality in the inaccessible,
upper str eam ar ea. Sedimentation of decomposed gr anite was a pollution pr oblem

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thr oughout much of the str eam, filling in pools and cementing spawning gr avels. Bar r ier s
wer e also for med by gr anitic sand being tr apped behind str eam obstr uctions. Juvenile
steelhead abundance was estimated, by electr ofishing and the mar k-and-r ecaptur e method,
in thr ee 46 m r eaches in the lower and middle main stem, and one 46 m r each in the
Gar r apata Cr eek tr ibutar y, Wildcat Canyon Cr eek. Densities in the main stem, fr om
downstr eam to upstr eam, wer e 26.0, 1.0, and 13.3 tr out/46 m, and only 1 tr out/46 m in
Wildcat Canyon Cr eek. The cor r esponding mean for k lengths (r ange) wer e 107.2 mm (81
191 mm), 163 mm, and 79.7 mm (50164 mm), r espectively, in Gar r apata Cr eek, and 104
mm in Wildcat Canyon. Over all, sedimentation, due to logging and impr oper r oad
gr ading, was identified as the pr imar y factor limiting steelhead pr oduction in the
Gar r apata Cr eek dr ainage.

Wildcat Canyon Creek

Sedimentation was for mally identified as a pr oblem in Wildcat Canyon Cr eek by
the CDFG as ear ly as 1964, thr ough benthic inver tebr ate sampling and instr eam r ainbow
tr out bioassays (M . L . Johnson, CDFG, unpubl. file r epor t of 28 M ay 1964). When
sur veyed br iefly by the CDFG in Febr uar y 1981, the str eam was not r egar ded as a
pr obable salmonid pr oduction ar ea, and in December 1988, the mean substr ate
composition, deter mined fr om thr ee samples at one site by sieving sediment thr ough 22.6,
7.95, 2.79, and 0.85 mm scr eens, was 19% , 8% , 11% , 26% , and 36% (<0.85 mm par ticles),
r espectively. The CDFG collected only one j uvenile steelhead in a 46 m r each of the cr eek,
by electr ofishing in Febr uar y 1990 (see Gar r apata Cr eek, above).

Granite Canyon Creek Drainage

Gr anite Canyon Cr eek has evidently not been populated by steelhead within r ecent
geological histor y. The CDFG conducted a cur sor y bar r ier sur vey of the str eam on 27
Febr uar y 1981 and found a 4.5 m water fall at the cr eek mouth. The pr esence or absence of
r esident r ainbow tr out above the fall was appar ently not investigated.

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Kirk Creek Drainage

The U.S. For est Ser vice sur veyed K ir k Cr eek on 13 July 1981, and found that a 4 m
water fall, located about 1.2 km above the cr eek mouth at the Pacific Ocean, would block
the upstr eam migr ation of steelhead beyond that point. This ver y small str eam had low to
inter mittent flow, a high gr adient, lacked pools, and over all seemed under dimensioned for
steelhead use. I ndeed, no fish wer e obser ved between the mouth and the water fall. The
pr esence or absence of r esident r ainbow tr out above the water fall was appar ently not
investigated.

Limekiln Creek Drainage

The main stem of L imekiln Cr eek is j oined by the tr ibutar ies, West For k L imekiln
and Har e Canyon cr eeks, within 0.8 km fr om its mouth at the Pacific Ocean. Steelhead
only have access to the lower most por tions of each str eam because of natur al bar r ier s. The
most notable bar r ier is a ~20 m water fall on L imekiln Cr eek, situated <0.8 km upstr eam
fr om its confluence with the tr ibutar ies. Because of these natur al r estr ictions on steelhead
access within r ecent geological histor y, the limited available infor mation on these thr ee
str eams is pr esented compositely.
The entir e por tion of the lower dr ainage accessible to steelhead was sur veyed by the
CDFG on 28 August 1961 and 8 September 1961. Spawning ar eas wer e noticeably lacking
because of the cementing effect of calcium car bonate pr ecipitates. The str eam pr ovided
high quality r ear ing habitat, in the for m of pools and cover . Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow
tr out, 7.510 cm in length, wer e ver y scar ce; the lack of suitable spawning gr avel was
attr ibuted as the main limiting factor . Seasonally intense fishing pr essur e may have also
contr ibuted to the appar ently low j uvenile abundance. No past stocking of
steelhead/r ainbow tr out was known.
However , the L imekiln dr ainage was included in the CDFG s attempt to develop
br own tr out fisher ies in M onter ey County dur ing the 1950 s and 1960 s. For example, on 8
M ay 1962, 3,000 br own tr out finger lings wer e planted in L imekiln Cr eek below the

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water fall bar r ier ; 3,000 in the West For k L imekiln Cr eek above bar r ier s to adult steelhead
migr ation; and 6,000 in Har e Canyon Cr eek, above steelhead migr ation bar r ier s (CDFG,
unpubl. field notes of 8 M ay 1962). A few 1015 cm long r ainbow tr out wer e obser ved in
Har e Canyon Cr eek wher e, as below the bar r ier s, the str eam substr ate was calcified and
only occasional beds of loose pea-size gr avel wer e available for spawning. Both upper
L imekiln and Har e Canyon cr eeks, above steelhead bar r ier s, wer e stocked with an
additional 600 br own tr out finger lings each on 23 June 1963 (M . L . Johnson, CDFG,
unpubl. memo. of 17 July 1963).
Sur vival fr om these plants was appar ently low as only 10 br own tr out wer e
captur ed by hook-and-line and hand br aille when the L imekiln Cr eek dr ainage was
sampled dur ing 12 September 1963 (M . L . Johnson, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 14 October
1963). I n contr ast, the same sampling effor t pr oduced 69 j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out,
r anging in length fr om about 5 to 25 cm.
The U.S. For est Ser vice sur veyed Har e Canyon Cr eek on 17 October 1981, fr om the
L os Padr es National For est boundar y in the lower cr eek ar ea to 3.2 km upstr eam. The
condition of the str eam seemed much the same as in ear lier sur veys. Few j uvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e seen. The density of tr out, 2.515 cm long (mean, 10 cm),
was visually estimated at about 20 fish/100 m.

Little Sur River Drainage

The L ittle Sur River dr ainage is pr obably the most pr oductive steelhead r iver south
of San Fr ancisco Bay at this time. The lower dr ainage ar ea is pr ivate pr oper ty, while the
headwater s ar e on public lands that lack r oads and tr ails, pr imar ily the L os Padr es
National For est. L ack of access has kept most of the L ittle Sur dr ainage in a r elatively
pr istine state.
I n 1965, the CDFG estimated the annual steelhead spawning r un in the L ittle Sur
River at about 500 fish, based on the obser vations of local field per sonnel (Califor nia
Depar tment of Fish and Game 1965).

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On 4 August 1988, the CDFG made two electr ofishing passes thr ough a 58 m r each
of the L ittle Sur River to estimate j uvenile steelhead abundance with the Seber and L e
Cr en method. Abundance ( SD) was estimated at 28 8 tr out, or a density of 49 14
tr out/100 m. These fish wer e 50 mm to 50148 mm in length (mean SD = 78 29 mm; n
= 22), with the catch dominated by young-of-the-year .
Nehlsen et al. (1991) classified the L ittle Sur River steelhead population as a stock of
special concer n.

Malpaso Creek Drainage

M alpaso Cr eek is about 7 km long, the middle thir d of which is included in
Gar r apata State Par k. Rischbieter (1990b) sur veyed the str eam within the par k on 4 Apr il
1989. Pools pr ovided adequate r ear ing habitat for j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out. Two
steelhead migr ation bar r ier s wer e identified: a 1.2 m high diver sion dam at the
downstr eam par k boundar y, and a 2 m fall cr eated by a logj am about 46 m below the
diver sion dam. Tr out electr ofished in the par k wer e assumed to be r esident r ainbows.
These fish wer e 58185 mm in length (mean SD = 102 31 mm; n = 15), and appar ently
r epr esented sever al age classes, including adults. The pr esence or absence of j uvenile
steelhead below the bar r ier s was not investigated.
Resident r ainbow tr out wer e also sampled above the diver sion dam on 22 August
1990 (D. C. Rischbieter , Califor nia Depar tment of Par ks and Recr eation, unpubl. data).
Thr ee electr ofishing passes wer e made thr ough a r each which pr oduced a catch of 19 tr out.
These fish wer e 35102 mm in length (mean SD = 47 15 mm). I n contr ast to the 1989
sample, young-of-the-year wer e pr esent and dominated the catch.
The or iginal sour ce of the r ainbow tr out in M alpaso Cr eek is unclear . As in many
of these small, Big Sur coastal str eams with bar r ier s that cur r ently limit or block steelhead
access, it is not known if r esident r ainbow tr out above bar r ier s ar e what r emain of a pr e-
bar r ier steelhead colonization or if they ar e the r esult of an undocumented fish tr ansfer by
humans. M alpaso Cr eek was r epor tedly stocked with j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out

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fr om near by San Jose Cr eek by Walter Victor ine, whose family had a r anch locally (J. G.
Williams, CDFG, unpubl. letter of 16 June 1994).

McWay Creek Drainage

M cWay Cr eek, a small steep-gr adient per ennial str eam, has evidently not been
populated by steelhead within r ecent geological histor y because of a 12 m water fall at the
cr eek mouth. Resident r ainbow tr out wer e r epor ted in the cr eek as late as 1984, but none
was captur ed ther e dur ing a br ief electr ofishing sur vey on 5 Apr il 1989 (Rischbieter
1990c). The Rat Cr eek wildfir e in 1985 and subsequent heavy stor ms dur ing the winter of
1985-86 may have extir pated the tr out, or near ly so. As of 1989, the dr ainage had
appar ently r ecover ed fr om these per tur bations, which would allow for the r e-expansion or
r eintr oduction of the species.

Mill Creek Drainage

M ill Cr eek, a small, high-gr adient per ennial str eam, was sur veyed by the CDFG on
20 July 1961, fr om the mouth to headwater for ks. Spawning gr avels wer e cover ed with
coar se sand, due at least in par t to the effects of pr evious logging and r oad building in the
dr ainage. Pools wer e also silted, especially in the lower cr eek. The mainstem cr eek had
only one par tial bar r ier to upstr eam migr ation of adult steelhead cr eated by a log; access to
the headwater for ks was limited by natur al bedr ock falls. Ther e was only one small
domestic water diver sion in the lower cr eek.
Despite the siltation pr oblem in the dr ainage, at least two consecutive year -classes of
j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e obser ved dur ing this sur vey: 5.010.0 cm long tr out
wer e moder ately abundant, while those 15 cm long wer e scar ce. Visually-estimated
abundances wer e ver y low in the mid and upper sections of the cr eek, 12 tr out/100 m, but
much gr eater in the lower cr eek, 3366 tr out/100 m. L ocal r esidents r epor ted that only a
few adult steelhead ascended the str eam dur ing the 196061 spawning season, and that
j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e lightly fished because the maximum length r eached

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was only 12.515.0 cm. Sever al limits of these small fish wer e appar ently caught fr om the
middle section of M ill Cr eek dur ing the 1962 tr out season (CDFG, unpubl. field note of 19
November 1962).
By 1977, gr avels in the mid-section of M ill Cr eek, above the confluence with L ion
Cr eek, wer e cemented by calcium car bonate pr ecipitates (B. Gr aham, CDFG, unpubl.
memo. of 4 M ar ch 1977). This condition was seen fr om the mouth to headwater s when the
cr eek was sur veyed by the U.S. For est Ser vice on 18 September 1981. Siltation was
appar ently less of a pr oblem than in 1961 when the CDFG sur veyed the str eam (c.f. above).
Ther e was one par tial migr ation bar r ier in the lower cr eek ar ea cr eated by a log and
debr is. Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e 2.515 cm long (mean 7.5 cm), and
occur r ed at low visually-estimated densities of 713 tr out/100 m. The low tr out abundance
was attr ibuted to poor substr ate quality for spawning and inver tebr ate food pr oduction.
The sur vey r epor t indicated that br own tr out had been planted in M ill Cr eek in 1961, but
appar ently a population was not established.

Partington Creek Drainage

Par tington Cr eek, a steep-gr adient per ennial str eam along the Big Sur coast, was
sur veyed by the CDFG in 1972.
The Califor nia Depar tment of Par ks and Recr eation (CDPR) spot sampled
Par tington Cr eek, both upstr eam and downstr eam of Highway 1, by use of electr ofishing
on 5 Apr il 1989 (Rischbieter 1990c). Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e captur ed at all
of thr ee sites. Compositely, these fish aver aged ( SD) about 11 3 cm SL and r anged
fr om about 6 to 20 cm SL (n = 40). Because the sampling effor t was biased towar d pools,
lar ger fish may have been pr opor tionately over r epr esented in the catch. Tr out captur ed
above a 1.8 m debr is dam, upstr eam fr om Highway 1, wer e most likely r esident r ainbow
tr out. The sample collected fr om thr ee pools immediately above the cr eek mouth may have
also contained steelhead pr ogeny, since steelhead appar ently have access to the lower
str eam.

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Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e obser ved in lower Par tington Cr eek on 30
August 1993 (R. G. Titus, CDFG, per s. obs.).

Plaskett Creek Drainage

L ittle is known about steelhead in Plaskett Cr eek, a small per ennial str eam. The
U.S. For est Ser vice sur veyed lower Plaskett Cr eek on 15 July 1981. Riffles wer e abundant
but pools wer e few, small, and shallow. Cattle wer e causing str eamside vegetation loss,
er osion, and or ganic pollution, and wer e thus consider ed a maj or thr eat to the str eam
habitat and tr out population. Water was diver ted fr om the cr eek for domestic use.
Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e 2.518.0 cm in length (mean 7.5 cm), and
occur r ed at a low visually-estimated density of 16 tr out/100 m.
The CDFG r ecognized Plaskett Cr eek as a viable steelhead str eam in 1991 when it
denied an application for pr ivate stocking of r ainbow tr out in the cr eek (B. Hunter , CDFG,
unpubl. letter of 15 July 1991). The denial was based on the pr emise of maintaining the
genetic integr ity of the native steelhead.

Prewitt Creek Drainage

The CDFG sur veyed the lower most 5.6 km of Pr ewitt Cr eek on 24 July 1961. A
ser ies of natur al bedr ock falls and logj ams limited steelhead access beyond the j unction of
the headwater for ks, about 2 km upstr eam fr om the mouth. Spawning and r ear ing
habitats for steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e lacking in the high-gr adient upper cr eek, as
ther e was ver y little gr avel and only small, shallow, cascading pools. Spawning gr avels
wer e also ver y limited in the lower cr eek, but pools wer e r elatively better developed and
thus mor e suitable for steelhead r ear ing dur ing low flow per iods. Water was diver ted fr om
the South For k Pr ewitt Cr eek. Cattle gr azed the ar ea downstr eam fr om Highway 1, but no
gr azing impacts wer e noted.
The visually-estimated density of j uvenile steelhead in the lower most cr eek ar ea was

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39 tr out/100 m. M ost fish wer e young-of-the-year , 7.510.0 cm in length; age 1+ tr out,

12.5 cm in length, wer e scar ce. Few tr out wer e seen in the upper cr eek. L ocal r esidents
r epor ted good fishing for j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out, 15.017.5 cm in length, for a
shor t per iod following the opening of fishing in the spr ing. Fishing was also r epor tedly
good for adult steelhead dur ing good steelhead year s , pr esumably meaning in high
pr ecipitation year s.
On 8 M ay 1962, 6,000 br own tr out finger lings wer e planted in Pr ewitt Cr eek, in the
headwater s above the steelhead bar r ier ar ea descr ibed above (CDFG, unpubl. field note of
8 M ay 1962). M any j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out, mostly 2.55.0 cm in length, wer e
obser ved in the lower cr eek ar ea, below the bar r ier s; few j uveniles wer e seen between the
bar r ier s and the headwater for ks, and none in the for ks.
Sur vival of br own tr out planted in 1962 was appar ently low as none was captur ed
by hook-and-line or hand br aille when the cr eek was sampled dur ing 12 September 1963
to evaluate the plant (M . L . Johnson, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 14 October 1963).
However , j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e caught, r anging in length fr om 5 to 15 cm.
The U.S. For est Ser vice sur veyed the lower most 4.8 km of Pr ewitt Cr eek on 16 July
1981. The condition of the str eam and its use by steelhead seemed to be much the same as
when sur veyed by the CDFG in 1961 (see above), with one notable exception. Cattle
gr azing in the ar ea downstr eam fr om Highway 1 was causing str eamside vegetation loss,
er osion, and or ganic pollution, and was thus consider ed a maj or thr eat to habitat quality
and steelhead pr oduction in the lower cr eek. The estimated aver age density of j uvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out r anged fr om 49 tr out/100 m in the lower cr eek, to 39 tr out/100 m
in the mid-section, to 33 tr out/100 m in the headwater south for k. Over all, the tr out wer e
visually-estimated at 2.520.0 cm in length, and aver aged 10.012.5 cm among sections.

Rocky Creek Drainage

No detailed histor ical infor mation was discover ed r egar ding the steelhead
population in Rocky Cr eek, a small, per ennial str eam with a cobble and boulder dominated

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substr ate. Ther e was mention in a CDFG document of steelhead migr ating up Rocky
Cr eek to spawn following sufficient r ainfall (CDFG, unpubl. letter of 8 November 1971).
Steelhead use of Rocky Cr eek is cor r obor ated by a local r esident who has fished and
obser ved the str eam since the late 1940 s (J. G. Williams, Car mel, CA, unpubl. letter of 16
June 1994). Thr ee length-fr equency modes of j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e
appar ent, as obser ved in summer : young-of-the-year about 5 cm long in the shallow
downstr eam end of pools, year ling fish about 10 cm long, and a less distinct gr oup at about
15 cm. Tr out over 23 cm long wer e r ar e, and fish >15 cm long occur r ed mainly in the
lar ger pools. Angling for fish >13 cm long was ver y pr oductive. Winter obser vations wer e
few but adult steelhead wer e seen in the str eam. Ther e was a 1.5 m dam in the mid-cr eek
ar ea fr om about 1930 to 1980, but this str uctur e appar ently was not a complete migr ation
bar r ier as an adult steelhead was seen upstr eam fr om it. Natur al water falls in the upper
cr eek ar ea, however , block steelhead access to the headwater s. Resident r ainbow tr out
occur above the falls.
Although no infer ence could be dr awn r egar ding the adult steelhead population
tr end at Rocky Cr eek, the r elative abundance of j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out has
dr opped noticeably. This obser ved r eduction has been associated with incr eased water
diver sion and silt input fr om r oads in the upper water shed. The amount and quality of
r ear ing habitat, especially in the for m of pools, has decr eased, thus exacer bating the effects
of the r ecent six-year (1986-87 to 1991-92) dr ought when str eam flow fell below 3 L /s.
Dettman (1989) calculated an index of the quality and quantity of j uvenile steelhead
r ear ing habitat in two r eaches of Rocky Cr eek, at thr ee str eam flows r anging fr om 4 to 18
L /s. The r ear ing index incr eased with incr easing flow and, accor ding to the model, the
optimum r ear ing index would have been obser ved at some flow higher than 18 L /s. I n
addition to low summer flow, the degr ee of cobble embeddedness fr om sand deposition was
also deter mined to be a maj or constr aint to j uvenile steelhead r ear ing habitat quality. The
sour ce of er osion r esponsible for the input of sand was not identified, but was mentioned to

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be usually associated with r oad constr uction. No actual obser vations of steelhead habitat
use or abundance r elative to str eam flow wer e included in the r epor t.

Salinas River Drainage, Including Portions in San Luis Obispo County

Histor ically, steelhead have used the headwater s of the Salinas River , and the
tr ibutar ies dr aining the wester n side of the basin (see below), for spawning and r ear ing.
The lower main stem ser ves pr imar ily as a migr ation cor r idor , when sufficient r unoff
pr ovides a connection to the Pacific Ocean. Bar clay (1975) descr ibed br iefly the
unsuitability of the valley por tion of the mainstem Salinas River as spawning and r ear ing
habitat for j uvenile steelhead, because of the sandy and silty substr ate, and high water
temper atur e and lack of flow in summer . Although Snyder (1913) found j uvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out at thr ee locations in the main stem fr om near Salinas to Soledad,
these fish wer e pr obably emigr ating smolts; tr out found in the main channels of the r iver s
wer e apt to be r ather poor in quality , per haps indicating low condition factor , and
usually light silver y in color , both of which ar e typical smolt char acter istics. Hubbs
(1947) found no steelhead at six sampling locations in the lower most 4.8 km of the r iver on
3 and 11 August 1946. Sampled habitats had muddy or sandy bottoms and semi-ponded to
slow-moving water .
Salinas Dam, which for ms Santa M ar gar ita L ake (for mer ly Salinas Reser voir ) in
the upper Salinas River , was completed in 1942. Befor e the dam was built, adult steelhead
migr ated as far upstr eam as Pozo, and occasionally far ther dur ing winter s of exceptionally
high r ainfall (F. W. Hecker , CDFG, unpubl. field cor r . of 9 M ay 1947). The number of
steelhead r eaching the dam each year var ied gr eatly and was appar ently a positive function
of the amount of r ainfall; no steelhead r eached the dam dur ing the winter of 1946-47.
Based on available infor mation, it was impossible to estimate even the r elative
magnitude of histor ical steelhead r uns in the Salinas River dr ainage. Snyder (1913) wr ote
only that lar ge number s of steelhead enter ed all the str eams tr ibutar y to M onter ey Bay,
including the Salinas River dr ainage. By the mid-1950 s, adult steelhead spawning r uns

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occur r ed ir r egular ly and the population suppor ted only a meager fisher y (Pelgen and
Fisk 1955). As of 1965, the CDFG estimated the annual steelhead spawning r un in the
Salinas dr ainage at little mor e than about 500 fish, based on the obser vations of local field
per sonnel (Califor nia Depar tment of Fish and Game 1965).
Bar clay (1975) found that viable r ainbow tr out habitat still existed in the upper
mainstem Salinas River , above the Highway 58 br idge.
I mpoundment and diver sion of sur ficial str eam flow, gr oundwater pumping, and
blocked access to per ennial headwater s have caused the decline of Salinas River steelhead.
The integr ity of the natur al str eambed has also been compr omised by extensive extr action
of str eambed mater ials, as witnessed thr ough documentation in the CDFG files. As a r esult
of these negative impacts, the Salinas River steelhead was classified as having a moder ate
r isk of extinction by Nehlsen at al. (1991).

Arroyo Seco and Tributaries

The Ar r oyo Seco is the fir st maj or spawning tr ibutar y to which steelhead have
access as they enter the Salinas River dr ainage fr om the Pacific Ocean. Snyder (1913)
found j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out in the Ar r oyo Seco at 3.2 km, 6.4 km, and 9.7 km
above the confluence with the Salinas River , but not at 1.6 km. He also noted obser vations
of car casses of lar ge steelhead post-spawner s along the Ar r oyo Seco.
By the 1950 s, the CDFG de-emphasized steelhead management in the Ar r oyo Seco
and elsewher e in the Salinas dr ainage because of plans for incr eased development of water
r esour ces (Pelgen and Fisk 1955). Attempts wer e instead made to enhance r esident tr out
fisher ies thr ough extensive planting of both r ainbow and br own tr out. The br own tr out
pr ogr am was especially emphasized, beginning with a plant of about 3,400 near ly
catchable-size fish in September 1953 (CDFG, unpubl. field notes of 26 September 1953).
Cr eel censuses and electr ofishing sur veys wer e conducted over the year s to evaluate
the br own tr out stocking pr ogr am, dur ing which data wer e also collected on wild j uvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out. For example, 1,051 j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e caught

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by angler s dur ing 12 M ay 1954 (E. A. Best, CDFG, unpubl. intr aoffice cor r . of 5 M ay
1954). These fish aver aged 17.0 cm (r ange, 8.129.5 cm), the maj or ity of which wer e light
and silver y in color and pr esumed to be hatcher y fish. However , the obser ved color ation
also suggests the pr esence of steelhead smolts in the catch, and appr opr iately so consider ing
the time of year . Dar kly color ed fish with a pr ominent r ed later al str ipe wer e r egar ded as
wild r ainbow tr out; some of these fish wer e gr avid females.
The CDFG electr ofished two 76 m sections of the Ar r oyo Seco on 4 November 1954
(E. A. Best, CDFG, unpubl. intr aoffice cor r . of 22 November 1954). I n a section at Santa
L ucia M emor ial Par k, 48 j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e captur ed that r anged in
length fr om 7.9 cm to 22.1 cm. I n a section located about 1.6 km below Rooster Cr eek, 34
j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e captur ed, 7.1 cm to 23.6 cm in length.
The CDFG sur veyed about 5.5 km of the Ar r oyo Seco on 6 June 1957, fr om Santa
L ucia M emor ial Par k to the headwater s. A visually estimated 15% to 20% of the sur vey
ar ea consisted of spawning gr ounds for tr out, most of which was in the lower half of the
ar ea. The str eam was cascading and pr ovided an abundance of high-quality r ear ing
habitat in the for m of pools and cover . No bar r ier s or diver sions wer e obser ved. Both wild
j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out and planted catchable r ainbow tr out wer e obser ved and
caught on hook-and-line, with only the for mer r anging into the ver y high-gr adient
headwater s. The sur vey r epor t indicated that, in addition to catchable r ainbow tr out,
j uvenile steelhead had also been planted pr eviously in the Ar r oyo Seco, but no such r ecor ds
wer e discover ed.
M emor anda and field notes contained in the CDFG files indicated that the r otar y
fish scr een at the Gr eenfield Water Distr ict s diver sion on the Ar r oyo Seco was per sistently
dysfunctional over the year s. Obser ved documents r egar ding this pr oblem r anged in dates
fr om 12 M ay 1948 to 26 Apr il 1966. The diver sion is located on the Ar r oyo Seco about 3.2
km below Santa L ucia M emor ial Par k. No r eliable estimates wer e made as to how many
j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out may have been lost annually in the diver sion.

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On 30 M ar ch 1968, about 200 j uvenile steelhead, 15 cm to 25 cm in length, wer e

r escued fr om the desiccating lower Ar r oyo Seco at the Thor ne Road cr ossing, and r eleased
far ther upstr eam wher e pr esumably per ennial flow occur r ed (R. Azbill, CDFG, unpubl.
field cor r . of 5 Apr il 1968). Steelhead continued to be mentioned in CDFG file documents
as a viable fisher y r esour ce in the Ar r oyo Seco as of 1978 (M . L . Johnson, CDFG, unpubl.
letter of 17 Febr uar y 1978). An estimated 300 j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out, about 7.5
cm to 15 cm in length, died in the Ar r oyo Seco at the Ar r oyo Seco Campgr ound on 28
August 1979. Temper atur e str ess was believed to be the cause of death. No j uvenile
steelhead wer e found in the lower Ar r oyo Seco on 13 September 1979, when sever al
locations wer e spot-checked by use of electr ofishing fr om the Gr eenfield Br idge to the
Tassaj ar a Cr eek confluence (S. Recknagel, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 14 September 1979).
Hatcher y r ainbow tr out continued to be planted in the Ar r oyo Seco as of 7 June 1980,
when 4,000 fish (@ 551/kg) wer e stocked in the headwater s by the Souther n M onter ey
County Spor tsmen s Association.
The USFS sur veyed the headwater s of the Ar r oyo Seco dur ing 34 November 1981,
fr om I ndian Station to a point 6.4 km upstr eam. The char acter istics and condition of this
por tion of the str eam appear ed to be much the same as when sur veyed by the CDFG in
June 1957 (see above). Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e obser ved in aver age visually-
estimated densities of about 66 tr out/100 m in the lower sur vey ar ea, and about 39
tr out/100 m in the upper sur vey ar ea. The fish r anged in length fr om about 2.5 cm to 20
cm, and aver aged about 13 cm.
Dur ing 1926 Febr uar y 1983, 16 adult steelhead wer e landed at or below the Thor ne
Road cr ossing on the lower Ar r oyo Seco (J. Bar ton, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 11 Januar y
1984). The r oad cr ossing cr eated an upstr eam-migr ation bar r ier for which a fish ladder
was needed. One adult, which measur ed about 75 cm in length, was also landed in this
ar ea on 2 Januar y 1984, and four mor e steelhead wer e r epor tedly caught in the Ar r oyo
Seco (M . L . Johnson, CDFG unpubl. memo. of 9 Januar y 1984).

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The CDFG sur veyed by use of electr ofishing five sections of the Ar r oyo Seco
downstr eam fr om the Santa L ucia M emor ial Par k, dur ing 825 September 1992 (K . D.
M ur phy, CDFG, unpubl. str eam sur vey data). M ean ( SD) section length was 96 5 m.
Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out had section-specific mean lengths of appr oximately 9 to
31 cm FL , and an over all mean length of about 10 5 cm FL (n = 83); only one fish was
>25 cm FL . Section-specific densities aver aged 18 13 tr out/100 m (r ange, 138 tr out/100
m), based on abundance estimates made with the thr ee-pass depletion method.
Dur ing 2629 August 1993, the CDFG continued its sur vey by electr ofishing four
mor e sections of the Ar r oyo Seco, this time upstr eam of Santa L ucia M emor ial Par k (K . D.
M ur phy, CDFG, unpubl. str eam sur vey data). M ean ( SD) section length was 89 10 m.
Section-specific mean lengths of j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out had a small r ange (78
cm FL ) as all sections wer e dominated numer ically by young-of-the-year tr out. The over all
mean length was about 8 3 cm (n = 410), and ther e wer e no j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow
tr out >25 cm FL . Section-specific densities aver aged 141 29 tr out/100 m (r ange, 118182
tr out/100 m), based on abundance estimates made with the thr ee-pass depletion method.
Adult steelhead wer e obser ved in the Ar r oyo Seco dur ing the 1992-93 spawning
season (J. Nelson, CDFG, per s. comm. of 17 M ar ch 1993). The near ly eight-fold incr ease in
mean density of j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out between the 1992 and 1993 electr ofishing
sur veys, with a pr onounced dominance of age-0 fish, str ongly suggested successful
steelhead spawning; the 1992 data wer e not indicative of an adult r esident r ainbow tr out
population of the magnitude to r esult in such high young-of-the-year densities.
The Ar r oyo Seco headwater tr ibutar y, L ost Valley Cr eek, and its tr ibutar ies,
Higgins and Zigzag cr eeks, have also histor ically pr ovided high quality habitat for
steelhead and r ainbow tr out. Near ly 10 km of L ost Valley Cr eek wer e sur veyed by the
CDFG dur ing the mid-1930 s. The str eam substr ate was dominated by gr avel which
pr ovided spawning habitat for steelhead and r ainbow tr out thr oughout the sur vey ar ea.
No migr ation bar r ier s or diver sions wer e obser ved. Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e

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pr esent in the str eam, all of which wer e the r esult of natur al pr opagation as no known
stocking had occur r ed.
The upper most 2.4 km of Higgins Cr eek wer e sur veyed by the CDFG on 7 June
1957. This cascading por tion of the str eam contained high quality spawning and r ear ing
habitat for r ainbow tr out, although no fish wer e seen. One 4.5 m high bedr ock and
boulder water fall was located within the sur vey ar ea, which may histor ically have limited
the upstr eam disper sal of steelhead/r ainbow tr out fr om below, thus accounting for their
appar ent absence. No past stocking was known, although the str eam was later included in
an extensive br own tr out planting pr ogr am that was under taken in souther n M onter ey
County dur ing the 1950 sear ly 1960 s. For example, 4,160 br own tr out finger lings (@
564/kg) wer e planted in Higgins Cr eek on 27 August 1959.
CDFG per sonnel conducted an angling sur vey of Higgins Cr eek on 17 M ay 1966,
fr om Pelon Camp to a point about 0.8 km upstr eam. This section was downstr eam fr om
the fishless section sur veyed in 1957 (see above), and also contained suitable spawning and
r ear ing habitat for r ainbow tr out. Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out up to about 20 cm in
length wer e captur ed on hook-and-line at an appr oximate catch r ate of 1.7 tr out/hr .
Young-of-the-year steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e also obser ved.
As par t of the same excur sion, L ost Valley Cr eek was fished on 18 M ay 1966, fr om
L ost Valley Camp to near the Zigzag Cr eek confluence. Spawning substr ate may have
been limited, but r ear ing habitat in the for m of pools and cover seemed extensive.
Compar ed to Higgins Cr eek, the abundance of j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out was
r elatively high, and the catch r ate on hook-and-line was about 10 tr out/hr . Obser ved
young-of-the-year wer e about 2.5 cm in length, while captur ed tr out r anged up to about 25
cm.
The mean ( SD) density of j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out in L ost Valley,
Higgins, and Zigzag cr eeks was 33 25 tr out/100 m, 53 5 tr out/100 m, and 43 tr out/100
m, r espectively, when sampled dur ing 197071 as par t of a sur vey of steelhead standing

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cr ops between San Fr ancisco and San L uis Obispo (L . K . Puckett, CDFG, unpubl. memo.
of 30 December 1971). Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out abundance was highly var iable
(c.v. = 114% ) thr oughout this r egion; densities in the Ar r oyo Seco tr ibutar ies wer e well
below the over all aver age of 155 178 tr out/100 m. Tr out abundance was estimated by
use of electr ofishing and the two-pass depletion method in sever al r andomly-selected 30.5
m sections per 1.6 km of str eam.
The CDFG sur veyed L ost Valley Cr eek and the Zigzag Cr eek system in August
1978, following the M ar ble Cone fir e (P. Chappell, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 11 June 1979).
I t was r epor ted that L ost Valley Cr eek was in gener ally good condition, and that the
str eam suppor ted an excellent r ainbow tr out fisher y. Rainbow tr out wer e sampled by
hook-and-line, and all captur ed fish wer e infested with encysted metacer car ia of the
monogenetic tr ematode, Neascus, a condition commonly r efer r ed to as black spot disease .
No tr out wer e obser ved in the Zigzag headwater tr ibutar y, Camp Cr eek, nor in Zigzag
Cr eek itself until below the four th water fall about 0.4 km upstr eam fr om the confluence
with L ost Valley Cr eek. Water conditions for tr out wer e noted as excellent.
Hatcher y r ainbow tr out continued to be planted in L ost Valley Cr eek as of 7 June
1980, when 3,000 fish (@ 551/kg) wer e stocked by the Souther n M onter ey County
Spor tsmen s Association.
The Ar r oyo Seco headwater tr ibutar y, Tassaj ar a Cr eek, and its tr ibutar y, Willow
Cr eek, have also histor ically pr ovided high quality habitat for steelhead and r ainbow tr out.
Tassaj ar a Cr eek, at about 0.4 km above Tassaj ar a Hot Spr ings, was sur veyed by the
CDFG on 29 June 1945. The sur vey ar ea contained high quality spawning and r ear ing
habitats for steelhead, the latter in the for m of pools and cover . The r epor t indicated that
the str eam was used extensively by steelhead for natur al pr opagation, and j uvenile
steelhead wer e obser ved.
Willow Cr eek was sur veyed by the CDFG in its entir ety on 5 June 1957. Spawning
gr avels wer e scar ce in the per ennial, cascading str eam, but r ear ing habitat in the for m of

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pools and cover was abundant and of ver y high quality. A 3-m high bedr ock fall, located in
the upper half of the cr eek, blocked upstr eam migr ation under low-flow conditions, but
may have been passable at high flows. No diver sions wer e seen. Juvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e scar ce in abundance, but those obser ved r anged in length
fr om about 5 to 15 cm and wer e noted to be wild pr ogeny and in good condition. Willow
Cr eek had been stocked with 5,000 each of j uvenile steelhead and r ainbow tr out in 1940,
and other plants had pr obably been made dur ing the late-1930 s and ear ly 1940 s for
which r ecor ds wer e not found.
Willow Cr eek was used as a test str eam in the CDFG s development of br own tr out
fisher ies in M onter ey County dur ing the 1950 s and 1960 s. Five 76-m sections wer e
sampled by use of electr ofishing dur ing 2728 Apr il 1963 to deter mine the appr oximate size
and str uctur e of the wild tr out population pr ior to making new plants of br own tr out
finger lings (R. J. Hansen, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 14 M ay 1963). All captur ed fish wer e
j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out, which had section-specific mean lengths of fr om 9.4 to
17.5 cm, and an over all mean length of 11.4 cm (over all r ange, 2.825.4 cm). Conser vative
estimates of section-specific densities wer e low, and aver aged 14 tr out/100 m (r ange, 920
tr out/100 m). Ther e was no mention of smolting tr out, although tr out 18 cm long
appear ed to have r elatively low condition factor s, which is a typical smolting
char acter isitic. Alter natively, these fish may also have been post-spawner s. Steelhead use
of the str eam at the time of this sur vey appear ed to be light or non-existent, as the low
population density was mor e indicative of a r esident r ainbow tr out population, even
assuming a high angler -har vest r ate (e.g. M . L . Johnson, CDFG, unpubl. admin. r epor t of
13 Apr il 1964).
Following a plant of 5,000 br own tr out finger lings on 23 July 1963, the same five test
sections of Willow Cr eek wer e electr ofished again on 25 Apr il 1964 (R. J. Hansen, CDFG,
unpubl. memo. of 7 M ay 1964). Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out had section-specific mean
lengths of fr om 9.1 to 10.7 cm, and an over all mean length of 9.9 cm (over all r ange, 5.6

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15.5 cm). Conser vative estimates of section-specific densities aver aged 24 tr out/100 m
(r ange, 1233 tr out/100 m). The over all estimated density of j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow
tr out in Apr il 1965 was the same as in Apr il 1963, about 14 tr out/100 m (M . L . Johnson,
CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 9 July 1965). This study showed that the sur vival of br own tr out
finger lings was low, with a cor r espondingly low r etur n to the cr eel, and no appar ent
impact on the wild steelhead/r ainbow tr out population.
The USFS sur veyed the lower most por tions of Tassaj ar a and Willow cr eeks on 5
November 1981, fr om the mouth at the Ar r oyo Seco to 1.2 km below Willow Spr ings
Campgr ound. No significant change could be discer ned in the char acter istics or quality of
the str eams as steelhead/r ainbow tr out pr oduction ar eas, as compar ed with ear lier CDFG
sur veys (see above). The visually-estimated density of j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out was
gr eater in lower Tassaj ar a Cr eek (about 66 tr out/100 m) than in lower Willow Cr eek
(about 16 tr out/100 m). The tr out wer e also longer on aver age in Tassaj ar a (15 cm; r ange,
2.525 cm) than in Willow Cr eek (10 cm; r ange, 2.515 cm).
The Ar r oyo Seco and its tr ibutar ies may suppor t the only per sistent r emnants of
Salinas River steelhead (K . R. Ander son, CDFG, per s. comm. of 9 July 1992).

Atascadero Creek
The Salinas River tr ibutar y, Atascader o Cr eek in San L uis Obispo County, was
used histor ically by steelhead. Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e abundant in
Atascader o Cr eek when sur veyed by Bar clay (1975). The cr eek as well as Atascader o
L ake, an impoundment on the cr eek, have been stocked with catchable r ainbow tr out over
the year s, which indicates that the system does indeed contain tr out habitat. The Salinas
River has become an incr easingly unr eliable migr ation cor r idor , and the cr eek itself has
been alter ed by r oad/br idge constr uction and extr action of str eambed mater ials, as
evidenced by documents contained in the CDFG files. The status of the Atascader o Cr eek
steelhead population has not been r ecently assessed, but steelhead use of the cr eek is likely
ver y limited by the habitat degr adation that has occur r ed thr oughout the system, including

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the cr eek itself.

Nacimiento River and Tributaries

The Nacimiento River was one of the most impor tant spawning and r ear ing
tr ibutar ies for Salinas River steelhead. Snyder (1913) found j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow
tr out at all of thr ee sampling stations in the Nacimiento, fr om the foothill to mountainous
por tions of the dr ainage. He also noted obser vations of lar ge steelhead car casses along the
r iver , and that fishing for j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out was especially good in the upper
Nacimiento. Ther e was appar ently a good r un of steelhead in the Nacimiento dur ing the
winter of 1950-51 (CDFG, unpubl. field notes of 24 Januar y 1951).
The dam for ming Nacimiento Reser voir on the Nacimiento River in San L uis
Obispo County was completed in the fall of 1956, and impoundment began that winter .
The dam is located about 11.3 km upstr eam fr om the confluence with the Salinas River .
With constr uction of the dam which lacked pr ovisions for fish passage, steelhead no longer
had access to histor ic spawning and r ear ing habitats in the upstr eam por tions of the
system.
No wild j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e seen or captur ed dur ing cur sor y
sur veys of the upper r iver (above the r eser voir ) dur ing 196061, following r otenone
tr eatment in 1956-57 to r emove non-game fishes (M . R. Schr eiber , CDFG, unpubl.
intr aoffice cor r . of 28 June 1960; R. N. Hinton, CDFG, unpubl. intr aoffice cor r . of 2
Januar y 1962). I n addition to being stocked with catchable r ainbow tr out, the upper
Nacimiento River was included in the CDFG s development of br own tr out fisher ies in
M onter ey County; for example, about 1,200 br own tr out finger lings wer e stocked in the
upper r iver on 23 June 1963 (M . L . Johnson, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 17 July 1963).
When the upper r iver was fished between Redwood and ABC camps by CDFG per sonnel
in 1971, br own tr out wer e captur ed above a 7.6-m high water fall bar r ier , and r ainbow
tr out below (L . K . Puckett, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 13 M ay 1971). Tr out abundance was
low, and low summer str eam flow was mentioned as a likely limiting factor to population

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gr owth.
The upper Nacimiento River within the L os Padr es National For est was sur veyed by
the USFS dur ing 23 September 1981. Str eam flow was inter r upted in the lower and
middle por tions of the sur vey ar ea, wher e r ainbow tr out over summer ed in per ennial pools.
These fish occur r ed in visually-estimated abundances of about 33 and 20 tr out/100 m in
the lower and middle sections, r espectively, and aver aged about 5 cm in length (r ange, 2.5
13 cm). Thus, most tr out wer e young-of-the-year and natur al r epr oduction was successful.
Str eam flow was ver y low but continuous in the upper sur vey section, wher e r ainbow tr out
occur r ed at a visually-estimated abundance of about 39 tr out/100 m, and aver aged about
10 cm in length (r ange, 2.520 cm). Br own tr out wer e again found only above the water fall
bar r ier mentioned above.
The CDFG sur veyed by use of electr ofishing nine sections of the upper Nacimiento
within the L os Padr es National For est, dur ing 21 July20 August 1992 (K . D. M ur phy,
CDFG, unpubl. str eam sur vey data). M ean ( SD) section length was 98 8 m. Juvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out had section-specific mean lengths of appr oximately 8 to 12 cm FL ,
and an over all mean length of about 8 3 cm FL (n = 525). Section-specific densities
aver aged 59 66 tr out/100 m (r ange, 0160 tr out/100 m), based on abundance estimates
made with the thr ee-pass depletion method.
A catchable r ainbow tr out planting pr ogr am in the lower r iver (below the dam) was
initiated on a tr ial basis in 1963 (Johnson 1966) and continued thr ough at least 1987. One
r esident r ainbow tr out, but no j uvenile steelhead, wer e captur ed in the lower r iver dur ing
Januar yM ar ch 1977 (Cor son and Simas 1977). The Nacimiento River was still mentioned
as a viable steelhead water in CDFG file documents dealing with envir onmental impacts
fr om 1986 and 1988. Steelhead use of the lower Nacimiento River is dependent upon the
pr esence of a migr ation cor r idor in the main stem Salinas River , and the cur r ent
pr esence/absence of steelhead is not known.
Pr ior to the constr uction of Nacimiento Reser voir , steelhead used the Nacimiento

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River tr ibutar y, L as Tablas Cr eek, for spawning and r ear ing. The cr eek cur r ently flows
into one of the main ar ms of Nacimiento Reser voir . L as Tablas Cr eek was sur veyed by the
CDFG in its entir ety on 25 M ar ch 1966, for a distance of about 40 km. The cr eek
contained suitable spawning gr avels for steelhead/r ainbow tr out, and r ear ing habitat in the
for m of pools and cover , including under cut banks. Over all, the habitat was r ated highly.
No bar r ier s or diver sions wer e seen. The lower half or so of the str eam was polluted with
heavy metal effluents, fr om both active and abandoned mines of the Buena Vista M ining
Company. This por tion of the str eam also became inter mittent dur ing the summer .
Natur ally-pr opagated r ainbow tr out, about 7.530.5 cm in length, occur r ed in the upper
half of the str eam, at a visually-estimated density of about 12 tr out/100 m. L ocal r esidents
r epor ted that r ainbow tr out migr ated fr om the r eser voir into the lower str eam ar ea dur ing
spr ing. These fish either r etur ned to the r eser voir as summer appr oached, or died, due to
the effects of r educed str eam flow and pollution.
Old Negr o For k, a tr ibutar y in the extr eme headwater s of the Nacimiento River in
M onter ey County, was also r ecognized as a steelhead pr oduction ar ea pr ior to the
constr uction of Nacimiento Reser voir (W. A. Evans, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 14 June
1950). The str eam was stocked with catchable r ainbow tr out at that time.
When sur veyed by the CDFG following dam constr uction on 15 October 1961, the
density of j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out was ver y low (visually estimated at about 49
tr out/100 m), and their distr ibution was r estr icted to below a 3-m high bedr ock bar r ier
located about 1.6 km upstr eam fr om the confluence with the Nacimiento. The tr out wer e
about 6.515 cm long. Other bedr ock and boulder bar r ier s wer e found in the headwater s
of the cr eek system. Spawning gr avel may have been limited, but r ear ing habitat appear ed
to be adequate for j uvenile steelhead and young r ainbow tr out. The str eam was obser ved
under ver y low flow conditions, following 3 yr of dr ought.
I n addition to pr evious plants of catchable r ainbow tr out, the Old Negr o For k was
included in the CDFG s development of br own tr out fisher ies in M onter ey County; for

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example, about 1,200 br own tr out finger lings wer e stocked, both above and below the falls,
on 23 June 1963 (M . L . Johnson, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 17 July 1963).
The CDFG sur veyed by use of electr ofishing four sections of the Old Negr o For k,
fr om the Ponder osa Campgr ound to about 1.1 km upstr eam, dur ing 18 August10
September 1992 (K . D. M ur phy, CDFG, unpubl. str eam sur vey data). M ean ( SD) section
length was 94 2 m. Section-specific mean lengths of j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out had
a small r ange (89 cm FL ) as all sections wer e dominated numer ically by young-of-the-year
tr out. The over all mean length was about 9 4 cm (n = 502), and ther e wer e no j uvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out >25 cm FL . Section-specific densities aver aged 144 69 tr out/100
m (r ange, 83233 tr out/100 m), based on abundance estimates made with the thr ee-pass
depletion method.
The CDFG r e-sur veyed the same four sections of the Old Negr o For k dur ing 35
August 1993 (K . D. M ur phy, CDFG, unpubl. str eam sur vey data). M ean ( SD) section
length was 95 4 m. Section-specific mean lengths of j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out
r anged fr om about 8 to 10 cm FL ; thus, as in 1992, all sections wer e dominated numer ically
by young-of-the-year tr out. The over all mean length was again about 9 4 cm (n = 750),
and only two j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out >25 cm FL wer e captur ed. Section-specific
densities aver aged about 1.5 times gr eater than in 1992 (c.f. above), at 217 57 tr out/100 m
(r ange, 148286 tr out/100 m), based on abundance estimates made with the thr ee-pass
depletion method.

Paso Robles Creek and Tributaries

Although spawning ar eas wer e obser ved, no j uvenile steelhead or other fishes wer e
seen in Paso Robles Cr eek dur ing a Januar y 1957 CDFG sur vey. I nsufficient flow for
steelhead migr ation in the Salinas River was noted as a pr imar y pr oblem. L ocal r esidents
r epor ted that steelhead enter ed the Paso Robles dr ainage in 1955 and 1957-58. I n a CDFG
sur vey r epor t fr om M ay 1960, j uvenile steelhead, about 5 cm in length, occur r ed at an
estimated minimum density of 410 tr out/pool. Spawning success appear ed to be high, and

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r ear ing occur r ed in shaded, isolated pools as str eam flow r eceeded in summer . The spor t
fisher y was minor due to limited access to pr ivate pr oper ty, and a 69 cm steelhead was
r epor tedly caught on hook-and-line the pr evious season. Catostomids and cypr inids wer e
also pr esent in the str eam at ver y high densities. The str eam has been alter ed as a r esult of
br idge constr uction, diver sions, and extr action of str eambed mater ials, and var ious
tr ibutar ies have been impounded. Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e abundant in Paso
Robles Cr eek when sur veyed by Bar clay (1975).
Jack Cr eek is a main tr ibutar y to Paso Robles Cr eek which has histor ically also
functioned as a steelhead spawning and r ear ing str eam. Such mention was made in the
r epor t of a M ay 1960 CDFG sur vey of the str eam. However , no j uvenile steelhead wer e
captur ed dur ing a CDFG electr ofishing sur vey in November 1973. I t was r epor ted that in
the 1950 s, lar ge number s of steelhead spawned in this str eam, but not in r ecent year s. One
substantial migr ation bar r ier and sever al pumping stations wer e noted. Two adult
steelhead wer e captur ed in Jack Cr eek in June 1975; one measur ed 71 cm FL and weighed
near ly 4 kg, the other was about 41 cm in length (San L uis Obispo Telegr am-Tr ibune, 18
June 1975). Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e limited in abundance in Jack Cr eek
when sur veyed by Bar clay (1975). The str eam has been alter ed by diver sions, the
constr uction of small r eser voir s, and extr action of str eambed mater ials, as evidenced by
documents contained in the CDFG files.
Santa Rita Cr eek is another maj or tr ibutar y to Paso Robles Cr eek. I t is compr ised
of flow fr om its nor th and south for ks. When sur veyed by the CDFG in M ay 1960,
spawning ar eas wer e pr esent in the main stem and both for ks, one diver sion pump was in
oper ation, and no bar r ier s wer e noted. Juvenile steelhead, 5 cm in length, wer e pr esent in
the main stem and lower nor th for k at a density of 45 tr out/pool. Per manent, well-shaded
pools pr ovided summer r ear ing habitat. Catostomids and cypr inids wer e pr esent in ver y
high densities. The dam at the Santa Rita Ranch was completed in 1965, which blocked
any potential upstr eam movement of steelhead spawner s. By November 1973 when the

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str eam was next sur veyed by the CDFG, steelhead wer e unable to r each the Paso Robles
dr ainage because of lack of a migr ation cor r idor by way of the Salinas River . No j uvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e captur ed by use of electr ofishing, although seven other
species of fish wer e pr esent. Appar ently, hatcher y r ainbow tr out wer e unsuccessfully
stocked in the r eser voir at the Santa Rita Ranch for sever al year s. Juvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e limited in abundance in Santa Rita Cr eek when sur veyed by
Bar clay (1975).

San Antonio River and Tributaries

The San Antonio River was one of the most impor tant spawning and r ear ing
tr ibutar ies for Salinas River steelhead. Snyder (1913) found j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow
tr out at both of two sampling stations in the San Antonio, near the mission and in the
mountains. He also noted that fishing for j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out was especially
good in the upper r eaches of the San Antonio River system.
Rainbow tr out wer e pr esent in the upper San Antonio River when sur veyed by the
CDFG dur ing the mid-1930 s. Spawning gr ounds wer e scatter ed in distr ibution, and the
pr esence of migr ation bar r ier s was noted. Ear ly CDFG r ecor ds also showed that the San
Antonio steelhead population was supplemented with 10,000 j uveniles in each of 1931 and
1932, and 15,000 (@ 1,764/kg) fr om the Br ookdale Hatcher y in 1938. I n addition, 60,000
hatcher y r ainbow tr out wer e planted dur ing 193032, and about 235,000 br own tr out
dur ing 193036.
Evidently, the San Antonio River was used by local CDFG per sonnel as an index of
the steelhead r un in the Salinas River ; a few steelhead enter ed the San Antonio dur ing the
winter of 1949-50, but none had been seen as of late Januar y 1951 (CDFG, unpubl. field
notes of 24 Januar y 1951). A local r esident r epor tedly saw four adult steelhead ascending
the str eam dur ing the winter of 1957-58 at the M er le Ranch, near the boundar y of the L os
Padr es National For est and Hunter L iggett M ilitar y Reser vation, in the upper San Antonio
(S. C. Smedley, CDFG, unpubl. field notes of 4 September 1958). I n addition, tr out

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water was said to begin about 1.6 km upstr eam fr om that point. The CDFG had
other wise obser ved that steelhead ascended the San Antonio in all year s when r ainfall was
sufficient to pr ovide continuous str eam flow to the Salinas River ; and that r esident
r ainbow tr out occur r ed in the headwater s to within about 5 km above the r anch (W. A.
Evans, CDFG, unpubl. intr aoffice. cor r . of 19 November 1958).
About 8 km of the lower San Antonio downstr eam fr om Pleyto Br idge was sur veyed
by the CDFG on 7 M ay 1959. Spawning and r ear ing habitats for steelhead wer e
nonexistent, as the str eam channel was br aided, the substr ate was mostly sand, and pool
development was poor . No j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e seen. Nor wer e any
found on 10 M ay 1960 in the upper most 6.5 km of the str eam contained within the Hunter
L iggett M ilitar y Reser vation (M . R. Schr eiber , CDFG, unpubl. intr aoffice cor r . of 13 M ay
1960).
The r esults of a CDFG sur vey conducted dur ing 1213 September 1961 confir med
ear lier sur veys, and pr ovided a gener al over view of the distr ibution of steelhead/r ainbow
tr out habitat in the San Antonio system, and its use by the species. The str eam was
sur veyed fr om about 2.0 km upstr eam fr om Fr esno Camp in the headwater s, downstr eam
to Pleyto Br idge, for a total distance of about 74 km. Str eam flow was minimal in the
headwater s, and nonexistent downstr eam fr om the M er le Ranch. Essentially, gr avel, pool,
cover , and water quality conditions consider ed suitable for steelhead/r ainbow tr out
spawning and r ear ing existed only in the headwater s, upstr eam fr om the M er le Ranch. A
1.2-m high flashboar d dam at the r anch cr eated a migr ation bar r ier ; water was also
diver ted fr om the str eam at this point. Rainbow tr out and br own tr out wer e pr esent in the
Fr esno Camp ar ea. I n a r elated document, it was r epor ted that the owner of the M er le
r anch planted hundr eds of hatcher y r ainbow and br own tr out into the San Antonio River
annually, upstr eam fr om the flashboar d dam (R. L . M oor e, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 26
October 1961).
As on the Nacimiento and upper mainstem Salinas r iver s, the San Antonio River

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was also developed for its water r esour ces, and a dam was constr ucted in the lower r iver
which began stor ing r unoff dur ing the winter of 1965-66. The patter n of flow r eleases fr om
the dam was not pr edicted to pr ovide per ennial flow conditions in the lower most r iver , and
the CDFG decided against developing a fisher y downstr eam fr om the dam (R. J. Hansen,
CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 4 September 1963).
Pr ior to impoundment, the CDFG conducted a sur vey of the entir e San Antonio
dr ainage to deter mine the necessity of chemical tr eatment to er adicate non-game fish
species. Str eam sur veys wer e made dur ing JulySeptember 1965 which r esulted in a
r elatively detailed descr iption of the distr ibution of steelhead/r ainbow tr out habitat and its
use by the species (M . L . Johnson, CDFG, unpubl. file r epor t of 10 September 1965). The
following ar eas lacked suitable spawning and r ear ing habitats, and wer e uninhabited by
j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out: the mainstem San Antonio, fr om the confluence with the
Salinas River upstr eam to the M er le Ranch; and the tr ibutar ies, Jolon Cr eek and M ission
Cr eek, with its tr ibutar y, Coleman Cr eek. Two tr ibutar ies, Wizar d Gulch and For est
Cr eek, may have suppor ted some spawning but lacked the str eam flow to pr ovide j uvenile
r ear ing habitat, and no fish wer e seen in these str eams.
The lower most mainstem tr ibutar y to contain r ainbow tr out was Bear Canyon
Cr eek, wher e these fish r anged in size fr om about 2.5 to 12.5 cm at a visually estimated
density of about 10 tr out/100 m. The main stem upstr eam fr om the M er le Ranch contained
r ainbow tr out (2.525 cm long, @ ~82 tr out/100 m), as did an unnamed headwater
tr ibutar y (2.520 cm long, @ ~13 tr out/100 m) and the tr ibutar y, Salsipuedes Cr eek (7.515
cm long, @ ~16 tr out/100 m). The Nor th For k San Antonio River contained r ainbow tr out
(2.520 cm long, @ ~1316 tr out/100 m) fr om the confluence with the main stem at the
M er le Ranch, to the headwater s. Sever al Nor th For k tr ibutar ies also suppor ted r ainbow
tr out, including: Rattlesnake Cr eek (512.5 cm long, @ ~3 tr out/100 m) and its tr ibutar y,
Pinal Cr eek (7.512.5 cm long, @ ~16 tr out/100 m); Sycamor e Cr eek (57.5 cm long, @ ~26
tr out/100 m); Car r izo Cr eek (2.525 cm long, @ ~16 tr out/100 m); and an unnamed

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headwater tr ibutar y (7.515 cm long, @ ~16 tr out/100 m). The Nor th For k tr ibutar y,
I ndians Cr eek, did not contain r ainbow tr out.
Stocking of hatcher y-r ear ed salmonids in the San Antonio River has continued over
the year s. For example, 2,000 r ainbow tr out (@ 551/kg) wer e planted in each of the upper
and lower r iver on 7 June 1980.
Although the availability of steelhead spawning and r ear ing habitat was ver y
limited in the lower San Antonio River even befor e dam constr uction (see above), the
CDFG still identified steelhead as inhabitants of the San Antonio below the r eser voir as of
1981 (R. Benthin, CDFG, unpubl. letter of 4 M ar ch 1981). Pr esumably, it was assumed
that steelhead still enter ed the lower r iver fr om the Salinas when r unoff was sufficient to
pr ovide a continuous migr ation cor r idor . However , lack of access to histor ic spawning and
r ear ing habitats in the per ennial headwater s gr eatly limits steelhead use of the San Antonio
River .

Santa Margarita Creek and Tributaries

Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e abundant in Santa M ar gar ita Cr eek when
sur veyed by Bar clay (1975).
Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e pr esent in the per ennial Santa M ar gar ita
Cr eek tr ibutar y, Tassaj ar a Cr eek, when sur veyed by the CDFG dur ing the mid-1930 s. A
lack of suitable spawning ar eas may have been a limiting factor for steelhead pr oduction.
As of 1951, a few steelhead still enter ed Tassaj ar a Cr eek when str eam flow was sufficient
(W. A. Evans, CDFG, unpubl. field notes of 5 Apr il 1951). Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow
tr out wer e abundant in Tassaj ar a Cr eek when sur veyed by Bar clay (1975).
The Tassaj ar a Cr eek steelhead population was supplemented with 10,000 j uveniles
in 1932, 8,000 in 1933, and 5,000 (@ 1,728/kg) fr om the Br ookdale Hatcher y on 29 June
1938.
Juvenile steelhead wer e pr esent in the per ennial Santa M ar gar ita Cr eek tr ibutar y,
Tr out Cr eek, when sur veyed by the CDFG dur ing the mid-1930 s. Spawning ar eas wer e

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common in the lower por tion of the 6.4 km long str eam, and scatter ed in the upper por tion.
No diver sions or migr ation bar r ier s wer e obser ved. Tr out Cr eek was appar ently r egar ded
by local angler s as one of the best tr out str eams in San L uis Obispo County, although the
sur veyer thought that steelhead pr oduction was limited by a lack of flow and heavy fishing
pr essur e.
Ear ly CDFG stocking r ecor ds showed that the Tr out Cr eek steelhead population
was supplemented with plants of 16,000 j uveniles in 1933, and 5,000 (@ 1,728/kg) fr om the
Br ookdale Hatcher y on 29 June 1938. Some 4,000 hatcher y-r ear ed r ainbow tr out wer e
planted in 1932, and a total of 21,000 br own tr out dur ing 19321936.

Salmon Creek Drainage

Salmon Cr eek is the souther nmost steelhead str eam in M onter ey County. I t is a
ver y high gr adient cr eek in which a 30 m high water fall, about 1.6 km upstr eam fr om the
mouth, mar ks the upper limit for steelhead access (CDFG, unpubl. field note of 7 Febr uar y
1961). The CDFG sur veyed the lower most 5.6 km of Salmon Cr eek dur ing 34 August
1961. The appr oximate str eam flow under late-summer conditions was str ikingly low: the
aver age at two stations in the upper cr eek was about 0.6 L /s. Spawning habitat in the
lower cr eek for steelhead was ver y limited; the availability for r esident r ainbow tr out
above the bar r ier falls was gener ally gr eater . Despite the exceptionally low flow conditions,
summer r ear ing habitat for j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out was appar ently adequate as
the high str eam gr adient and bedr ock substr ate r esulted in the for mation of many pools
with boulder cover . Ther e was only one small diver sion of water , fr om the upper cr eek to
the Salmon Cr eek Ranger Station. Ther e wer e two par tial bedr ock bar r ier s to steelhead
migr ation below the falls, and both par tial and complete bar r ier s to r esident r ainbow tr out
movement above the falls. Rainbow tr out in the upper cr eek wer e mostly about 2.515.0
cm in length (mean 5.0 cm), and occur r ed at a high visually-estimated density in one
r each of about 230 tr out/100 m. I n the lower cr eek, j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e
2.515.0 cm in length (mostly 5.010.0 cm) and the visually-estimated density fr om one pool

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count was about 178 tr out/100 m. Fishing pr essur e was heavy in the lower cr eek dur ing
the beginning of the tr out season in spr ing.
Salmon Cr eek was included in the CDFG s attempt to develop br own tr out fisher ies
in M onter ey County dur ing the 1950 s and 1960 s. On 9 M ay 1962, 6,000 br own tr out
finger lings wer e planted in the upper cr eek near the Spr uce Cr eek Camp (CDFG, unpubl.
field note of 9 M ay 1962). Conditions for tr out wer e gener ally favor able as descr ibed in the
1961 CDFG sur vey, and many 1015 cm long r ainbow tr out wer e obser ved. Another 600
br own tr out finger lings wer e planted in upper Salmon Cr eek on 23 June 1963. Neither of
these plants was evaluated for their success, although br own tr out sur vival in near by
str eams was ver y low (M . L . Johnson, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 14 October 1963).
Salmon Cr eek, along with Alder , M ill, Plaskett, and Pr ewitt cr eeks, is par ticular ly
inter esting in that it seems to r epr esent the lower dimensional thr eshold for dr ainages that
can be utilized by steelhead along the steep Big Sur Coast.

San Jose Creek Drainage

San Jose Cr eek was sur veyed by the CDFG in JulyAugust 1962, fr om the mouth to
the cr eek sour ce, for a distance of about 13 km. A 2.4 m bedr ock water fall for med a par tial
migr ation bar r ier to steelhead, about 2.4 km fr om the mouth. I n addition, a complete
bar r ier was for med by a 67.5 m high ear thfill dam, located another 2.4 km above the
water fall. M uch of the str eam bottom consisted of sand, but ther e wer e scatter ed beds of
suitable spawning gr avels for steelhead below the dam, and for r esident r ainbow tr out
above the dam. Rear ing habitat for j uvenile steelhead was adequate. Two small diver sions
wer e noted. The local war den estimated the annual r un of adult steelhead at 50100 fish.
Resident r ainbow tr out densities wer e ver y low in the 8 km of str eam above the dam; only
two 12.515 cm fish wer e seen. I n the 2.4 km section between the dam and water fall, the
density of 518 cm tr out was about 30 fish/km. O. mykiss density was highest in the 1.6 km
of flowing str eam below the water fall, wher e ther e wer e about 110 fish/km, 515 cm in
length. O. mykiss in the middle and lower sections aver aged 510 cm in length. I n

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summar y, r epr oduction and j uvenile r ecr uitment wer e successful in the cr eek sections
accessible to steelhead. The low density of r esident r ainbow tr out in the section above the
dam was attr ibuted to two successive year s of near ly complete desiccation in that por tion of
the str eam. These obser vations wer e in star k contr ast to a 1961 CDFG document which
stated that San Jose Cr eek was of little use to fishlife with r egar d to a pr oposed highway
br idge r eplacement pr oj ect (R. L . Jones, CDFG, unpubl. inter dep. comm. of 29 June 1961).
I n September 1962, the CDFG also made obser vations of sever al tr ibutar ies to San
Jose Cr eek, and the following conclusions wer e made. Seneca Cr eek, Van Winkler Cr eek,
and sever al small unnamed tr ibutar ies wer e j udged to have low potential for O. mykiss
pr oduction due to their steep gr adient and inter mittent flow. The Nor th For k San Jose
Cr eek r epor tedly had limited salmonid pr oduction potential. Obser vations wer e also made
of Williams Canyon Cr eek, the r epor t of which is included below.
When San Jose Cr eek was sur veyed again by the CDFG in M ay 1963, siltation of the
str eam bottom had intensified due to r unoff fr om heavy winter and spr ing stor ms. The
quality and quantity of both spawning and r ear ing habitat wer e r educed. No fish wer e
obser ved above the water fall, although sever al 15 cm j uvenile steelhead wer e seen
attempting to pass the falls.
As of August 1979, the ear thfill dam had been tempor ar ily r emoved to extr act
accumulated sediment. The damsite was now passable to steelhead and j uveniles wer e
obser ved in pools upstr eam fr om that point. San Jose Cr eek has appar ently not been
sur veyed in r ecent year s. However , in the r epor t of a 1990 sur vey of Williams Canyon
Cr eek (see below), it was mentioned that the cr eek had not r eached the ocean dur ing the
dr ought that had begun in water year 1986-87, thus pr ecluding steelhead migr ations to and
fr om the Pacific Ocean.

Williams Canyon Creek

When obser ved by the CDFG in September 1962, Williams Canyon Cr eek had
per ennial flow, and although none was seen dur ing this sur vey, the local war den r epor ted

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tr out to 1.6 km above the mouth. The str eam had limited spawning gr avels and was
heavily silted due to logging activities pr ior to 1900.
The CDFG sur veyed Williams Canyon Cr eek in Febr uar y and Apr il 1990, fr om the
confluence with San Jose Cr eek to the headwater s (F. Roddy, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 30
Apr il 1990). Gener ally, the cr eek was heavily silted, and consequently, no suitable
spawning ar eas wer e obser ved. Pools wer e also filled in with sand. I n a single 46 m r each
in the lower cr eek, only two O. mykiss wer e captur ed by electr ofishing. L engths and
weights wer e 149 and 170 mm FL , and 40 g and 60 g, r espectively. Sever al par tial and
complete migr ation bar r ier s wer e identified, cr eated by logj ams and culver ts. I n addition
to siltation, the obser ved low abundance of O. mykiss was attr ibuted to sever al successive
year s of dr ought. I t was noted that, dur ing the dr ought, San Jose Cr eek had not r eached
the ocean, thus pr ecluding both adult and j uvenile steelhead migr ations.

Soberanes Creek Drainage

The ver y small yet per ennial Sober anes Cr eek has not been accessible to steelhead
within r ecent geological histor y due to a 2.4 m water fall at the mouth. The str eam may also
be unsuitable habitat for r esident r ainbow tr out, as none was found when the lower most
3.2 km of the cr eek wer e spot-sampled with a dip net and electr ofisher on 4 Apr il 1989
(Rischbieter 1990b).

Soda Springs Creek Drainage

The lower most 1.6 km of Soda Spr ings Cr eek wer e sur veyed by the U.S. For est
Ser vice on 17 September 1981. The cr eek was descr ibed as a ver y small, r ocky, high
gr adient str eam with poor r iffle and pool development and little summer flow (~1.5 L /s
dur ing this sur vey). Ther e was a 3 m fall j ust above the Highway 1 cr ossing which cr eated
a complete bar r ier for upstr eam migr ating steelhead. No fishes wer e pr esent in the str eam
and, over all, Soda Spr ings Cr eek may simply be too small for steelhead use.

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Vicente Creek Drainage

The CDFG sur veyed lower Vicente Cr eek on 7 September 1961. The str eam was
descr ibed as small and r ugged. The cr eek had evidently not been populated by steelhead
within r ecent geological histor y, because of an impassable bedr ock fall near the mouth.
However , r esident r ainbow tr out wer e obser ved in pools beneath the Highway 1 br idge. A
local r esident r epor ted that the tr out population in the cr eek was small, and that the fish
caught wer e seldom >15 cm in length. The str eam was pr ivately owned and closed to
public access.

Villa Creek Drainage

Villa Cr eek is a small, r ocky, high gr adient str eam that has evidently not been
populated by steelhead within r ecent geological histor y. A CDFG sur vey of the lower most
5.6 km of the cr eek on 4 August 1961 r evealed the pr esence of a ser ies of bedr ock and
logj am bar r ier s, beginning near the mouth, which blocked steelhead access. No fish wer e
seen in the lower most thir d of the cr eek, nor in the extr eme headwater s. The mid-por tion
of the str eam was populated by r esident r ainbow tr out, 5.0 15.0 cm in length, at a visually-
estimated density of about 230 tr out/100 m. Spawning ar eas wer e ver y limited, but r ear ing
habitat in the for m of pools and cover seemed adequate. The sur vey r epor t indicated that
local r esidents had stocked the cr eek, pr esumably with r ainbow tr out, about 1900. Being
undocumented other wise, the r eliability of this stocking r ecor d is unclear .
On 11 August 1969, the CDFG r echecked lower Villa Cr eek for steelhead access
(CDFG, unpubl. field note of 21 August 1969). Ther e was a natur al boulder bar r ier about
90 m above the mouth that was deemed impassable by adult steelhead under high winter
flow conditions. No fish wer e seen in the lower most 180 m of the cr eek, although r ainbow
tr out up to 18 cm long wer e seen at a low density above this r each.
The U.S. For est Ser vice sur veyed the lower most 2.4 km of the cr eek on 19
September 1981 and r eaffir med the pr esence of the 6 m high boulder bar r ier , about 90 m
above the mouth, which blocked adult steelhead immigr ation. Over all, the char acter and

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condition of the cr eek seemed unchanged since the 1961 CDFG sur vey. The cr eek was
mor phologically stable thr ough most of the sur vey ar ea. Resident r ainbow tr out wer e
common in abundance, and visual density estimates aver aged 39 tr out/100 m in the lower
sur vey ar ea, and about 49 tr out/100 m in the upper sur vey ar ea. Cor r esponding mean
lengths wer e 14.6 cm and 16.0 cm (over all r ange, 2.525 cm).

Wildcat Creek Drainage

Wildcat Cr eek appar ently has too high a gr adient to pr ovide access or habitat
other wise for steelhead or r esident r ainbow tr out. This conclusion is based on the r esults
of a CDFG r econnaissance of the str eam in 1981 (as cited in Rischbieter 1990b).

Wild Cattle Creek Drainage

Wild Cattle Cr eek has appar ently not been used extensively by steelhead, if at all,
within r ecent geological histor y. The USFS sur veyed the lower most 800 m of the cr eek on
13 July 1981 and found that a 2.4 m boulder bar r ier would limit steelhead access to a point
about 90 m above the Highway 1 cr ossing. No fish wer e seen below or above the bar r ier .
Over all, the cr eek was deemed too steep, with too little pool development to suppor t
r ainbow tr out much less pr ovide spawning and r ear ing habitat for steelhead. Rainbow
tr out pr esence/absence was not evaluated above the sur vey ar ea wher e the str eam r an
thr ough pr ivate pr oper ty.

Willow Creek Drainage

Histor ically, Willow Cr eek was one of the most pr oductive steelhead str eams in
souther nmost M onter ey County. L ongtime visitor s to the cr eek r epor ted seeing adult
steelhead in gr oups of 1012 dur ing most year s, although none had been obser ved by ear ly
Febr uar y of the 19601961 spawning season when low flow conditions pr evailed (CDFG,
unpubl. field note of 7 Febr uar y 1961).
On 14 June 1961, the CDFG sur veyed a 1.6 km r each of Willow Cr eek, near the
confluence with the Nor th For k Willow Cr eek. Spawning gr avel for steelhead was scar ce

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in the sur vey r each, but r ear ing habitat in the for m of pools and cover was abundant.
Small diver sions r emoved water fr om the str eam for domestic use by local miner s. Juvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out occur r ed at a visually-estimated density of about 246 tr out/100 m.
The tr out wer e about 7.525.0 cm long, although most wer e <13 cm. A par t-time local
r esident since 1927 r epor ted that steelhead used the dr ainage to about 5 km above the main
stem/nor th for k confluence. He also r epor ted that summer angling pr essur e had incr eased
over the year s and that few catchable-size tr out r emained in the str eam after the ear ly
fishing season.
The CDFG sur veyed the entir e cr eek for a distance of about 18 km dur ing 25 July3
August 1961. L ike the other str eams in the ar ea, Willow Cr eek was char acter istically
small, had a low summer flow and a high gr adient, especially in the headwater s. Two small
diver sions wer e noted. The str eam substr ate was dominated by cobble, boulder s, and
bedr ock. Suitable gr avel for steelhead spawning occur r ed thr oughout the str eam but in
small quantities. The best spawning ar eas wer e in the upper half of the dr ainage, although
their use by steelhead was limited because of bedr ock and logj am bar r ier s above the main
stem/nor th for k confluence. Rear ing habitat in the for m of pools and cover was abundant
thr oughout the str eam. Visually-estimated densities of j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out
r anged fr om 98 to 246 tr out/100 m fr om upper to lower Willow Cr eek, and about 62
tr out/100 m in the nor th for k. Annual steelhead r uns had r epor tedly been well below
nor mal dur ing the pr evious 3 yr with low r ainfall.
When sur veyed by the USFS dur ing 2627 September 1981, the str eam had
appar ently degr aded somewhat fr om 20 yr ear lier because of siltation fr om mining in and
near the cr eek which r esulted in pool filling. Numer ous debr is dams in the middle and
upper str eam wer e also causing er osion and migr ation bar r ier s. The likely sour ces of
woody debr is wer e mining activity near the str eam and the L os Bur r os fir e of 1970. Water
quality was r educed fr om the input of or ganics, possibly sewage. Yet, pr oduction of
steelhead/r ainbow tr out and their inver tebr ate food items was still r ated r elatively highly.

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Visually-estimated densities in the lower , middle, and upper sur vey r eaches wer e 49, 66,
and 82 tr out/100 m, r espectively. The over all size r ange of tr out was 2.530.5 cm, and the
mean in each r each was about 13 cm. The lar gest individuals occur r ed in the mid- to upper
str eam.

San Luis Obispo County

Arroyo de la Cruz Drainage

The main stem Ar r oyo de la Cr uz is for med by the confluence of two main headwater
str eams, Bur nett and M ar molej o cr eeks. Burnett Creek is typically regarded as the headwater
extension of the main stem, and is tr eated so her e. The r elatively small body of information on
other tr ibutar ies is also included within this account on the main stem.
The Ar r oyo de la Cr uz dr ainage lies on pr oper ty owned by the Hear st Cor por ation,
which limits access to the str eam. CDFG obser vations beginning in 1937 descr ibed the
inter mittency of flow in the lower str eam, but the per sistence of the lagoon. Such observations
wer e made both in summer and winter . Although r ecor ds wer e not pr esent, the steelhead
population was evidently supplemented with j uvenile plants made in the lagoon.
The CDFG sur veyed the Ar r oyo de la Cr uz on 14 Januar y 1960. Spawning ar eas wer e
abundant in the lower most 11 km of the str eam, but scar cer above this point towar d the
headwater s. Rear ing habitat was adequate thr oughout, but of highest quality in the upper
str eam ar ea. No per manent diver sions or bar r ier s wer e noted. Cattle gr azing caused
str eambank er osion in the lower most 11 km of str eam, but siltation was not extr eme. No fish
wer e seen in the str eam dur ing this sur vey, but they wer e when the CDFG made another br ief
sur vey on 29 June 1960. Juvenile steelhead, 510 cm long, occur r ed in appr oximate densities
of 50100 fish/pool. The Ar r oyo de la Cr uz tr ibutar y, Gr een Canyon Cr eek, also contained
2550 j uvenile steelhead (47.5 cm long) per pool during this survey. A silt-filled 3 m high dam
with a dysfunctional fish ladder was located about 8.4 km upstr eam fr om the confluence with
Gr een Canyon Cr eek.

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The str eam was sur veyed again by the CDFG, fr om the mouth to its headwater
tr ibutar ies, in August 1973. The over all condition of the str eam was appar ently about the
same as in 1960, although water extr action had incr eased due to the pr esence of two diver sion
weir s (inoper ative at the time of the sur vey) and thr ee wells in the system. Juvenile steelhead
wer e obser ved thr oughout the dr ainage, except above impassable waterall barriers on Burnett
Cr eek and its tr ibutar y, Spanish Cabin Cr eek. Aside fr om a high abundance of young-of-the-
year in Gr een Canyon Cr eek, densities of young steelhead in the other tributaries were judged
to be low, r elative to the amount of available habitat. All j uvenile steelhead found in the upper
Ar r oyo de la Cr uz, Bur nett Cr eek, Spanish Cabin Cr eek, and M ar molej o Cr eek were covered
with black spots thought to be encysted metacer car ia of the monogenetic tr ematode, Neascus,
such as those found on steelhead in San Car poj o Cr eek. Juvenile steelhead in Gr een Canyon
Cr eek did not have the black spot disease .
The Ar r oyo de la Cr uz was sur veyed dur ing September October 1978 (G. J. Stone,
unpubl. file r epor t to the CDFG). Str eam condition was similar to that in 1973. Juvenile
steelhead wer e captur ed both with hook-and-line and by electrofishing. The lagoon supported
a lar ge number of steelhead, which wer e silver y and 1520 cm long. Fr om SK M 10.5 thr ough
20 in Bur nett Cr eek, tr out as lar ge as 35.6 cm wer e caught in lar ge pools. About 75% of all
steelhead obser ved wer e infected to var ying degr ees by the black spot disease. Obser vations
made in the upper Ar r oyo de la Cr uz and tr ibutar ies suggested that j uvenile abundance was
about 33 tr out/100 m.
Dur ing 17 August22 October 1978, K nable (1978) estimated j uvenile steelhead
abundance and biomass in the Ar r oyo de la Cr uz and five other San L uis Obispo County
coastal str eams. The Ar r oyo de la Cr uz was selected to r epr esent a steelhead pr oduction
system appr oximating pr istine conditions. Abundance and biomass wer e estimated using
electr ofishing and the two-pass r emoval method in six randomly-selected, 30.5 m long sections,
in thr ee 1.6 km long str eam r eaches. M ost of the str eam was dr y below SK M 11.
M ean estimated j uvenile density was 13 15 tr out/100 m (r ange, 046 tr out/100 m).

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Estimates of population on a kilometer basis incr eased fr om downstr eam (70 tr out in SK M
6.48.0) to upstr eam (439 tr out in SK M 16.117.7). M any j uvenile steelhead wer e also seen in
the lar ge lagoon and in lar ge pools in SK M 17.719.3, but no abundance estimates wer e made
at these locations. Appar ently, j uvenile r ecr uitment in 1978 was poor as only 2% of sampled
tr out (n = 52) wer e likely young-of-the-year (50 99 mm in length), 54% wer e 100149 mm,
and 44% wer e 150199 mm. M ost sampled tr out wer e year lings as aver age individual mass
was 29 g.
K nable (1978) concluded that the Ar r oyo de la Cr uz dr ainage r emained basically
unalter ed, r elative to the other cr eeks in his sur vey. Exceptions wer e conver sion of the
r ipar ian cor r idor to gr azing land to within 9 m of the str eam, and fecal pollution fr om
livestock.
I n November 1978, the Hear st Cor por ation applied to the Califor nia State Water
Resour ces Contr ol Boar d for a per mit to pump water fr om the Ar r oyo de la Cruz. The CDFG
and Jones & Stokes Associates conducted a cooper ative study dur ing AugustOctober 1981 to
collect baseline data on the life histor y and population size and str uctur e of steelhead in the
str eam. The for thcoming synopsis of the r esults of this study ar e based on Jones & Stokes
Associates and Califor nia Depar tment of Fish and Game (1982) and data contained in the
CDFG file (P. Chappell, CDFG, unpubl. data).
On 19 August 1981, 111 j uvenile steelhead wer e captur ed in the Ar r oyo de la Cr uz
lagoon by electr ofishing and hook-and-line. The steelhead had a mean ( SD) length of 15.3
1.6 cm FL (r ange, 10.520.0 cm FL ; Fig. 16) and wer e pr imar ily age 1+. Ther e was no
significant differ ence in steelhead for k lengths among captur e methods (t = 0.26, p = 0.80).
The lagoon was isolated at this time, due to a lack of fr eshwater inflow and a sandbar which
closed the mouth of the str eam. One hundr ed of the captur ed fish wer e mar ked and r eleased
for futur e r ecaptur e and estimation of abundance. The lagoon population was sampled again
by hook-and-line dur ing 2527 August 1981. Of 100 steelhead, only one was a r ecaptur e and
the abundance estimate for the lagoon was 5,100 fish; confidence limits could not be calculated

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because of the extr emely low r ecaptur e r ate.

The second phase of this study was conducted dur ing 2022 October 1981 when two
r eaches of Bur nett Cr eek wer e sampled by use of electr ofishing to estimate j uvenile steelhead
abundances. Str eam flow was continuous in Bur nett Cr eek fr om the Van Gor don Cr eek
confluence, to about 0.8 km below the M ar molej o Cr eek confluence in the main stem Ar r oyo
de la Cr uz. Ther e was inter r upted flow upstr eam and downstr eam fr om these points,
r espectively, although the main stem was completely dry downstream from the confluence with
L ong Canyon. The estimated density of j uvenile steelhead in a 30.5 m r each about 0.4 km
above the Van Gor don Cr eek confluence was 249 fish/100 m (95% C.L ., 171328 fish/100 m).
I n a 38 m r each about 0.8 km above the confluence with Spanish Cabin Cr eek, estimated
density was near ly identical: 241 fish/100 m (194289 fish/100 m). The fish aver aged 7.1 2.8
cm FL (r ange, 3.520.5 cm FL ; n = 140), and 92% of the combined sample compr ised age 0+
fish; 7% wer e age 1+ and 1% was age 2+. The black spot disease was pr evalent among
captur ed fish, and some individuals wer e smolting. The Ar r oyo de la Cr uz was char acter ized
by large bedrock pools where young-of-the-year steelhead were abundant. High concentrations
of young steelhead in isolated pools wer e found as far upstream in the system as Burnett Creek
near Bur nett Camp. This str eam ar ea lacked a r ipar ian under stor y, and str eam banks wer e
er oded due to heavy gr azing pr essur e.
A complementar y analysis was conducted to deter mine if there was a difference in size-
at-age between lagoon-dwelling steelhead and those sampled from the perennial stream reach,
as descr ibed above (W. M . Snider , CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 6 Januar y 1982). One could
pr edict that lagoon-r ear ing steelhead would have higher gr owth r ates than cr eek-r ear ing
steelhead. However , ther e was no significant differ ence (t = 0.55, p = 0.59) in aver age ( SD)
backcalculated for k length at age 1 between lagoon-dwelling (89.4 11.7 cm FL , n = 43) and
str eam-dwelling (91.9 14.9 cm FL , n = 9) steelhead fr om the 1980 year -class; ther e wer e too
few fish fr om the 1979 year -class to be statistically analyzed. This r esult indicated that all age
1+ steelhead had r ear ed under similar conditions in the str eam por tion of the system thr ough

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their fir st year of gr owth. Steelhead found in the lagoon appar ently migr ated downstr eam
dur ing their second year . I t was concluded that the cr eek was used for spawning and as a
young-of-the-year nur ser y, while the lagoon functioned pr imar ily as a r ear ing ar ea for 1+
steelhead.
The Hear st Ranch diver sion was eventually appr oved with stipulations for a fish
passage str uctur e at the weir .
Dur ing the 1983-84 steelhead season, the Santa L ucia Flyfishing Club conducted a creel
census of four San L uis Obispo County coastal str eams, including the Ar r oyo de la Cr uz
(Santa L ucia Flyfishing Club, San L uis Obispo, newsletter of Apr il 1984). Sur veys occur r ed
on 20 of the 50 legal fishing days, dur ing which 83 angler s wer e inter viewed and 112 steelhead
wer e r epor tedly landed as a r esult of 239.25 hr of angling. Of these fish, 111 wer e j uveniles
20 cm in length. One adult steelhead was taken on 15 Januar y 1984 which measur ed 74 cm in
length. Sever al other adult steelhead wer e obser ved in the str eam thr oughout Januar y, and
one was seen on 22 M ar ch 1984 which was tr apped in the cr eek as a sandbar had closed the
mouth by 25 Januar y 1984.
Jones & Stokes Associates (1986) collected additional baseline data on the Arroyo de la
Cr uz steelhead population in 1985. Juvenile steelhead abundance estimates were made by use
of electr ofishing and the thr ee-pass r emoval method. One 30.5 m r iffle in each of upper and
lower Bur nett Cr eek, and in the upper main stem Ar r oyo de la Cr uz, was sampled in July and
October . Abundance estimates ( SD) aver aged 289 98 tr out/100 m in July, but when the
same r iffles wer e sampled again in October , abundances had decr eased by an aver age of 55%
when mean estimated abundance was 129 46 tr out/100 m. Similar ly, j uvenile steelhead
abundances, deter mined by dir ect enumer ation (snor keling) in one shallow pool in each of
upper and lower Bur nett Cr eek, r anged fr om about 230525 fish/100 m in July, and decreased
to an aver age ( SD) obser ved abundance of 167 69 fish/100 m in October . These losses
may have been due in par t to a r eduction in both quantity and quality of habitat as str eam
flow decr eased. The estimated abundance of j uvenile steelhead in the lagoon in October was

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424 fish, as deter mined by combined snorkeling and electrofishing counts. Juvenile population
str uctur e and distr ibution of age-classes wer e similar to those found in the 1981 sur vey. The
population segment in Bur nett Cr eek and the upper Ar r oyo de la Cr uz was highly dominated
by age 0+ steelhead. The mean length of these fish only incr eased fr om 55.1 mm FL in July to
61.3 mm FL in October , which was pr obably the r esult of not only poor growth as indicated by
the author s, but per haps also size-selective mor tality and/or disper sal. Only 1015 age 1+
tr out, about 150300 mm in length, wer e obser ved in the October cr eek samples, thus
compr ising a small pr opor tion of the j uvenile population in the str eam por tion of the system.
L agoon-dwelling steelhead in October r anged fr om about 120250 mm FL . Age 1+ fish
dominated in number and the mode in the length-fr equency distr ibution was between 150 and
160 mm FL . Ther e was a r elatively small pr opor tion of age 2+ and 3+ fish and young-of-the-
year wer e absent. Nineteen of the 24 tr out (79% ) in the lagoon had mor phological
char acter istics of smolts (absence of par r mar ks, silver y color ation, reduced condition factor);
the mean condition factor (105[weight, g]/[fork length, mm]3) of smolt-like steelhead (1.16) was
lower than that of all steelhead in the lagoon (1.33). As in ear lier sur veys, the black spot
disease was pr evalent among j uvenile steelhead in the str eam por tion of the system, but <20%
of lagoon-dwelling steelhead wer e infested with the par asite. Two adult steelhead wer e
obser ved which had been tr apped in fr esh water since the pr evious spawning season: one in
the lagoon estimated at about 4 kg; and one in upper Bur nett Cr eek, a male which measur ed
635 mm FL and 2.2 kg. The skeleton of a thir d adult was found in Bur nett Cr eek; the size of
this fish was estimated at 510 mm, based on skeletal length. I nter r upted sur ficial flow in the
lower Ar r oyo de la Cr uz separ ated the per ennial str eam fr om the lagoon typically for 35
months each year , depending on inter annual differ ences in pr ecipitation. The conclusions of
this study wer e essentially the same as those of Snider, above: (i) the perennial stream was used
for spawning and fir st year r ear ing of steelhead; and (ii) age 1 steelhead migrated downstream
wher e possibly some smolted and continued to the ocean, while other s r ear ed for one or mor e
year s in the lagoon befor e emigr ating to salt water .

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I n 1993, the CDFG assessed the str eam habitat and associated steelhead population in
the Ar r oyo de la Cr uz (Nelson 1994d). This suite of studies consisted of str eam sur veys,
emigr ant tr apping, and electr ofishing surveys. Stream survey results are highlighted here first
to pr ovide an over view of the study ar ea.
The main stem was sur veyed on 6 July 1993 fr om the lagoon to the confluence of
Bur nett and M ar molej o cr eeks for a distance of 18 km. The lower most 15.6 km wer e dr y
except for isolated bedr ock and boulder -scour pools. Ther e was per ennial flow in the
upper most 2.4 km, and the lagoon was full. The channel in the low-gr adient dr y section was
r elatively br oad with denuded, er oding str eam banks. These conditions wer e associated with
cattle gr azing and numer ous r oad cr ossings, pr imar ily in the lower 810 km of str eam. The
per ennial r each had a moder ate gr adient and mor e confined channel stabilized with r ipar ian
vegetation. Spawning ar eas wer e abundant. M ost of the habitat was pools and step-runs with
sufficient cover to pr ovide per ennial r ear ing habitat for j uvenile steelhead. Age 0+, 1+, and
2+ steelhead wer e seen in isolated pools in the dr y r each and thr oughout the per ennial r each.
Bur nett Cr eek was sur veyed on 7 Apr il 1993 fr om the M ar molej o Cr eek confluence to
Spanish Cabin Cr eek for a distance of about 2.4 km. With r egar d to gr adient, channel and
str eambank stability, Bur nett Cr eek was basically a continuation of the mainstem per ennial
r each as descr ibed above. Ther e wer e numer ous small spawning ar eas, and an abundance of
pools and r uns with cover pr ovided r ear ing habitat. The silt-filled weir with inadequate fish
ladder seen in ear lier sur veys was still pr esent. Apparently, the weir was only a partial barrier
as age 0+ and 1+ steelhead wer e seen thr oughout the r each.
The lower most 1.8 km of M ar molej o Cr eek wer e sur veyed on 17 August 1993. About
0.64 km above the mouth, a ser ies of boulder s cr eated a likely bar r ier to immigr ating adult
steelhead. Other wise, the gener al char acter of the lower 1.1 km was much the same as at
Bur nett Cr eek, with r egar d to gr adient, channel confinement, r ipar ian canopy, and the
pr esence of spawning and r ear ing habitats. Above the point, the channel was br oad, r ipar ian
canopy was lacking, and flow was subsur face, per haps the r esult of cattle gr azing. Ther e was

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sur ficial flow fur ther upstr eam but this ar ea was not sur veyed extensively. Age 0+ through 2+
steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e seen above and below the boulder ser ies, and above the dr y
r each.
Over all, conditions in the dr ainage seemed little changed from earlier surveys, with the
negative impacts of cattle gr azing on str eam habitat per sisting.
Nelson (1994d) fished a downstr eam migr ant tr ap on the main stem at SK M 1.1 fr om 5
Apr il 1993 to 5 June 1993. Dur ing nine weeks of tr apping, 44 steelhead parr, 24 partial smolts,
134 smolts, 11 r ainbow tr out, and 1 post-spawning adult wer e captur ed. Par r aver aged 71.2
mm TL (r ange, 35120 mm TL ) and wer e thus dominated by age 0+ fish, while par tial smolts,
smolts, and r ainbow tr out aver aged 180.0 mm TL (r ange, 105335 mm TL ) and wer e
dominated by age 1+ and 2+ fish. The adult steelhead was 491 mm TL . About 75% of smolts
wer e captur ed dur ing the fir st two weeks of tr apping, which indicated that many smolts
emigr ated pr ior to 5 apr il 1993.
Nelson (1994d) estimated the abundance of j uvenile steelhead in the per ennial reach of
the Ar r oyo de la Cr uz dur ing 1819 October 1993, using electr ofishing and the multiple-pass
r emoval method. The estimated abundance from composite catches in three 91 m long sections
was 185 tr out, or 67 tr out/100 m. The expanded estimate for the 3.2 km per ennial r each was
2,165 tr out. The captur ed tr out wer e 56269 mm TL , but the catch was dominated by young-
of-the-year 50100 mm TL (54% ) and year lings 100150 mm TL (36% ).
Nelson (1994d) continued upstream with abundance estimates in two 91 m long sections
in Bur nett Cr eek. The estimated abundance fr om composite catches was 157 tr out, or 86
tr out/100 m. The expanded estimate for the 2.7 km per ennial r each was 2,334 tr out. The
captur ed tr out wer e 56244 mm TL , but again the catch was dominated by young-of-the-year
50100 mm TL (49% ) and year lings 100150 mm TL (32% ).
M ar molej o Cr eek only had 81 m of live str eam, all of which was sampled. Nelson
(1994d) estimated abundance in this r each at 116 tr out, or 144 tr out/100 m. The captur ed
tr out wer e 53224 mm TL , and highly dominated by young-of-the-year 50100 mm TL (82% ).

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Nelson (1994d) concluded that the Ar r oyo de la Cr uz pr ovided an abundance of

spawning habitat, but that high quality rearing habitat was limited because of interrupted flow
conditions. She r ecommended that the Ar r oyo de la Cr uz be pr otected as a steelhead
pr oduction system by maintaining the per ennial stream reaches and the lagoon. Removing the
silt-filled weir on Bur nett Cr eek would enhance str eam channel function and steelhead access
to the upper most dr ainage. Fur ther enhancement would be gained by incr easing wetted
str eam length in r eaches used by steelhead. Sedimentation fr om cattle gr azing in the upper
dr ainage was r egar ded as a negative impact needing attention.
Results fr om K nable (1978), Jones & Stokes Associates and Califor nia Depar tment of
Fish and Game (1982), Jones & Stokes Associates (1986), and Nelson (1994d) demonstr ate the
tempor al var iation in j uvenile steelhead densities and age str uctur e in the per ennial r each of
the Ar r oyo de la Cr uz and Bur nett Cr eek. Juvenile densities aver aged 27 10 tr out/100 m in
ear ly fall 1978, 245 6 tr out/100 m in October 1981, 129 45 tr out/100 m in October 1985,
and 76 13 tr out/100 m in October 1993. M ost captur ed steelhead wer e year lings in 1978,
young-of-the-year in 1981 and 1985, and ther e was a relatively high proportion of yearling and
older fish in 1993. L ow densities of pr opor tionately many yearlings observed in 1978 and 1993
may have r eflected the impact of the 197677 and 198692 dr oughts on the steelhead
population.

Arroyo Grande Creek Drainage

The Ar r oyo Gr ande Cr eek dr ainage ar ea has been developed extensively for
agr icultur e, and the str eam is appar ently heavily eutr ophicated because of the dischar ge of
nutr ient-r ich agr icultur al wastewater . Among other impacts, water is both diver ted fr om the
str eam and pumped fr om the gr ound for ir r igation. The lower most por tion of the str eam,
fr om the city of Ar r oyo Gr ande to the str eam mouth, is channelized for flood contr ol.
Histor ically, the Ar r oyo Gr ande system has suppor ted steelhead, and r ainbow trout in
the mountainous headwater s (Jor dan 1895). A mid-1930 s CDFG sur vey r epor t in the upper
Ar r oyo Gr ande mentioned the pr esence of both r ainbow tr out and j uvenile steelhead and that

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fishing pr essur e was heavy. A Januar y 1949 CDFG field note mentioned that steelhead
enter ed the str eam dur ing high flow per iods, in M ay 1950 many young-of-the-year and 515
cm j uveniles wer e obser ved in the upper str eam, and in October 1950 the str eam was deemed
unsuitable for r ainbow tr out stocking because of inter r upted flow. Angling for j uvenile
steelhead, those of which occur r ed by the hundr eds in the str eam s lagoon, was r epor tedly
good in M ay 1953. I n a Januar y 1959 CDFG sur vey, the str eam was r ated as a fair to good
steelhead spawning and r ear ing ar ea. Spawning gr ounds wer e r elatively scar ce in the lower
str eam but mor e abundant in the middle and upper por tions. Juvenile steelhead wer e not
obser ved dur ing this sur vey. No migr ation bar r ier s wer e seen. Fishing was r epor tedly heavy
in both the winter steelhead season and the summer tr out season. I n June 1959, a low density
of j uvenile steelhead was obser ved in the upper str eam above the confluence with the Ar r oyo
Gr ande tr ibutar y, L opez Canyon Cr eek.
The CDFG sur veyed the str eam again in May 1960. L ow densities of rainbow trout and
j uvenile steelhead wer e seen, r anging in length fr om 5 to 30.5 cm. I t was also r epor ted that
catchable r ainbow tr out wer e planted r egular ly each year when flow conditions per mitted.
The str eam was noted as suppor ting one of the lar ger steelhead r uns in the south coast r egion,
which was estimated to be equal in magnitude to those found in Santa Rosa Cr eek, the Arroyo
de la Cr uz, San Simeon Cr eek, and San Car poj o Cr eek.
A coar se estimate of the long-ter m tr end in the Ar r oyo Gr ande steelhead r un was
constr ucted by the CDFG in 1961 (Table 2), based on inter views of about 50 local landowner s
and spor tsmen (R. N. Hinton, CDFG, unpubl. file r epor t of 1 M ar ch 1961). Appar ently,
maximum estimated r un size had decr eased by a factor of about 50, fr om 5,000 adults in 1940
to less than 100 adults in 1960. Sever al hundr ed j uvenile steelhead had been seen in the cr eek
in each of the past few year s.
A few adult steelhead wer e eventually seen later in the 1960-61 season. Two wer e
r epor tedly taken by angler s on 4 M ar ch 1961 in the sur f off the mouth of the cr eek. One of
these fish was 54.5 cm in length and weighed about 1.4 kg. A 61 cm female and 12 smaller (23

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25 cm) steelhead wer e seen in the lower str eam in mid-M ar ch 1961. Juvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out, 518 cm long, wer e obser ved on 21 M ar ch 1961 within a 3 km r each
below the confluence with L opez Canyon Cr eek. Str eam flow was inter r upted, and the tr out
wer e concentr ated in pools. No adults wer e seen, although about 12 potential r edds wer e
located within this r each which other wise lacked suitable spawning gr avel.
By the time of a CDFG sur vey in September 1972, the Ar r oyo Grande had deteriorated
substantially as a viable steelhead str eam. L opez Dam, constr ucted at the confluence with
L opez Canyon Cr eek dur ing the mid-1960 s (see below), blocked steelhead access to upstream
spawning and r ear ing ar eas. Two small diver sion dams wer e also noted in the lower str eam.
Numer ous diver sions had been installed along the str eam cour se and var ious for ms of
pollution wer e noted. No j uvenile steelhead wer e obser ved in the str eam, but some adult
steelhead wer e r epor tedly caught each year by local r esidents.
The Ar r oyo Gr ande was surveyed again in August 1978, from the mouth to L opez Dam,
an estimated 19 km (G. Stone, CDFG, unpubl. file r epor t of 31 August 1978). The sur vey
consisted of visual obser vations and electr ofishing. Spawning areas were limited, and siltation
was noted as a pr oblem thr oughout much of the str eam, with sediment depths of 2.515 cm.
Rear ing habitat, on the other hand, was adequate. Over all, the condition of the str eam was
unimpr oved since the 1972 sur vey, with the exception that willows were being allowed to grow
back in the channelized lower str eam. No j uvenile steelhead wer e seen or captur ed.
Dur ing 17 August22 October 1978, K nable (1978) estimated j uvenile steelhead
abundance and biomass in Ar r oyo Gr ande Cr eek and five other San L uis Obispo County
coastal str eams. The Ar r oyo Gr ande was selected to r epr esent a steelhead pr oduction system
having under gone significant modification. No j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e seen or
captur ed by electr ofishing in six r andomly-selected, 30.5 m long sections, in four 1.6 km long
str eam r eaches. K nable (1978) viewed the Ar r oyo Gr ande as the most sever ly degr aded
steelhead str eam in his sur vey, pr imarily due to channelization, water diversions, and siltation.
The Ar r oyo Gr ande has appar ently not been sur veyed in r ecent year s, yet the presence

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of a viable steelhead r esour ce was mentioned in recent (through 1991) CDFG file documents in
connection with a var iety of pr oposed development pr oj ects.

Lopez Canyon Creek and Other Tributaries

Accor ding to Jor dan (1895), L opez Canyon Creek was the best-known trout stream in
San L uis Obispo County . Sever al Ar r oyo Gr ande Cr eek tr ibutar ies wer e sur veyed by the
CDFG in mid-M ar ch 1961. Juvenile steelhead, 1015 cm in length, occur r ed in densities of
about 25 fish/pool in L opez Canyon Cr eek, and in its tr ibutar y, Vasquez Cr eek, at about 13
fish/pool. I n contr ast, no steelhead wer e obser ved in Cor bett Canyon and Tar Springs creeks,
although potential spawning substr ate was pr esent in Tar Spr ings which may have supported
some spawning dur ing winter s of high pr ecipitation.
L opez Canyon Cr eek was fully sur veyed by the CDFG on 10 August 1961. Some
excellent spawning ar eas wer e obser ved, although they wer e limited in the bedr ock
headwater s. Rear ing habitat was adequate for small j uvenile steelhead. No bar r ier s or
diver sions wer e seen. Str eam flow became inter r upted in the middle and lower portions of the
str eam. Young steelhead/r ainbow tr out, r anging in length fr om about 5 to 15 cm, occur r ed in
visually-estimated densities of 26 tr out/100 m in the upper section, 384 tr out/100 m in the
middle section, and 39 tr out/100 m in the lower section. Over all, L opez Canyon Cr eek was
r ated highly as a steelhead pr oduction ar ea, with a compar able pr oduction potential of Santa
Rosa and San Car poj o cr eeks.
The lower most 3.2 km of Vasquez Cr eek was sur veyed by the CDFG on 20 December
1961. Near ly all the str eam bottom consisted of suitable spawning gr avel. Ther e wer e few
pools and little cover to pr ovide r ear ing habitat, however . A cement swimming pool with
flashboar d dam, built into the cr eek about 1.2 km above the mouth, cr eated a steelhead
migr ation bar r ier . A low density of 510 cm long j uvenile steelhead was obser ved, and it was
pr edicted that r ecr uitment had been low dur ing the past sever al dr y year s. Ther e was little or
no fishing. Vasquez Cr eek was r ecognized as a fair to good spawning tributary when steelhead
wer e able to access L opez Canyon.

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The lower most 1.6 km of Wittenbur g Cr eek, the next Ar r oyo Gr ande tr ibutar y
upstr eam fr om L opez Canyon, was also checked by the CDFG on 20 December 1960. Str eam
flow was ver y low in this section and dr y upstr eam fr om ther e. At least half the stream bottom
contained suitable spawning gr avel for steelhead. A local r esident of 23 yr s r epor ted that
steelhead had not spawned in the cr eek since the winter of 1957-58, and that ther e used to be
lots of (steelhead) spawning in the cr eek.
The lower most 0.4 km of Vasquez Creek was walked by the CDFG on 22 February 1962
to look for spawning adult steelhead. None was seen, although a local r esident r epor tedly saw
two adults spawning j ust above the confluence with L opez Canyon Cr eek and one spent adult
moving downstr eam, the pr evious weekend.
Ear ly fish stocking r ecor ds showed that the L opez Canyon steelhead population was
supplemented with a plant of 10,000 j uveniles in 1930, 25,000 in 1932, 24,000 in 1933, and
15,000 (@ 1,587/kg) fr om Brookdale Hatchery (Santa Cruz County) in 1938. The lower section
of the cr eek was stocked annually with catchable r ainbow tr out as of the August 1961 CDFG
sur vey.
The system was gr eatly alter ed when, dur ing the mid-1960 s, L opez Dam was
constr ucted on the Ar r oyo Gr ande at the confluence with L opez Canyon Creek. The dam thus
blocked steelhead access to upstr eam spawning gr ounds in L opez Canyon, Vasquez,
Wittenbur g, and upper Ar r oyo Gr ande cr eeks . Par tial mitigation for this loss was the
development of a catchable r ainbow tr out fisher y in L opez Reser voir . Juvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out, 523 cm long, wer e obser ved in L opez Canyon Creek under low flow
conditions in a CDFG electr ofishing sur vey made dur ing 2728 August 1968 (CDFG, unpubl.
data; E. V. Toffoli, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of September 1968). I n contrast, none was found in
the cr eek in a CDFG electr ofishing sur vey conducted dur ing 1012 May 1978 (CDFG, unpubl.
data).

Cayucos Creek Drainage

Cayucos Cr eek enter s the Pacific Ocean along the nor th shor e of Ester o Bay. Four

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dams in the dr ainage wer e sur veyed by the CDFG in Januar y 1962 to deter mine steelhead
passage; thr ee wer e deemed impassable. Steelhead wer e appar ently still present in the stream
in 1989 (B. Hunter , CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 28 September 1989), yet historical records on the
size and dynamics of this population ar e other wise lacking.

Chorro Creek Drainage

Chor r o Cr eek flows fr om dense chapar r al in its headwater s, to a gently r olling
gr assland and oak woodland landscape, then thr ough agr icultur al land until it enter s M or r o
Bay. The dam at Chor r o Reser voir , located about 4 km from the streamss headwaters, marks
the upstr eam limit of 19 km of potential steelhead habitat.
The str eam was sur veyed by the CDFG in M ar ch 1958. At that time, ther e was an
appar ent abundance of high quality spawning and r ear ing habitat. Except for Chor r o Dam,
no migr ation bar r ier s wer e noted, and no pollution sour ces wer e seen. Water was pumped
fr om the str eam in summer for agr icultur al ir r igation. Flow was intermittent in some sections
in the summer . Steelhead wer e not obser ved in Chor r o Cr eek dur ing this sur vey due to high
flow and tur bidity, although anecdotes mentioned in the sur vey report described observations
of ascending adult steelhead (2030 counted at one point within 0.5 hr as they pr oceeded
upstr eam) and angling for steelhead near the cr eek mouth.
Some 3,167 catchable r ainbow tr out wer e stocked in the str eam in 1960. A total of
208,436 catchable r ainbow tr out wer e planted in Chor r o Reser voir fr om 1953 to 1968 to
suppor t a put-and-take fisher y.
When Chor r o Creek was surveyed by the CDFG in May 1973, several pollution sources,
including the dischar ge of agr icultur al wastewater and chlor inated, secondar ily tr eated
sewage, wer e degr ading the system. Water quality was appar ently impacted and enhanced
eutr ophication was noted in the lower str eam ar ea. I n addition, a number of culver ts wer e
noted as potential migr ation bar r ier s, especially under low flow conditions, and one pumping
diver sion was sited. L ocal r esidents r epor ted captur ing j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out in
both the main stem and tr ibutar ies, and obser ved spawning steelhead in the cr eek and its

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tr ibutar ies dur ing the winter of 1973. So, despite habitat degr adation, the str eam still
maintained at least a small r un of steelhead.
Thir teen migr ation bar r ier s of var ying degr ee, caused mostly by dams and r oad
cr ossings, wer e identified thr oughout the dr ainage by the CDFG in 1974 (W. M . Snider ,
CDFG, unpubl. file r epor t of November 1974). Four of these bar r ier s wer e on the main stem
of Chor r o Cr eek. I t was concluded that elimination of these bar r ier s would at least tr iple the
available spawning and nur ser y ar ea, and, in par ticular , would allow steelhead access to
upstr eam ar eas with per ennial flow. Poaching and pr edation would also be lessened because
steelhead would not be concentr ated behind these obstr uctions.
Wester n Outdoor News (8 M arch 1974 with photographic documentation) reported the
catch of a 5.4 kg steelhead fr om Chor r o Cr eek. Bar clay (1975) found j uvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out in the cr eek, and they were abundant in areas with clean, cool waters
that flowed over gr avel or other r ock substr ate.
Based on an extr apolation of data fr om Stenner Cr eek in the San L uis Obispo Cr eek
dr ainage, the annual r un of adult steelhead in Chor r o Cr eek was estimated at 160 fish by the
CDFG in 1976 (J. S. L eiby, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 22 September 1976).
Since Apr il 1979, up to 5,000 steelhead smolts have been stocked annually into Chor r o
Cr eek as mitigation for the California Department of Corrections Chorro Creek Dam which is
a steelhead migr ation bar r ier . For example, 1,500 M ad River smolts (22/kg) wer e stocked in
1979, and 5,000 in 1980.

Dairy Creek
The Chor r o Cr eek tr ibutar y, Dair y Cr eek, was sur veyed in its entir ety by the CDFG
dur ing 2427 Apr il 1973. High-quality spawning and r ear ing habitats appear ed to be
available to steelhead. Potential migr ation bar r ier s may have blocked steelhead access to the
headwater s. Cattle gr azing in the water shed wer e a likely sour ce of or ganic pollution in the
str eam. Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out, 1525 cm in length, occurred in low densities at two
sampling stations in the lower most 3.2 km of the str eam. Steelhead j uveniles up to 20 cm in

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length wer e captur ed by use of electr ofishing dur ing a CDFG sur vey in M ay 1973. A concrete
apr on at the Highway 1 cr ossing was identified as a low flow migr ation bar r ier by the CDFG
in 1974 (W. M . Snider , CDFG, unpubl. file r epor t of November 1974). I n a gr ant pr oposal for
a steelhead habitat impr ovement pr oj ect, it was mentioned that San L uis Obispo County park
per sonnel had obser ved steelhead in Dair y Cr eek as late as 1987.

San Bernardo Creek

The Chor r o Cr eek tr ibutar y, San Ber nar do Cr eek, was sur veyed by the CDFG in
Febr uar y and June 1958, and Januar y 1959 in connection with a pr oposed dam. Suitable
steelhead spawning and r ear ing habitat was obser ved, although only one 13 cm j uvenile was
seen in the upper str eam ar ea. Algal gr owth inhibited visibility in the lower str eam.
Appar ently, r ainbow tr out in the upper most por tion of the str eam suppor ted a small spor t
fisher y. L ocal r esidents r epor ted that adult steelhead enter ed the str eam on two occasions
dur ing the winter of 1957-58, each time following an incr ease in str eam flow. Four migr ation
bar r ier s wer e identified by the CDFG in 1974 (W. M . Snider , CDFG, unpubl. file r epor t of
November 1974). San Ber nado Cr eek still r epor tedly supports a steelhead run (T. Tognazzini,
CDFG, per s. comm. of 10 July 1992).

San Luisito Creek

The Chor r o Cr eek tr ibutar y, San L uisito Creek, was surveyed by the CDFG on 12 May
1958, in a 3.7 km r each beginning about 1.9 km above the stream mouth. Spawning areas were
r ated as excellent, but r ear ing habitat in the for m of pools and cover was lacking in this reach.
Only one water diver sion was obser ved but other s wer e known to exist, and water for
diver sions was consider ed fully appr opr iated under summer str eamflow conditions. No
migr ation bar r ier s wer e seen in this r each, but natur al bar r ier s wer e suspected to occur in the
high-gr adient headwater s. No pollution sour ces wer e identified. Even though no j uvenile
steelhead wer e positively identified dur ing this sur vey, the str eam was descr ibed as pr oviding
spawning and r ear ing habitat for Chor r o Cr eek steelhead.
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The CDFG identified two migr ation bar r ier s on the cr eek in 1974 (W. M . Snider ,
CDFG, unpubl. file r epor t of November 1974). Numer ous adult steelhead wer e r epor tedly
taken by poacher s at the lower most bar r ier .

Coon Creek Drainage

Coon Cr eek has appar ently never been sur veyed by the CDFG. The cr eek r uns
thr ough the souther n por tion of Montana de Oro State Park. Juvenile steelhead/rainbow trout
was the only fish species found in the cr eek by Bar clay (1975). On 3 Apr il 1986, a 13 cm long
j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out was captur ed by dipnet about 1.2 km upstr eam fr om the
mouth (T. L . Taylor , Califor nia Depar tment of Par ks and Recr eation, unpubl. data). L ocal
state par k per sonnel have obser ved both adult and j uvenile steelhead in the str eam in r ecent
year s (R. Avant, Califor nia Depar tment of Par ks and Recreation, Montana de Oro State Park,
per s. comm. of 4 M ay 1993).

Diablo Canyon Creek Drainage

Ver y little is known about the histor y of steelhead in Diablo Canyon Cr eek. Juvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out was the only fish species found in the cr eek by Bar clay (1975). With
constr uction of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, the lower cr eek was gr eatly alter ed,
including an extensive culver t system. These lower cr eek alter ations probably block steelhead
access to the str eam, although r esident r ainbow tr out should still be pr esent in the upper
dr ainage (W. M . Snider , CDFG, per s. comm. of 11 July 1994).

Islay Creek Drainage

I slay Cr eek lies within M ontana de Or o State Par k and has been closed to angling since
1968. The lower most 4.8 km of the cr eek ar e available to steelhead, and 9.7 km of the cr eek
upstr eam fr om a migr ation bar r ier suppor t a r esident r ainbow tr out population (M . L .
Johnson, CDFG, unpubl. file letter of 24 Febr uar y 1966). The cr eek has a ver y small and
shallow lagoon. I n a br ief CDFG sur vey of the str eam (M . L . Johnson, CDFG, unpubl. file
letter of 1 Apr il 1966), one adult steelhead was obser ved, and it was concluded that the cr eek

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suppor ted only a small steelhead population. On 13 Febr uar y 1986, j uvenile steelhead wer e
seen at the cr eek mouth (T. L . Taylor , Califor nia Depar tment of Par ks and Recr eation,
unpubl. data). L ocal state par k per sonnel continue to see spawner s and high densities of
j uvenile steelhead in lower I slay Cr eek, as well as r ainbow tr out in the upper dr ainage (R.
Avant, Califor nia Depar tment of Par ks and Recr eation, M ontana de Or o State Par k, per s.
comm. of 4 M ay 1993).

Little Pico Creek Drainage

No for mal r ecor d of an histor ical steelhead r un was found for L ittle Pico Cr eek.
Dur ing the 1983-84 steelhead season, the Santa L ucia Flyfishing Club conducted a creel census
of four San L uis Obispo County coastal str eams, including the L ittle Pico (Santa L ucia
Flyfishing Club, San L uis Obispo, newsletter of Apr il 1984). Sur veys occur r ed on 20 of the 50
legal fishing days. Two angler s wer e inter viewed who landed no steelhead dur ing 3.00 hr of
angling effor t.
Refer ence was made, in sever al r ecent (1990) CDFG file documents, to a steelhead
r esour ce and its pr otection ther eof in connection with lagoon alter ation. Relative to near by
Pico Cr eek, the L ittle Pico appar ently does not have as much deep pool habitat in which
j uvenile steelhead may over summer . However , the dense r ipar ian vegetation along the lower
str eam does pr ovide good shelter for tr out, and a few j uvenile steelhead have been observed in
the cr eek dur ing snor keling sur veys since M ay 1992 (M . Jennings, USFWS, per s. comm. of 21
Januar y 1993).

Morro Creek Drainage

A CDFG sur vey r epor t combining field notes fr om Febr uar y 1947 and Apr il 1951 with
obser vations made in December 1951 stated that steelhead r uns in M or r o Cr eek wer e small
and that they wer e lightly fished because of limited access to pr ivate pr oper ty in the lower
str eam ar ea. Spawning substr ate was pr esent in the middle por tion of the stream, and natural
pr opagation was noted to have occur r ed in the lower mid-section. Upstr eam migr ation was

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blocked by cascades and a water fall about 12 km fr om the mouth. Fishing for r esident
r ainbow tr out in 1951 was r epor tedly successful (medium to heavy fishing pressure) following
a plant of 5,000 catchable-size fish. Some 990 r ainbow tr out catchables wer e stocked in 1953
and 1,540 in 1955.
I n a Januar y 1962 CDFG sur vey, the str eam habitat was somewhat degr aded due to
pollution fr om an abandoned dump in the lower str eam, and because of r educed flow due to
extensive pumping. No migration barriers were observed, except as mentioned above. Drought
conditions had pr evailed since 1957-58, thus pr eventing br eaching of the sandbar and adult
steelhead immigr ation. No steelhead wer e obser ved and local residents reported that they had
not seen any in the str eam since 1959. Yet, the cr eek was still r egar ded as a viable steelhead
pr oduction ar ea.
When sur veyed again by the CDFG in June 1973, silt was armoring spawning gravel in
the lower str eam, but gr avel quality was still high in the upper and middle ar eas. Flow
conditions wer e impr oved fr om 1962 due to incr eased pr ecipitation, but pollution of var ious
sor ts had appar ently incr eased, including siltation, dumping of gar bage, ur ban and highway
r unoff, as well as dischar ge of agr icultur al wastewater . Sever al r ainbow tr out wer e captur ed
above the bar r ier falls, which aver aged 15.7 cm in length (SD = 5.6 cm; n = 15). These fish
wer e believed to be descendants of catchable r ainbows planted in 1953 and 1955. Steelhead
j uveniles wer e seen, but not captur ed for positive identification, in sections below the falls.
Over all, the steelhead stock may have been negatively impacted by (i) diver sion dams lacking
optimal fishways in the lower and middle str eam, which would block access to spawning areas,
and (ii) unstable flow conditions because of water diver sions.
Two adult steelhead, about 43 and 58 cm in length, wer e obser ved by the CDFG in the
middle por tion of the str eam on 14 Apr il 1974. On 4 M ay 1974, two steelhead measuring 30.5
33.0 cm in length, and one spent female at 51.5 cm FL , wer e captur ed by electr ofishing in the
same ar ea. No r edds wer e obser ved.
Bar clay (1975) found j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out in M or r o Cr eek, and they

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wer e abundant in ar eas with clean, cool water s that flowed over gr avel or other r ock
substr ate.
M or r o Cr eek was sur veyed visually and by electr ofishing dur ing 19 September 1978,
fr om the mouth thr ough km 19 upstr eam (G. Stone and R. Adams, CDFG, unpubl. file report).
Suitable spawning gr avels wer e located between str eam km 13 and km 18. Gr avel beds in the
lower str eam wer e cover ed with silt. Diver sion dams in the lower and middle str eam still
needed fishway impr ovements as noted in the 1973 sur vey. Two ir r igation pumps wer e seen
taking water dir ectly fr om the lower cr eek. The lower and middle cr eek ar eas wer e polluted
with ur ban debr is; agr icultur al wastewater was identified as a potential pollution source in the
lower ar ea. Small j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e most common from SKM 11 through
SK M 15, and two tr out wer e captur ed within each of SK M 12 and SK M 67. L ocal residents
inter viewed dur ing the sur vey indicated that M or r o Cr eek had histor ically suppor ted a
pr oductive steelhead/r ainbow tr out fisher y, but that fishing was no longer wor th pur suing
ther e, pr esumably because of a gr eatly r educed population.
Dur ing 17 August22 October 1978, K nable (1978) estimated j uvenile steelhead
abundance and biomass in M or r o Cr eek and five other San L uis Obispo County coastal
str eams. M or r o Cr eek was selected to r epr esent a steelhead pr oduction system having
under gone significant modification. Abundance and biomass wer e estimated using
electr ofishing and the two-pass r emoval method in six randomly-selected, 30.5 m long sections,
in four 1.6 km long str eam r eaches. The upper most str eam was dr y, in SK M 17.719.3.
M ean estimated j uvenile density was 14 19 tr out/100 m (r ange, 052 tr out/100 m).
Estimates of population on a kilometer basis wer e gener ally low in the lower most 8 km (18
tr out in SK M 1.683.2) and much higher above SK M 11.3 (aver age, 343 tr out/km).
Appar ently, j uvenile r ecr uitment in 1978 was fair ly low as only 25% of sampled tr out (n = 51)
wer e likely young-of-the-year (50 99 mm in length), 43% wer e 100149 mm, 25% wer e 150
199 mm, and 6% wer e 200349 mm. M ost sampled tr out wer e year lings as average individual
mass was 21 g.

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K nable (1978) concluded that lower por tions of M or r o Cr eek wer e evolving towar d a
state of advanced degr adation. Spawning in the lower cr eek was compr omised by siltation
fr om adj acent agr icultur al activities. Pollution fr om ur ban debr is and r educed flow fr om
water diver sions also decr eased habitat quality in the lower cr eek. Dams at SK M 3.2 and
SK M 14.5 still lacked adequate fishways.
The addition of numerous diversions and pumping wells over the years has continued to
deplete the amount of flow in the M or r o Cr eek dr ainage, although no r ecent assessment has
appar ently been made to ascer tain impacts on the steelhead r esour ce.

Little Morro Creek

The M or r o Cr eek tr ibutar y, L ittle M or r o Cr eek, was sur veyed by the CDFG in
Januar y 1962. I t was deemed unsuitable as steelhead habitat because of extr emely low and
unstable flow, and a lack of spawning gr avel. L ocal r esidents r epor ted that they had never
seen or hear d of fish in the cr eek.

Old Creek Drainage

Pr ior to the impoundment of Whale Rock Reser voir in 1961, Old Cr eek and its
tr ibutar y, Cottontail Cr eek, suppor ted a steelhead r un of unknown magnitude. Ear ly CDFG
stocking r ecor ds indicated that the Old Cr eek steelhead population was supplemented with
15,000 j uveniles in 1932, and 10,000 in 1933. Finger ling steelhead (57.5 cm) wer e common in
sever al str eam sections when sur veyed by the CDFG in Januar y 1957. Suitable spawning
ar eas wer e pr esent thr oughout the sur vey ar ea, including below the pr oposed dam site. The
r esults of a July 1957 CDFG sur vey suggested that the r un might be r elatively small. Juvenile
steelhead wer e scar ce at that time, r anging in length fr om about 5 to 20 cm, and were observed
at a diver sion dam with a dysfunctional fish ladder about 6 km upstr eam fr om the mouth.
Some fishing for adult steelhead occur r ed at the str eam mouth in winter .
With completion of the dam at Whale Rock Reser voir , the CDFG placed management
emphasis on the landlocked steelhead in the r eser voir system, as only about 1.6 km of Old

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Cr eek is available to sea-r un fish below the dam. The CDFG (1982) conducted studies dur ing
the late 1970 sear ly 1980 s dur ing which they found that spawning occur r ed in late winter ,
and the j uvenile steelhead enter ed the r eser voir fr om the spawning tr ibutaries mostly at age 1,
although some emigr ants wer e also age 2. I t was not indicated if the fish smolted when they
enter ed the r eser voir . M ean backcalculated length at for mation of the fir st annulus was 90
mm FL . Second-year gr owth in the r eser voir was ver y good (mean length at annulus 2 = 260
mm FL ) but appar ently appr oached an asymptote beginning in the thir d year (mean length at
annulus 3 = 310 mm FL ). No age 4 or older steelhead had been collected fr om Whale Rock
since 1979; the lar gest of these fish had exceeded 500 cm FL . The appar ent attenuated growth
and low sur vival of age-3 and older steelhead may have been due to a r eduction in suitable
for age or ganisms (mainly Dipter ans and pr ickly sculpin, Cottus asper ), and possibly dir ect
for aging competition with Sacr amento sucker (Catostomus occidentalis), which wer e
intr oduced to the r eser voir sometime between 1971 and 1978. Some older steelhead also left
the r eser voir via the spillway, although the dam spilled infr equently dur ing the study per iod.
The CDFG (1982) found that about 4 km of high quality spawning and r ear ing habitat
was accessible to steelhead in Old Cr eek between the r eser voir and a natur al bar r ier . About
another 5 km of potential habitat existed above the bar r ier . Only about 1.6 km of Cottontail
Cr eek was accessible to steelhead spawner s because of bar r ier s, and, other wise, the cr eek
compr ised poor quality spawning and r ear ing habitat because of the effects of agr icultur al
development, including depleted r ipar ian vegetation fr om gr azing, siltation, and water
diver sion.
Whale Rock Reservoir has not been stocked with exotic rainbow trout; supplementation
plants have only been made with pr ogeny of Whale Rock br oodstock. The landlocked
steelhead in Whale Rock Reser voir may ser ve as a br oodstock for use in stock enhancement
effor ts in other San L uis Obispo County str eam systems as well (K . R. Anderson, CDFG, pers.
comm. of 9 July 1992). I t is not known if adult steelhead still enter Old Cr eek below the
r eser voir .

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Pico Creek Drainage

Pico Cr eek is compr ised of its nor th for k and south for k which conver ge to for m the
main stem about 2.4 km upstr eam fr om the mouth. I n a CDFG sur vey in Januar y 1960,
suitable spawning and r ear ing habitats wer e obser ved, the for mer especially in the south fork,
but no steelhead wer e seen. M igr ation bar r ier s wer e not pr esent, except possibly one in the
upper nor th for k. Gr azing was noted as heavy in the dr ainage which may have r esulted in
some siltation in the str eam due to er osion. A local r esident r epor ted that the main stem and
por tions of the south for k wer e dr y in summer , leaving the nor th for k as the most r eliable
steelhead pr oducing por tion of the str eam. This sour ce had also counted between 50 and 100
adults on occasion in a single pool in spr ing. A local CDFG war den estimated the size of the
r un to be about 3,000 adult steelhead.
On 25 Januar y 1974, a 64 cm adult steelhead was obser ved in Pico Cr eek, about 2.4 km
upstr eam fr om Highway 1. Accor ding to a local r esident, only one other adult had been seen
ear lier that season, and that mor e fish wer e expected in the str eam at that time of year (CDFG,
unpubl. field notes). Wester n Outdoor News (6 August 1976 with photogr aphic
documentation) r epor ted the catch of thr ee 3.6 kg steelhead fr om Pico Cr eek.
Dur ing the 1983-84 steelhead season, the Santa L ucia Flyfishing Club conducted a creel
census of four San L uis Obispo County coastal str eams, including Pico Cr eek (Santa L ucia
Flyfishing Club, San L uis Obispo, newsletter of Apr il 1984). Sur veys occur r ed on 20 of the 50
legal fishing days. Nine angler s wer e inter viewed who landed no steelhead dur ing 7.75 hr of
angling effor t, although ther e wer e r umor s of steelhead being taken.
Over the year s, Pico Cr eek has been a popular steelhead fishing location. Adult
steelhead have been seen enter ing the lagoon in r ecent year s (K. Worcester, CDFG, pers. obs.),
although no steelhead wer e seen in the str eam dur ing a sur vey on 1213 June 1989 (Par
Envir onmental Ser vices, I nc. 1991). The 198792 dr ought undoubtedly had a significant
negative impact on the small Pico Cr eek steelhead stock. Since M ay 1992, however , j uvenile
steelhead have been obser ved dur ing monthly snor keling sur veys in the lagoon and lowermost

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200 m or so of the cr eek M . Jennings, USFWS, per s. comm. of 21 Januar y 1993).

Pismo Creek Drainage

Pismo Cr eek dischar ges into the Pacific Ocean at Pismo Beach after flowing about 8.5
km thr ough Pr ice Canyon. I ts headwater tr ibutar ies, East and West Cor r al de Piedr a cr eeks,
conver ge near the community of Edna to for m the main stem. When Pismo Cr eek was
sur veyed by the CDFG in September 1972, spawning gr avel was pr esent but not ver y
abundant. No j uvenile steelhead or any other fishes wer e obser ved fr om the mouth to Edna.
Siltation and chemical pollution wer e noted as pr oblems, and one 1-m high diver sion dam
functioned as a bar r ier to fish movements.
Yet, j uvenile steelhead wer e obser ved in the upper half of Pismo Creek during a CDFG
electr ofishing sur vey on 26 June 1974. This distr ibution was essentially confir med in another
sur vey conducted dur ing the summer and fall of 1974 (Rohde 1975); j uvenile steelhead wer e
found in lower most West Cor r al de Piedr a Cr eek and in the lower mid-por tion of Pismo
Cr eek, but not in the lower most main stem or estuar y.
Based on a cur sor y r eview of CDFG file documents r egar ding a variety of development
pr oj ects in and ar ound Pismo Cr eek, it is likely that steelhead habitat has continued to degrade
in especially the lower por tion of the cr eek. Steelhead appar ently still enter Pismo Cr eek, as
based on their mention in r ecent (1990) CDFG file documents.

East and West Cor r al de Piedr a cr eeks. Both East and West Cor r al de Piedr a cr eeks
have histor ically suppor ted r ainbow tr out and at least small r uns of steelhead (e.g. Jor dan
1895). As of 1985, a dysfunctional fish ladder on East Cor r al de Piedr a Cr eek, built by the
r ailr oad in about 1927, blocked adult steelhead immigr ation to the upper stream (P. Chappell,
CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 24 June 1985). This bar r ier was j udged to have a ser ious
deleter ious effect on the population.
Steelhead r epor tedly spawned in the vicinity of a pr oposed dam site in West Cor r al de
Piedr a Cr eek dur ing the winter of 1961-62, and j uveniles (510 cm in length) wer e common in

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the 1.6 km section of live str eam below the dam site the following September (R. N. Hinton,
CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 4 October 1962). I n addition, rainbow trout were observed in 3.2 km
of live str eam in the canyon above the dam site. The dam application was not pr otested by the
CDFG, and a fishway on the dam was deemed unnecessar y, but a minimum r elease flow was
secur ed in the agr eement. The last obser vation of j uvenile steelhead was in lower most West
Cor r al de Piedr a Cr eek in 1974 (Rohde 1975). Resident r ainbow tr out, up to 20 cm long, have
been obser ved in the tr ibutar ies above the r eser voir as r ecently as December 1989 (K .
Wor cester , CDFG, per s. obs.). Two upper tr ibutar ies pr ovided excellent salmonid habitat for
at least 1.3 km, even at the low flow stage obser ved. M uch of the str eam below the r eser voir
was dr y or other wise degr aded, and no fish wer e obser ved.

Salinas River Drainage (see Monterey County)

San Carpojo (San Carpoforo) Creek

M ost of the San Car poj o Cr eek dr ainage lies on pr oper ty owned by the Hear st
Cor por ation, and as of 1948 was noted as having a self-sustaining steelhead population. Public
access to the str eam is r estr icted. Sur ficial flow is nor mally inter r upted in the lower stream in
summer . Juvenile steelhead, r anging in length fr om 5 to 20 cm, wer e seen in the lower str eam
in June 1948, July 1952, and Januar y 1960 when obser vations wer e made. I n June 1960, the
visually-estimated density of 7.515 cm j uvenile steelhead at two locations in the lower stream
was about 3.3 tr out/m. The 7.5 cm fish wer e appar ently gr eater in abundance than the 15 cm
fish.
The CDFG sur veyed the lower most 6.5 km of the San Car poj o dur ing 2425 Januar y
1961. Str eam flow was inter mittent in the lower most 1.6 km. Suitable spawning ar eas wer e
found thr oughout the str eam, and wer e of excellent quality in the lower str eam. High quality
r ear ing habitat, in the for m of pools and cover , was available in the upper cr eek ar ea. Two
small diver sions wer e pr esent, and several potential migration barriers near Windy Point were
noted. Juvenile steelhead wer e noted as scar ce in the upper str eam wher e excellent cover may

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have hid them, but common in the lower 1.6 km of str eam (estimated visually at 3162
tr out/km). One adult was r epor tedly seen in the str eam s lagoon. A local r esident r epor ted
that finger ling steelhead wer e common thr oughout the str eam in summer, but most emigrated
dur ing the fir st r ain of the season. I n addition, he r epor tedly counted 155 adult steelhead in
thr ee holes in the lower str eam, and claimed that the lar gest adults enter ed the str eam to
spawn in Januar y and Febr uar y, and smaller (3051 cm), mor e silver y adults in M ar ch.
Fishing intensity was heavy at the mouth but light upstr eam because of r estr icted access.
Over all, the San Car poj o appear ed to be a good steelhead spawning and nur ser y ar ea.
I n July 1972, 23 adult (5384 cm) and 350 j uvenile steelhead wer e r escued fr om a
dr ying pool in the str eam and r eleased fur ther upstr eam in an ar ea with per ennial flow (J.
Schuler and K . Boettcher , CDFG, unpubl. memo.)
The CDFG sur veyed the San Car poj o dur ing 2324 July 1973. Str eam flow was
inter r upted at that time. Spawning gr avels wer e pr esent thr oughout the str eam, and r ear ing
habitat, in the for m of pools and cover , was abundant. No water diver sions wer e obser ved.
Ther e may have been minor pollution in the lower creek area from livestock feces, but siltation
was not a pr oblem. Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out, 525 cm in length, wer e captur ed by
electr ofishing. The tr out wer e ver y abundant, both above and below a 2+ m high water fall in
the mid-section of the str eam. Up to 2025 tr out occur r ed in 28 m2 pools. All tr out obser ved
wer e infested with encysted metacer car ia of the monogenetic tr ematode, Neascus, a condition
commonly r efer r ed to as black spot disease . A local resident reported that he had seen black
spot disease on the tr out since about 1932. He also mentioned that the steelhead population
had been supplemented with j uvenile plants dur ing the late 1930 s or ear ly 1940 s, which
cor r esponds with the time that r escued steelhead fr om the Santa Ynez River wer e being
planted in San L uis Obispo County str eams. The water fall was j udged to be a bar r ier to
immigr ating adult steelhead, at least under low flow conditions. I t was assumed that r esident
r ainbow tr out occur r ed above the water fall and pr obably into the lower por tion of the stream
below the fall wher e j uvenile steelhead wer e also pr esent. Again, fishing for adult steelhead

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was noted as heavy in the lagoon; fishing for j uvenile steelhead and r esident r ainbow tr out in
upstr eam ar eas was pr obably light. The str eam at this time was r ated as one of the best
steelhead str eams in San L uis Obispo County.
Some 27 adult steelhead wer e counted in thr ee pools by a local r esident in Apr il 1974.
Follow-up obser vations wer e made of seven adult steelhead in the pools in question; the fish
r anged in length fr om 43 to 76 cm and sever al r edds wer e obser ved in a near by r iffle (M .
Seefeldt, CDFG, unpubl. field r epor t).
Dur ing 17 August22 October 1978, K nable (1978) estimated j uvenile steelhead
abundance and biomass in San Car poj o Cr eek and five other San L uis Obispo County coastal
str eams. The San Car poj o was selected to r epr esent a steelhead pr oduction system
appr oximating pr istine conditions. Abundance and biomass wer e estimated using
electr ofishing and the two-pass r emoval method in six randomly-selected, 30.5 m long sections,
in two 1.6 km long str eam r eaches, between the mouth and the water fall bar r ier at SK M 8.2.
Por tions of the lower cr eek wer e dr y.
M ean estimated j uvenile density was 187 344 tr out/100 m (r ange, 01,063 tr out/100
m), although this was an over estimate due to poor depletions with the two-pass r emoval
method. Juvenile r ecr uitment in 1978 was r elatively good as 50% of sampled tr out (n = 150)
wer e likely young-of-the-year (50 99 mm in length), 45% wer e 100149 mm, and 4% wer e
150249 mm. M ost sampled tr out wer e young-of-the-year as aver age individual mass was 3.5
g.
K nable (1978) concluded that San Carpojo Creek remained basically unaltered, relative
to the other cr eeks in his sur vey. The most significant impacts wer e fr om extensive vegetation
clear ing, channelization, and gr avel mining within the lower most 1.6 km of the cr eek.
San Car poj o Cr eek is r epor tedly still in prime condition (J. Nelson, CDFG, pers. comm.
r egar ding r esults of 1993 str eam sur vey) and, along with the Ar r oyo de la Cr uz, continues to
be among the most impor tant steelhead str eams in San L uis Obispo County.

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Estrada Creek
The lower most 0.4 km of the San Car poj o tr ibutar y, Estr ada Cr eek, was sur veyed by
the CDFG on 25 Januar y 1961. Spawning substr ate occur r ed only in scatter ed patches, but
r ear ing habitat, in the for m of pools and cover , was adequate and j uvenile steelhead (510 cm)
wer e pr esent at a low density. No migr ation bar riers, diversions, or pollution were observed in
this r each.

San Luis Obispo Creek Drainage

Histor ically, the San L uis Obispo Cr eek system has suppor ted steelhead, and r ainbow
tr out in the mountainous headwater s (Jordan 1895). The upper mid-portion of the creek flows
thr ough the city of San L uis Obispo. Agr icultur al lands bor der the cr eek, both upstr eam and
downstr eam fr om the city. The CDFG sur veyed the lower most 11 km of the cr eek dur ing 23
September 1958. Spawning gr avel was mostly lacking in this lower area, but rearing habitat in
the for m of pools and cover was abundant. Ther e wer e no bar r ier s to migration. Agricultural
diver sions occasionally caused inter r upted flow conditions. Ur ban r unoff, effluent fr om the
San L uis Obispo Sewage Tr eatment Plant, and an oil pipeline leak wer e pollution sources. No
steelhead wer e seen, although this ar ea was r egar ded as steelhead r ear ing habitat. Angling
pr essur e for steelhead was r epor tedly heavy in the winter .
When sur veyed again by the CDFG dur ing 1216 December 1960, conditions in the
lower most 11 km of the cr eek wer e appar ently much the same. Spawning habitat was
gener ally mor e abundant in the r emaining 13 km of str eam to the headwater s. Rear ing
habitat, in the for m of pools and cover , was gener ally available thr oughout, but still of highest
quality in the lower str eam. Ther e was a 1.5 m water fall j ust upstr eam fr om the confluence
with Reser voir Canyon Cr eek which may have posed a bar r ier to upstr eam migr ation under
low-flow conditions. Ther e wer e no diver sions or pollution in the headwater s, wher eas
pollution fr om ur ban debr is and r unoff, and effluent fr om the sewage tr eatment plant may
have limited steelhead use of the middle and lower str eam ar eas. Sever al pumps and stor age
tanks wer e pr esent along the lower cr eek wher e water was diverted for agricultural irrigation.

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Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out, 2.520 cm long, occur r ed in the headwater section at a low
population density. No tr out wer e captur ed in net samples far ther downstr eam. Angling
pr essur e for steelhead was still r epor tedly heavy dur ing the winter and ear ly spr ing.
Dur ing M ayAugust 1966, the CDFG investigated the effect of waste discharges on the
biologial r esour ces of San L uis Obispo Creek, with emphasis on steelhead (Nokes 1966). Along
a 3.2 km r each within the city of San L uis Obispo, about 90 pipes, culver ts, and dr ains wer e
obser ved which opened to the cr eek. A var iety of chemical and or ganic pollutants wer e
dischar ging dir ectly into the str eam, including chlor inated swimming pool effluent and food-
laden kitchen dr ain effluents. Ur ban debr is also heavily litter ed the str eam.
Dischar ge fr om the San L uis Obispo Sewage Tr eatment Plant appear ed to have the
gr eatest single effect on the distr ibution and site-specific abundance of aquatic or ganisms.
Effluent fr om the tr eatment plant sustained a continuous str eam flow in the lower cr eek
dur ing the summer fall low flow per iod, when str eam flow upstr eam fr om that point became
inter r upted. Nokes (1966) found that the cr eek was r elatively void of clean-water indicator
species of algae, inver tebr ates, and fishes along a 2.4 km r each downstr eam fr om the point of
dischar ge. Densities of j uvenile steelhead on 5 M ay 1966, as deter mined by cr esol sampling in
blocked-off str eam sections, wer e low (1326 tr out/100 m) at thr ee stations in the middle to
lower cr eek. These fish r anged in length fr om 6.5 to 30.5 cm. I n an instr eam bioassay
conducted dur ing 2428 August 1966, all r ainbow tr out held in the tr eatment plant dischar ge
which contained a high concentr ation of r esidual chlor ine, and in the cr eek j ust downstr eam
fr om the point of dischar ge, died within 0.5 hr . Those held in the creek just upstream from the
point of dischar ge sur vived the 96 hr tr ial.
Over all, about 6.4 km of San L uis Obispo Cr eek, thr ough the city of San L uis Obispo
and downstr eam fr om the sewage tr eatment plant dischar ge, were adversely affected by waste
dischar ges. Nokes (1966) pr edicted that the pollution effect would be even more widespread as
str eam flow continued to decr ease and waste dischar ges made up an even gr eater pr opor tion
of the flow.

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Dur ing the 1972-73 steelhead season, the CDFG in collabor ation with students at the
Califor nia Polytechnic State Univer sity conducted a study to (i) estimate the adult steelhead
r un size in San L uis Obispo Cr eek, and (ii) deter mine the appr oximate distr ibution of
steelhead spawning in the dr ainage (Schuler 1973). A tr ap to captur e adult steelhead on their
upstr eam migr ation was operated at Marres dam, located about 1.6 km from the creek mouth,
fr om 27 November 1972 thr ough 10 Febr uar y 1973. Adults wer e captur ed fr om 21 December
1972 thr ough 6 Febr uar y 1973, although 85% of adults wer e captur ed dur ing 913 Januar y
1973; high flow displaced the tr ap dur ing 1726 Januar y 1973. A total of 45 steelhead was
captur ed, of which 40 wer e tagged and r eleased to estimate the adult r un using the L incoln-
Peter sen mar k-and-r ecaptur e method. Only tr out 46 cm FL wer e consider ed steelhead,
although this was later consider ed a mistake. Apparently, the trap was ineffective in capturing
steelhead spawner s between 35 cm and 46 cm, and so these smaller , younger adults wer e
under estimated in the catch. Captur ed males aver aged ( SD) 66.9 4.4 cm FL (r ange, 55.9
73.7 cm FL , n = 14), females aver aged 66.5 5.0 cm FL (r ange, 55.976.2 cm FL , n = 13), and
steelhead of undeter mined sex aver aged 63.2 7.2 cm FL (r ange, 45.773.7 cm FL , n = 13).
Ther e was no significant differ ence in for k lengths among these thr ee gr oups (ANOVA, F =
1.687, p = 0.199). Two estimates of adult r un size, 102 and 117 (95% C.L ., 22212), wer e
der ived using electr ofishing and cr eel census as r ecaptur e methods, r espectively. Both
number s wer e consider ed under estimates, and Schuler guessed the r un was closer to 200 fish
dur ing a good year . The San L uis Obispo Cr eek tr ibutar ies, See Canyon, Stenner , and
Br izziolar i cr eeks, wer e j udged to be the ar eas used most by steelhead spawner s, based on
obser vations of young-of-the-year steelhead made dur ing electr ofishing sur veys.
The study was r epeated dur ing the 1973-74 season (Schuler 1974). Tr apping was
conducted at M ar r e s dam for 86 days, ending 2 M ar ch 1974. Only 13 adult steelhead wer e
captur ed, tagged, and r eleased. I n r ecaptur e efforts, 18 adults were captured by electrofishing
of which two wer e r ecaptur es, and 17 adults wer e seen in a cr eel census of which thr ee wer e
r ecaptur es. The Peter sen r un size estimate cor r esponding to each r ecaptur e method was 117

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(95% C.L ., 9223) and 58 (12104), r espectively, the latter being a par tial estimate since the
fishing season ended befor e the adult upstr eam migr ation was completed. The 18 adults
captur ed by electr ofishing wer e distr ibuted as follows: six in San L uis Obispo Creek, 10 in See
Canyon Cr eek, and two in Stenner Cr eek (c.f. young-of-the-year steelhead obser vations in
1972-73 study, above). M ales obser ved in this study tended to be smaller on aver age (49.5
10.7 cm FL ; r ange, 38.171.1 cm FL ; n = 19) than females (55.5 11.0 cm FL ; range, 36.868.6
cm FL ; n = 19) but this differ ence was not statistically significant (M ann-Whitney U test, p =
0.09). Based on ageing fr om scales, the total ages of spawner s wer e 35 yr , with an over all
aver age of 3.84 yr (calculated as in Fahy 1978). M ales on aver age (3.63 yr ) tended to be
younger than females (4.05 yr ), but this differ ence was not statistically significant (X2 = 4.255,
DF = 2, p = 0.12). Scale r eading also showed that most j uveniles emigr ated to sea at age 1(+),
and that five of 19 (26% ) females and one of 19 (5% ) males wer e r epeat spawner s. Age 3
spawner s aver aged ( SD) 40.8 2.8 cm FL (r ange, 36.845.7 cm FL ; n = 11), age 4 spawner s
aver aged 54.8 8.7 cm FL (r ange, 39.468.6 cm FL ; n = 22) and age 5 spawner s averaged 68.3
1.9 cm FL (r ange, 66.071.1 cm FL ; n = 5). The spor t fisher y was poor ; ther e was an
estimated 19 steelhead caught by 540 angler s who fished about 1,555 hr (0.012 fish/angler hr ,
0.035 fish/angler ). The decline in the San L uis Obispo Cr eek steelhead population was
pr imar ily attr ibuted to (i) a lack of j uvenile steelhead r ear ing habitat in the for m of pools and
over head cover (e.g. r ipar ian vegetation, under cut banks); (ii) poor water quality in the lower
cr eek downstr eam fr om the dischar ge point of the San L uis Obispo Sewage Tr eatment Plant
(see summar y of Nokes 1966, above); and (iii) man-made migr ation bar r ier s that blocked
access to spawning and r ear ing habitats in tr ibutar ies.
Bar clay (1975) r epor ted j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out in San L uis Obispo Cr eek,
and they wer e abundant in ar eas with clean, cool waters that flowed over gravel or other rock
substr ate. Rutten (1975) gave a mor e detailed pr esentation of the data collected under
Bar clay s dir ection. Sampling occur r ed between 17 June 1975 and 1 July 1975. Juvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out occur r ed in the lower most main stem near M ar r e s dam and j ust

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upstr eam fr om the confluence with See Canyon Cr eek, and at nine mainstem stations fr om
about 180 m above the sewage tr eatment plant outfall to the headwaters. Observed densities in
the main stem up to the confluence with Stenner Cr eek aver aged ( SD) 13 16 tr out/100 m,
while those in upper San L uis Obispo Cr eek and the tr ibutar ies, See Canyon, Stenner ,
Br izziolar i, and Reser voir Canyon cr eeks, aver aged 174 148 tr out/100 m. This difference in
j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out densities was highly significant (M ann-Whitney U test,
p<0.001), and r eflected the dispar ity in tr out habitat quality between the impacted main stem
and r elatively undeveloped tr ibutar ies and headwater s. For example, the adverse effect of the
tr eatment plant effluent on j uvenile steelhead distr ibution in the lower cr eek per sisted.
The CDFG evaluated the steelhead r esour ces of San L uis Obispo Cr eek in r elation to a
pr oposed flood contr ol pr oj ect (Snider and Ger des 1975). I t was noted that mainstem
steelhead habitat was alr eady degr aded by existing flood contr ol impr ovements such as bank
r evetment, channelization, and tunneling. The j uvenile steelhead population was studied
dur ing the late summer fall low flow per iod in 1975, when r ear ing habitat quantity and
quality wer e pr esumably most limited. Steelhead had access to suitable spawning habitat in
the upper main stem (above the confluence with Stenner Cr eek), and in the tr ibutar ies, See
Canyon, Stenner , Br izziolar i, and Reser voir Canyon cr eeks. Qualitative sur veys r evealed the
pr esence of j uvenile steelhead in near ly all str eam ar eas with sur ficial flow. Abundance
estimates wer e made, by use of electr ofishing and the two-pass depletion method, in six 30.5 m
str eam sections per 1.6 km r each of each maj or steelhead r ear ing ar ea identified in the
qualitative sur vey. The highest densities of j uvenile steelhead cor r esponded to the main
spawning ar eas. The aver age density in upper San L uis Obispo Cr eek was 269 tr out/100 m,
while those in See Canyon, Stenner , and Reser voir Canyon cr eeks r anged fr om 249 to 981
tr out/100 m (see below for details on each tr ibutar y). The aver age length and biomass of
j uvenile steelhead wer e 87 mm FL and 1.8 kg/100 m, r espectively, in the upper main stem, and
had r anges of 56 95 mm FL and 0.64.2 kg/100 m, r espectively, in the tr ibutar ies. I n upper
San L uis Obispo Cr eek, 77% of sampled tr out wer e age 0+, 22% wer e age 1+, and 1% was age

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2+. Cor r esponding per centages in the tr ibutar ies aver aged 91.3% , 8.3% , and 0.3% ,
r espectively. Based on age-class specific sur vival r ates fr om Shapovalov and Taft (1954),
obser ved j uvenile pr oduction in upper San L uis Obispo Cr eek would cor r espond to an adult
steelhead pr oduction on the or der of 179 fish, while those in the tr ibutar ies aver aged 275 fish,
r esulting in an estimated dr ainage pr oduction of about 1,000 adult steelhead. Snider and
Ger des (1975) noted that the most significant factor affecting steelhead pr oduction in the San
L uis Obispo Cr eek dr ainage was the availability of suitable j uvenile r ear ing habitat.
Eckle (1978) r eaffir med the negative impact of the San L uis Obispo Sewage Treatment
Plant on j uvenile steelhead r ear ing habitat quality in lower San L uis Obispo Cr eek.
Chlor amine toxicity r ender ed between 1.6 and 6.4 km of str eam below the point of waste
dischar ge unsuitable as steelhead r ear ing habitat, as deter mined by instr eam bioassays
conducted under low flow conditions in August 1978. I t was also suggested that chlor amines
could be a deter r ent to upstr eam migr ating adult steelhead in low flow year s, when a water
quality bar r ier might per sist in the absence of sufficient dilution fr om r ain r unoff.
As of 1985, the best spawning and r ear ing habitats in the dr ainage wer e still in the
tr ibutar ies, See Canyon, Stenner , and Reser voir Canyon cr eeks, and upper San L uis Obispo
Cr eek above the ur ban ar ea. Juvenile steelhead densities in the main stem above the San L uis
Obispo Sewage Tr eatment Plant r anged fr om 186 to 311 tr out/100 m, while those in the
tr ibutar ies r anged fr om 435 to 808 tr out/100 m (P. Chappell, CDFG, unpubl. data from a 1985
electr ofishing sur vey, as cited in Wester n Ecological Ser vices Company, I nc. 1987). No
j uvenile steelhead wer e found at three locations on San L uis Obispo Creek below the treatment
plant, as far downstr eam as the Highway 101 br idge near Avila Road.
Cannata (1989) conducted a sur vey of San L uis Obispo Cr eek to determine if steelhead
still used the str eam as spawning and r ear ing habitat within the San L uis Obispo city limits.
Young-of-the-year (<75 mm TL ) and older ( age 1+; >75 mm TL ) steelhead wer e counted
while walking along the str eambank dur ing Apr ilM ay 1989, thus pr oviding a conser vative
j uvenile population count. About 800 young-of-the-year and 20 older steelhead were counted.

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Thus, spawning was successful in at least two consecutive year s. Steelhead occur r ed in all
sections of the sur vey ar ea except below the point of dischar ge of the San L uis Obispo Sewage
Tr eatment Plant. When sur veyed again dur ing September October 1989, str eam flow was
inter r upted and only a shor t section of str eam within the San L uis Obispo city limits continued
to pr ovide habitat for j uvenile steelhead. Cannata (1989) concluded that, as of 1989, San L uis
Obispo Cr eek continued to suppor t a steelhead population, but that the population was likely
depr essed due to the effects of thr ee consecutive year s of dr ought (1986-87 thr ough 1988-89).
Steelhead used the por tion of the cr eek within the San L uis Obispo city limits as a migr ation
cor r idor , and as spawning and r ear ing habitats.
Young-of-the-year steelhead wer e obser ved in pools in lower San L uis Obispo Cr eek,
downstr eam fr om the city s sewage tr eatment plant, dur ing an electr ofishing survey on 4 May
1994 (J. Nelson, CDFG, per s. comm. of 12 M ay 1994).

Castro Canyon Creek

Castr o Canyon Cr eek is a ver y small, 2.4 km long tr ibutar y that enter s lower San L uis
Obispo Cr eek about 6.4 km upstr eam fr om the Pacific Ocean. The cr eek was sur veyed in its
entir ety by the CDFG on 14 December 1960. Str eam flow was ver y low at the time of the
sur vey, but suitable spawning and r ear ing habitats would be available to steelhead under
higher flow conditions. No bar r ier s, diver sions, or pollution wer e obser ved. The local CDFG
war den r epor tedly r escued lar ge steelhead fr om the cr eek in some year s. L ocal r esidents
r epor ted that adult steelhead ascended the cr eek in wet year s, but that none had been seen in
sever al year s. Nor wer e any j uvenile steelhead seen dur ing this sur vey.

Harford Canyon Creek

Har for d Canyon Cr eek is a ver y small, 3.2 km long tr ibutar y that enter s the tidal zone
of lower San L uis Obispo Cr eek about 180 m upstr eam fr om the mouth. The cr eek was
sur veyed in its entir ety by the CDFG on 13 December 1960. Spawning habitat was only fair as
the substr ate contained much sand and silt. Rear ing habitat in the for m of pools and cover
was adequate. No bar r ier s, diver sions, or pollution wer e obser ved. Juvenile steelhead, 2.5
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10.0 cm in length, wer e seen, and local r esidents r epor ted that the cr eek had always
suppor ted numer ous small tr out.

Prefumo Creek
Pr efumo Cr eek is a main tr ibutar y that enter s the mid-por tion of San L uis Obispo
Cr eek. The entir e 8 km of the cr eek was sur veyed by the CDFG on 14 December 1960. Stream
flow was inter r upted at the time of the sur vey. High quality spawning gr ounds were available
in the lower cr eek, and steelhead r ear ing habitat, in the for m of pools and cover , occur r ed
thr oughout the str eam. No diver sions, bar r ier s, or pollution wer e obser ved. Although no fish
wer e captur ed in net samples, the local CDFG warden indicated that adult steelhead did run in
the cr eek in wet year s.
Schuler (1973) captur ed no adult steelhead by electr ofishing in Pr efumo Cr eek above
L aguna L ake dur ing the 1973-74 season. Evidently, a concrete spillway and culvert under L os
Osos Road blocked the upstr eam migr ation of adult steelhead above L aguna L ake. Rutten
(1975) also found no j uvenile steelhead in Pr efumo Cr eek dur ing the latter half of June 1975,
at an electr ofishing station in the lower most cr eek.
I n contr ast, young-of-the-year steelhead wer e inhabiting all available habitat in
Pr efumo Cr eek when obser ved by the CDFG in October 1980 (P. P. Chappell, CDFG, unpubl.
memo. of 14 October 1980). Ever y pool contained tr out with densities r anging fr om 10 to 50
fish/pool, depending on pool size.
Cannata (1989) saw no j uvenile steelhead in lower Pr efumo Cr eek while walking along
the str eambank dur ing Apr ilM ay 1989. Appar ently, the over pass str uctur e at Highway 101
cr eated a bar r ier that prevented adult steelhead from migrating to upstream spawning habitat.
Steelhead and r ainbow tr out wer e mentioned as fisher y r esour ces to be pr otected in a
r ecent (1990) CDFG file document, in connection with a pr oposed development pr oj ect in the
cr eek dr ainage.

Reservoir Canyon Creek

Reser voir Canyon Cr eek is an extr eme headwater tr ibutar y to San L uis Obispo Creek.
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Steelhead wer e pr esent in the cr eek dur ing a mid-1930 s CDFG sur vey. Spawning gr ounds
wer e descr ibed as patchy. The str eam was r egar ded as the best steelhead pr oduction ar ea in
the San L uis Obispo Cr eek system. Although no r ecor ds wer e discover ed, plants of j uvenile
steelhead had appar ently been made, the or igin of these fish unknown. Br own tr out had been
intr oduced to the cr eek (4,000 planted in 1933), but with poor r esults. Angling pressure on the
cr eek was r ated as ver y heavy.
The r epor t of a CDFG sur vey conducted on 16 December 1960 pr ovided an impression
of how a dam in the system affected histor ical steelhead pr oduction. The ear th-fill dam
cr eating a small r eser voir r estr icted potential steelhead pr oduction to only about 0.8 km of the
lower str eam ar ea. M ost of the water in the str eam was diver ted by the City of San L uis
Obispo for domestic use. At the time of the sur vey, stream flow was intermittent, rearing pools
wer e small and scatter ed, but cover from overhanging vegetation was abundant. A very sparse
population of small r ainbow tr out, 2.510 cm long, occur r ed in the upper canyon above the
r eser voir . The r eser voir was stocked with 12,000 catchable r ainbow tr out annually.
Rutten (1975) deter mined j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out abundance at thr ee
electr ofishing stations on the cr eek, two below and one above the big falls in Reservoir Canyon,
between 17 June 1975 and 1 July 1975. The density of j uvenile steelhead below the falls
aver aged ( SD) 294 21 tr out/100 m, while the density of r ainbow tr out at the one station
above the falls was 26 tr out/100 m.
The CDFG also made j uvenile steelhead abundance estimates in Reser voir Canyon
Cr eek downstr eam fr om the falls in 1975, by use of electr ofishing and the two-pass depletion
method (Snider and Ger des 1975). Dur ing June 1975 when str eam flow in the cr eek was
continuous, the aver age density was 348 tr out/100 m. By fall 1975, however , only 0.4 km of
sur face water per sisted in the cr eek and the average density of juvenile steelhead nearly tripled
to 981 tr out/100 m, appar ently due to cr owding as a r esult of the r eduction in r ear ing habitat
availability. The aver age length and biomass of these fish in fall wer e 70 mm FL and 4.2
kg/100 m, r espectively, and 94% of sampled tr out wer e young-of-the-year and the r emaining

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6% wer e year lings. Based on age-class specific sur vival r ates fr om Shapovalov and Taft
(1954), the obser ved j uvenile pr oduction in Reser voir Canyon Creek corresponded to an adult
steelhead pr oduction on the or der of 91 fish.
As of 1985, some of the best spawning and r ear ing habitats in the dr ainage still
occur r ed in Reser voir Canyon Cr eek. At that time, the cr eek suppor ted >435 tr out/100 m (P.
Chappell, CDFG, unpubl. data fr om a 1985 electr ofishing sur vey, as cited in Wester n
Ecological Ser vices Company, I nc. 1987), which was a similar pr oduction level as in 1975.

See Canyon Creek

See Canyon Cr eek is an impor tant, 7 km long tr ibutary that enters the tidal zone of San
L uis Obispo Cr eek about 3.4 km upstr eam fr om the Pacific Ocean. Steelhead wer e pr esent in
the cr eek dur ing a mid-1930 s CDFG sur vey. Spawning gr ounds wer e common and
over hanging r ipar ian vegetation and an abundance of insects appar ently pr ovided good
r ear ing conditions for j uvenile steelhead. No bar r ier s or diver sions wer e seen. Angling
pr essur e was noted as heavy. The steelhead population had been supplemented with a plant of
8,000 j uveniles in 1932.
When sur veyed in its entir ety by the CDFG on 12 December 1960, ther e was still high
quality spawning gr avel thr oughout the cr eek. Suitable r ear ing habitat, in the for m of pools
and over hanging vegetation, was also widespr ead. There were several agricultural diversions,
and ur ban debr is polluted the str eam. A fair size population of j uvenile steelhead was
obser ved. These fish wer e visually estimated to be 2.520.0 cm in length. L ocal r esidents
r epor ted that as many as sever al hundr ed adult steelhead ascended See Canyon Cr eek in wet
year s, but only a few in dr y year s. The cr eek was r egar ded as the most impor tant spawning
tr ibutar y in the San L uis Obispo Cr eek dr ainage.
Schuler (1973) captur ed six adult steelhead in See Canyon Cr eek by electr ofishing
dur ing 2225 Febr uar y 1973. Obser vations of young-of-the-year steelhead made dur ing this
sur vey also suppor ted the view that the cr eek was an impor tant spawning and r ear ing
tr ibutar y for San L uis Obispo Cr eek steelhead. Dur ing the 1973-74 season, 10 adult steelhead

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 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

wer e captur ed by electr ofishing (Schuler 1974), thus demonstr ating the continued per sistent
use of this str eam as a steelhead pr oduction ar ea.
Rutten (1975) sampled six stations thr oughout See Canyon Cr eek by electr ofishing,
between 17 June 1975 and 1 July 1975. Densities of j uvenile steelhead were relatively high and
aver aged ( SD) 277 163 tr out/100 m (r ange, 161584 tr out/100 m). Juvenile population
density r emained essentially the same into fall 1975 when the CDFG found an aver age of 302
tr out/100 m, by use of electr ofishing and the two-pass depletion method (Snider and Ger des
1975). The aver age length and biomass of these fish wer e 56 mm FL and 0.6 kg/100 m,
r espectively, and 97% of sampled tr out wer e young-of-the-year and the r emaining 3% wer e
year lings. Based on age-class specific sur vival r ates fr om Shapovalov and Taft (1954), the
obser ved j uvenile pr oduction in See Canyon Cr eek cor r esponded to an adult steelhead
pr oduction on the or der of 486 fish, making this str eam the ar ea of gr eatest steelhead
pr oduction in the San L uis Obispo Cr eek dr ainage.
As of 1985, some of the best spawning and r ear ing habitats in the dr ainage still
occur r ed in See Canyon Cr eek. At that time, the cr eek suppor ted 435 808 tr out/100 m (P.
Chappell, CDFG, unpubl. data fr om a 1985 electr ofishing sur vey, as cited in Wester n
Ecological Ser vices Company, I nc. 1987), which at least equalled the pr oduction seen in 1975.

Stenner Creek
Stenner Cr eek is a maj or , 9.7 km long headwater tributary that enters San L uis Obispo
Cr eek within the city limits of San L uis Obispo. The cr eek was sur veyed in its entir ety by the
CDFG on 16 December 1960. Suitable spawning substrate occurred throughout the creek, and
was of highest quality in the middle por tion just outside the city limits. Rearing habitat quality
was limited by a scar city of pools thr oughout, and lack of r ipar ian cover in the middle portion
of the cr eek. No bar r ier s, diver sions, or pollution wer e obser ved. Although no fish wer e
obser ved, the cr eek was r egar ded as potentially a fair producer of steelhead especially during
wet year s.

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Schuler (1973) captur ed one adult steelhead in Stenner Cr eek dur ing an electr ofishing
sur vey on 9 M ar ch 1973. Young-of-the-year steelhead wer e also observed in both Stenner and
its tr ibutar y, Br izziolar i Cr eek, dur ing this sur vey. Schuler suggested that the Stenner Cr eek
system was one of the ar eas used most by San L uis Obispo Cr eek steelhead.
Dur ing 1618 M ay 1973, the CDFG sur veyed a r each of Stenner Cr eek fr om 1.6 km
below to 1.6 km above its confluence with the tr ibutar y, Br izziolar i Cr eek. The upper 1.6 km
section flowed thr ough agr icultur al land, while the lower 1.6 km section flowed thr ough an
ur banized ar ea. An estimated thir d of the str eambed within the sur vey sections consisted of
suitable spawning gr avel. Rear ing habitat in the for m of pools, under cut banks, and
over hanging r ipar ian vegetation was abundant. Per ennial flow maintained pools and other
low-velocity r ear ing habitat even in dr y year s. Sever al migr ation bar r ier s wer e obser ved,
including summer dams, but none appear ed to affect adult steelhead movements. No
diver sions wer e seen. Stor m dr ains enter ing the cr eek wer e a potential pollution sour ce.
Agr icultur al waste water appear ed to enhance eutr ophication of the str eam, and r esultant
algal gr owth limited steelhead r ear ing habitat utility. Silt enter ed the str eam fr om Brizziolari
Cr eek and extended downstr eam as far as 275365 m. Young-of-the-year and year ling
steelhead wer e sampled by electr ofishing. Estimated abundance of both age classes combined,
using the two-pass r emoval method, was low, about 10 tr out/100 m. Ther e was an estimated
6.4 km of str eam habitat suitable for steelhead pr oduction. The str eam suppor ted a minor
tr out fisher y, with most pr essur e fr om youngster s.
Dur ing the 1973-74 season, two adult steelhead wer e captur ed by electr ofishing
(Schuler 1974), thus demonstr ating the continued per sistent use of this str eam as a steelhead
pr oduction ar ea.
Rutten (1975) found only 16 tr out/100 m at one electr ofishing station in lower Stenner
Cr eek dur ing the latter half of June 1975, but 131 tr out/100 m in the upper creek. I n fall 1975,
j uvenile population density aver aged 249 tr out/100 m in sever al 30.5 m str eam sections, as
deter mined by electr ofishing and the two-pass depletion method (Snider and Ger des 1975).

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 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

The aver age length and biomass of these fish wer e 95 mm FL and 2.5 kg/100 m, r espectively,
and 83% of sampled tr out wer e age 0+, 16% wer e age 1+, and 1% was age 2+. Based on age-
class specific sur vival rates from Shapovalov and Taft (1954), the observed juvenile production
in Stenner Cr eek cor r esponded to an adult steelhead pr oduction on the or der of 249 fish.
As of 1985, some of the best spawning and r ear ing habitats in the dr ainage still
occur r ed in Stenner Cr eek. At that time, the cr eek suppor ted up to 435 tr out/100 m (P.
Chappell, CDFG, unpubl. data fr om a 1985 electr ofishing sur vey, as cited in Wester n
Ecological Ser vices Company, I nc. 1987), which at least equalled the pr oduction seen in 1975.
Cannata (1989) counted eight young-of-the-year and one year ling steelhead while
walking along the str eambank on the lower most 180 m of Stenner Cr eek, dur ing Apr ilM ay
1989.
The Stenner Cr eek tr ibutar y, Br izziolar i Cr eek, was surveyed by the CDFG on 15 May
1973, fr om its confluence with Stenner Cr eek upstr eam thr ough the Califor nia Polytechnic
State Univer sity campus. This por tion of the dr ainage was highly developed and the cr eek
passed thr ough agr icultur al land, and thr ough sever al culver ts beneath and along r oadways,
including the constr uction site for a new r oad. Ther e wer e some suitable spawning grounds in
the upper sur vey ar ea, but silt cover ed suitable gr avel downstream from the road construction
site. M an-made pools occur r ed downstr eam fr om the culver ts and these, along with undercut
banks and over hanging r ipar ian vegetation, pr ovided r ear ing habitat for j uvenile steelhead,
even under inter r upted flow conditions. Such pools, though, wer e silted in below the
constr uction site. No diver sions wer e seen. Silt polluted the str eam fr om the construction site,
and this siltation appar ently extended well into Stenner Cr eek (see above). Cattle fecal
mater ial was also a pollution sour ce which likely enhanced pr imar y pr oduction in the stream.
Resultant algal gr owth limited steelhead r ear ing habitat utility thr ough physical occlusion.
Young-of-the-year and year ling steelhead wer e sampled by electr ofishing. Estimated
abundance of both age classes combined, using the two-pass r emoval method, was ver y low,
about 5 tr out/100 m. Rutten (1975) found no tr out at an electr ofishing station in lower

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Br izziolar i Cr eek dur ing the latter half of June 1975, but about 10 tr out/100 m at a station in
the upper cr eek.
As of 1985, a dysfunctional fish ladder on Br izziolar i Cr eek on the Califor nia
Polytechnic State Univer sity campus blocked upstr eam migr ation of adult steelhead (P.
Chappell, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 6 June 1985). Ther e was an estimated r eduction of about
7,00010,000 j uvenile steelhead annually over a 35 yr per iod. The bar r ier pr oblem was
appar ently r ectified by the Univer sity as of 18 December 1985 (R. A. Tar taglia, Califor nia
Polytechnic State Univer sity, San L uis Obispo, unpubl. letter of 23 December 1985).

STATUS: M ention Fr oom Cr eek, the Buckley Road tr ibutar y, and other minor tr ibutar ies
that may have suppor ted steelhead pr oduction but no longer do so because of barriers, etc. (see
Schuler 1974).

Ssn Simeon Creek Drainag

San Simeon Cr eek has histor ically suppor ted a steelhead population. Ear ly r ecor ds
show that steelhead wer e pr esent in the cr eek when the CDFG sur veyed the str eam during the
mid-1930 s. Spawning gr ounds for steelhead wer e common except in the upper ar eas. The
middle and lower por tions of the str eam had appar ently dr ied up in late summer over sever al
year s, r esulting in a loss of r ear ing habitat. No bar r ier s or diver sions wer e seen. Natur al
pr opagation among migr ant adults was noted to occur , but sur vival of pr ogeny was pr edicted
to be low, pr esumably because of str eam desiccation and heavy fishing pr essur e on steelhead
j uveniles. Although the steelhead population had been supplemented with 10,000 j uveniles in
1932 and 8,000 in 1933, the sur veyor s r ecommended against fur ther stocking because of
inter r upted flow conditions in late summer .
When San Simeon Cr eek was sur veyed by the CDFG in June 1948, spawning substrate
was plentiful, and j uvenile steelhead, 2.55 cm in length, wer e abundant and occur r ed at
visually estimated densities of 160250 tr out/100 m. A few planted r ainbow tr out wer e also
obser ved. Based on infor mation contained in var ious CDFG documents fr om ar ound this

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time (W. A. Evans, CDFG, unpubl. field notes of 18 June 1948, unpubl. inter office
cor r espondence of 19 July 1948, and unpubl. field notes of 7 October 1950), the cr eek was
planted with hatcher y r ear ed tr out dur ing 19471950 to suppor t a str eam tr out fisher y.
Finger ling plants wer e most often indicated but it was unclear if the fish planted wer e fr om
steelhead or r ainbow tr out stock. Planting of catchable r ainbow tr out was also mentioned.
Ther e was much attention paid to the success of these plants r elative to str eam flow, and the
1949 and 1950 plants in the Nor th For k San Simeon Cr eek wer e consider ed unsuccessful
because of inter r upted flow conditions in late summer fall. However , this headwater ar ea
contained per ennial pools with ample shading capable of pr oviding over -summer ing habitat
for j uvenile steelhead.
When the CDFG sur veyed the lower cr eek ar ea in September 1948 (H. D. Hoefelmeier,
CDFG, unpubl. field cor r espondence of 10 September 1948), the cr eek was completely dry for
at least 2.4 km upstr eam fr om the Highway 1 br idge. I solated pools occur r ed above that point
which suppor ted sur viving fish. The lagoon at the mouth of the cr eek, downstr eam fr om the
Highway 1 br idge, contained the only water in the lower cr eek ar ea. The local fish and game
war den par ticipating in the sur vey indicated the lagoon would per sist until winter s r ains
began. Hoefelmeier also noted that all the cr eeks fr om M or r o Bay to Piedr as Blancas Point
had similar str eamflow conditions at that time.
The lower most 11 km of San Simeon Cr eek wer e sur veyed by the CDFG on 19 January
1960. The lower most 7 km contained a ver y high pr opor tion of spawning gr avel, visually
estimated at 80% 90% of the str eambed. I n the upper most 4 km of the sur vey ar ea, <30% of
the str eambed over all contained suitable spawning gr avel. The distr ibution of high quality
r ear ing habitat for j uvenile steelhead, in the for m of pools and cover (r ootwads, fallen tr ees,
over hanging r ipar ian vegetation, boulder s), was essentially the opposite of that for spawning
habitat, in that the best r ear ing ar eas wer e in the upper most 5 km of the sur vey ar ea. A
bedr ock fall, about 320 m downstr eam fr om the confluence of the north and south forks, was a
potential bar r ier to upstr eam migr ation. However , it was appar ently passable to adults under

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high flow conditions because the local fish and game war den had seen steelhead in the south
for k above the fall. Ther e wer e no diver sions, and no pollution was seen although ther e was
extensive cattle gr azing in the water shed. No fish wer e obser ved in the str eam dur ing this
sur vey, but the str eam was char acter ized as pr oviding some of the better steelhead fishing for
the San L uis Obispo ar ea.
I n 1965, the CDFG investigated the effect of siltation from the Stewart Warren Mine on
j uvenile steelhead pr oduction in Steiner and San Simeon cr eeks (M . L . Johnson, CDFG,
unpubl. memo. of 4 October 1965 and attached unpubl. file r epor t on subj ect). Steiner Cr eek
is a maj or tr ibutar y that enter s San Simeon Cr eek about 7 km upstr eam fr om the mouth. The
mine contr ibuted silt to Steiner Cr eek which then car r ied it to San Simeon Cr eek below the
confluence with Steiner . On 8 June 1965, j uvenile steelhead abundance was deter mined by
cr eosol sampling in one 20 m long section each in San Simeon Cr eek above the Steiner Cr eek
confluence, in Steiner Cr eek, and in San Simeon Cr eek below the confluence. (Visual
str eambank counts wer e also made but it was later decided that cr eosol sampling gave the
most accur ate r esults). The density estimate for the San Simeon Cr eek section above the
confluence was 994 tr out/100 m, while those in Steiner Cr eek and San Simeon below the
confluence wer e 114 and 94 tr out/100 m, r espectively. Thus, the data suggested that steelhead
pr oduction in the silted ar eas was lower than that in the unsilted ar ea by a factor of near ly 10.
Johnson expanded the data for the entir e 8 km section of Steiner Cr eek, and the 7 km of San
Simeon Cr eek below the confluence, and estimated a loss in j uvenile steelhead pr oduction (at
that r ecr uitment stage) of about 137,500 fish.
The CDFG conducted a follow-up sur vey on 27 September 1965. The most significant
change in conditions was that San Simeon Cr eek was dr y fr om the lagoon to 1.6 km upstr eam
fr om the Steiner Cr eek confluence, as was the lower most 2.4 km of Steiner Cr eek. Juvenile
steelhead density in San Simeon Cr eek above the confluence was 809 tr out/100 m, as
deter mined by cr eosol sampling in one 23 m long section. Thus, ther e was about a 20%
r eduction in density since the June 1965 sampling occasion. Assuming the same density

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r eduction r ate in Steiner Cr eek, and taking into consider ation the r ear ing habitat loss in all of
San Simeon Cr eek below the confluence and in lower Steiner Cr eek due to desiccation, the
estimated loss in j uvenile steelhead pr oduction (at this r ecr uitment stage) because of siltation
was calculated to be about 41,000 fish.
I n 1970, the CDFG estimated the abundance of j uvenile steelhead by electr ofishing
sever al r andomly-selected 30.5 m r eaches in thr ee 1.6-km sections (L . K . Puckett, CDFG,
unpubl. memo. of 30 December 1971). Abundance was estimated using the two-pass r emoval
method. Juvenile steelhead abundance r anged fr om 113 tr out/100 m in the upper most km to
653 tr out/100 m in SK M 8 (SK M 35 wer e dr y), and aver aged 376 270 tr out/100 m among
the thr ee sections.
San Simeon Cr eek was next surveyed by the CDFG during 1314 August 1973, from the
headwater s to the lagoon for a distance of 14.5 km. The distr ibution of spawning and r ear ing
habitats was essentially the same as that descr ibed in the Januar y 1960 sur vey (see above). No
new bar r ier s to adult immigr ation or diver sions wer e obser ved on the main stem, although
far m ponds withheld the water of some tr ibutar ies. The gr avel quar r ying oper ation of Morro
Rock and Sand distur bed the str eambed at thr ee locations downstr eam fr om Steiner Cr eek.
Not only was about 3.2 km of steelhead spawning habitat distur bed or eliminated, but the
quar r ying also caused siltation. I n addition, the gr avel oper ations blocked the spr ing-time
migr ation of young-of-the-year steelhead fr om the desiccating lower str eam to per ennial
r ear ing habitat upstr eam. An abandoned mer cur y mine on a small tr ibutar y polluted the
str eam with silt and possibly mer cur y, cattle fecal mater ial contaminated the upper str eam
ar eas, and a public dump on the lower San Simeon Cr eek tr ibutar y, Van Gor don Cr eek,
contr ibuted silt and tr ash to the dr ainage. Despite the r elatively degr aded condition of the
cr eek, j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out, 4.015.0 cm in length, were captured by electrofishing
and netting in all sections of the main stem, including the lagoon and above the bedr ock
bar r ier near the headwater for ks. Ther e wer e many young-of-the-year in pools in the lower
and middle cr eek ar eas, and the upper cr eek contained both young-of-the-year and age 1+ fish

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but in r elatively lower densities. San Simeon Cr eek was still viewed as a valuable steelhead
pr oduction ar ea, but that its potential was compr omised by especially the gr avel extr action
activity.
Degr adation of lower San Simeon Cr eek per sisted in connection with gr avel r emoval.
I n discussing the pr oblem, Chappell (1976) wr ote that the loss of gr avel and cobble,
compaction of the str eambed, loss of r ipar ian vegetation, r oad constr uction, and r esultant
sedimentation fr om both instr eam sour ces and er osion of str eamside soils would pr eclude the
continued use of lower San Simeon Cr eek as steelhead spawning and r ear ing habitat.
Chappell also made two points of br oader inter est: fir st, that j uvenile steelhead in centr al
Califor nia coastal str eams, such as San Simeon Cr eek, typically r emained in the str eam for
only one year befor e smolting and emigr ating to the sea; and second, that small tr ibutar ies
becoming inter mittent in summer often suppor t steelhead spawning in winter , with r esultant
j uveniles escaping downstr eam in spr ing to per ennial r ear ing ar eas.
Dur ing the 1983-84 steelhead season, the Santa L ucia Flyfishing Club conducted a creel
census of four San L uis Obispo County coastal str eams, including San Simeon Cr eek (Santa
L ucia Flyfishing Club, San L uis Obispo, newsletter of Apr il 1984). Sur veys occur r ed on 20 of
the 50 legal fishing days. Seven angler s wer e inter viewed who landed no steelhead during 6.50
hr of angling effor t, although ther e wer e r umor s of steelhead being taken.
Appr oximately 200 steelhead, r anging in size fr om 9 to 60 cm, died in the San Simeon
Cr eek lagoon on 9 August 1988, because of low water levels and r esultant high temper atur e
and low dissolved oxygen concentr ation. Gener ally, though, the lagoon is used as r ear ing
habitat by j uvenile steelhead when water quality is suitable (D. W. Alley, D. W. Alley and
Associates, per s. comm. of 21 Januar y 1993). A few j uvenile steelhead wer e obser ved in the
lagoon and lower most 200 m or so of the cr eek dur ing monthly snor keling sur veys beginning
in M ay 1992, although abundances of j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e gener ally higher
in upstr eam ar eas (M . Jennings, USFWS, per s. comm. of 21 Januar y 1993).
The CDFG sur veyed San Simeon Cr eek dur ing 1516 September 1992, fr om the

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confluence of the nor th and south for ks to a point 8 km downstr eam. Only the upper most 3.2
km of the sur vey ar ea had sur face flow and of this about 0.8 km was above the bedr ock fall
descr ibed in ear lier sur veys (see above). The r emainder of the str eam in the sur vey ar ea
contained only isolated pools of water . Contr ar y to str eam sur vey r epor ts thr ough 1973, the
lower most 3.2 km of the sur vey ar ea contained extensive ( 30 m long) deposits of sand along
with boulder s and cobble. This lower section still contained mor e spawning ar eas, r elative to
the upstr eam ar ea with water , but ther e was clear ly a significant r eduction in abundance of
suitable spawning gr avel fr om pr evious sur veys. Physical conditions for the pr ovision of
r ear ing habitat wer e still intact but str eam flow limited r ear ing habitat quantity and quality.
No new bar r ier s wer e seen, nor wer e ther e any sur face diver sions, but ther e wer e sever al
str eamside wells that pumped water fr om the under flow. Cattle polluted the stream with fecal
mater ial. L ow densities of young-of-the-year , age 1+, and possibly age 2+ j uvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e seen in the upper most 3.2 km section with sur face flow.
This str eam sur vey was followed by an assessment of the str eam habitat and j uvenile
steelhead population in San Simeon Cr eek in 1993 (Nelson 1995). This work was conducted in
the per ennial r each of str eam fr om the Steiner Cr eek confluence at 6.4 km above the mouth, to
the bedr ock fall at 9.3 km above the mouth. Str eam flow within the perennial reach decreased
fr om 0.156 m3/s on 5 M ay 1993 to 0.013 m3/s on 1 November 1993; the lower most 6.4 km of
the cr eek went dr y dur ing the latter half of July 1993. The per ennial r each was habitat typed
in June 1993, and as a per centage of the total length, 46% was flatwater habitat (pocket
water s, glides, r uns, step r uns), 43% was pools, 7% was r iffles, and 4% was cascades.
Spawning ar eas wer e spar se, small in size, and the substr ate was either embedded or consisted
of sand. Rear ing habitat was r elatively abundant but not of high quality. Cover was
adequate, but pools wer e shallow as a r esult of the combined effects of low str eam flow and
sedimentation. The r each contained one sur face diversion. Sediment sources may have been a
landslide on the nor th for k, a constr uction site below the bedr ock fall, five r oad crossings, and
four cattle cr ossings. The sediment pr oblem had been exacer bated by a lack of flushing flows

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for 5 yr .
Nelson (1995) sampled the j uvenile steelhead population by use of a downstr eam
migr ant tr ap and electr ofishing. The downstr eam migr ant tr ap was located at the upstr eam
end of the lagoon, and was fished fr om 7 Apr il 1993 to 19 M ay 1993. Only 10 steelhead smolts
wer e captur ed dur ing seven weeks of tr apping, nine of which wer e captur ed dur ing the weeks
of 19 Apr il 1993 and 26 Apr il 1993. M or e smolts may have emigr ated pr ior to the tr apping
per iod. Captur ed smolts aver aged ( SD) 181 11 mm TL (r ange, 170204 mm TL ).
Electr ofishing was conducted in 10-30.5 m long sections in the per ennial r each dur ing
September 1993. A total of 205 j uvenile steelhead was captured, and the composite abundance
estimate deter mined by the multiple-pass r emoval method for all 10 sections was 218 tr out.
The expanded estimate for the 2.4 km long per ennial r each was 1,726 tr out, or about 72
tr out/100 m. Captur ed steelhead aver aged 130 mm TL (range, 69314 mm TL ), and the length
fr equency distr ibution of the catch (Nelson 1995) suggested that at least three consecutive year
classes wer e r epr esented, with the 1993 age 0+ gr oup dominating in r elative abundance.
Nelson (1995) concluded that the San Simeon Cr eek steelhead population was pr imar ily
limited by lack of str eam flow dur ing spr ingfall, and secondar ily by sedimentation.
The habitat and j uvenile steelhead population in the per ennial r each of San Simeon
Cr eek wer e assessed again in September 1994 by Alley & Associates (1994). The per ennial
r each in 1994 was only 1.5 km long. Habitat typing affir med the dominance of flatwater
habitats and pools, and the negative influence of sediment, as seen by Nelson (1994) in 1993.
Using the multiple-pass r emoval method, and weighing habitat-type specific densities of each
age class by the cumulative length of each habitat type in each of thr ee r eaches, ther e was a
summed estimate of 2,003 j uvenile steelhead in the 1.5 km per ennial reach, or 134 trout/100 m.
Thus, the estimated total number of j uvenile steelhead in the perennial reach was very similar
in September 1993 (~1,700) and September 1994 (~2,000), but density in 1994 was nearly twice
that in 1993 (~130 tr out/100 m vs. ~70 tr out/100 m, r espectively). The length of the per ennial
r each was also about 38% shor ter in 1994 than in 1993. Based on obser ved densities of

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j uvenile steelhead in September 1994, the corresponding number of adult steelhead that would
be pr oduced was estimated at 65 fish, using a model developed by K elley et al. (1987).

Steiner Creek
Obser vations by biologists over the last 30 yr demonstr ate the per sistent use of the San
Simeon Cr eek tr ibutar y, Steiner Cr eek, as a steelhead pr oduction ar ea. On 8 June 1965, the
CDFG estimated j uvenile steelhead abundance in one 20 m long r each at 114 tr out/100 m, in
the investigation of a siltation pr oblem in the dr ainage (M . L . Johnson, CDFG, unpubl. memo.
of 4 October 1965 and attached unpubl. file r epor t on subj ect; see above for complete
synopsis). Juvenile steelhead, 5.012.5 cm in length, wer e obser ved in the cr eek near the dam
site of the pr oposed Cambr ia M eadow Reservoir when surveyed by the CDFG on 21 December
1989. I n September 1994, Alley & Associates (1994) assessed the habitat and juvenile steelhead
population in one 435 m long r each in the per ennial por tion of Steiner Creek. Perennial water
began about 5.6 km upstr eam fr om the confluence with San Simeon Cr eek. About 92% of the
sur veyed r each was composed of step-r uns and bedr ock pools. Using the multiple-pass
r emoval method, and weighing habitat-type specific densities of each age class by the
cumulative length of each habitat type in the r each, ther e was a summed estimate of 1,145
j uvenile steelhead in the r each, or 263 tr out/100 m. Based on obser ved densities of j uvenile
steelhead in September 1994, the cor r esponding number of adult steelhead that would be
pr oduced was estimated at 31 fish, using a model developed by K elley et al. (1987).

Santa Rosa Creek Drainage

Santa Rosa Cr eek is among the most well-known steelhead str eams in San L uis Obispo
County. The CDFG sur veyed the cr eek under low-flow conditions dur ing the mid-1930 s.
Str eam flow was per ennial in the upper cr eek but became inter r upted in the middle and lower
por tions. No migr ation bar r ier s wer e obser ved, and spawning gr ounds wer e common along
the str eam. The steelhead population had appar ently been supplemented with ear lier plants,
but a stocking summar y cover ing the ear ly 1930 s showed only a plant of 4,000 br own tr out

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made in 1933. The sur veyor s r ecommended against fur ther stocking under low-flow
conditions. They also pr edicted that the success of natur al spawning was limited because of
low str eam flow. Fishing pr essur e had been heavy on the str eam.
The CDFG str eam sur vey files contained sever al miscellaneous notes about steelhead
and their habitat in Santa Rosa Cr eek fr om the 1950 s. The opening of the summer tr out
season on 1 M ay 1950 included the take of many limits of j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out,
about 12.523.0 cm in length. Some 3,000 r ainbow tr out wer e planted in the str eam in Apr il
1951. A cr eel census conducted dur ing Januar y 1955 r evealed that an estimated 650 angler
days wer e spent to catch over 600 steelhead at Santa Rosa Cr eek. Angling was confined to the
tidewater por tion of the str eam, and most captur ed fish wer e pr esumably j uveniles, based on
the magnitude of the catch. Dur ing a br ief check of the cr eek on 18 Januar y 1957, suitable
spawning gr avel was seen at the Highway 1 cr ossing. Sever al adult steelhead had r epor tedly
been taken in the lagoon dur ing the pr evious week. On 29 Apr il 1959, the CDFG obser ved a
high abundance of 2.55.0 cm long steelhead fr y and 10.018.0 cm long year lings in the upper
str eam. For example, ther e wer e a visually-estimated 150200 fr y and 30 year lings in one 17
m3 pool.
A mor e compr ehensive view of Santa Rosa Cr eek as a steelhead pr oduction ar ea was
pr ovided when the CDFG sur veyed the lower most 18 km of the str eam on 18 Januar y 1960.
Spawning ar eas wer e abundant and in good condition thr oughout the lower most 10.6 km of
str eam, and scatter ed fur ther upstr eam. Rear ing habitat, in the for m of pools and cover , was
of high quality in the upper most 35 km of the sur vey ar ea. I n contrast, pool development was
poor and cover lacking in the lower most 14.5 km. Sur face water was diver ted to adj oining
r anches, and cattle gr azing caused much er osion in the upper str eam ar ea. No j uvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e seen in the cr eek dur ing this sur vey.
I n a letter of concer n to the CDFG (W. C. Weiss, Cambr ia, CA, unpubl. letter of 23
Januar y 1960), a local r esident descr ibed how r ancher s in the upstr eam cr eek ar ea built small
dams in summer each year for ir r igation diver sions. Str eam flow, in the other wise per ennial

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cr eek, became inter r upted as a r esult. This pr oblem occur r ed r epor tedly about four times
between 5 July 1959 and mid-October 1959, each time for 12 weeks. Many juvenile steelhead
and stocked r ainbow tr out wer e appar ently killed as their over summer ing pools dr ied up.
Similar ly, on 24 June 1960, the CDFG found that str eam flow in Santa Rosa Cr eek,
downstr eam fr om 4.7 km above the Highway 1 cr ossing, became inter r upted as the r esult of a
sur face diver sion in that r each (M . R. Schr eiber , CDFG, unpubl. field notes of 24 June 1960).
Young-of-the year steelhead, 2.57.5 cm long, wer e obser ved at high visually-deter mined
densities in pools at each of 10 stations fr om the per ennial upstr eam ar ea, 15.8 km above
Highway 1, to isolated, desiccating pools in the lower most cr eek within the town of Cambr ia.
I n 1961, these seasonal, inter r upted flow conditions persisted through late fall when the CDFG
obser ved the str eam on 19 December 1961, and saw six 5.010.0 cm long juvenile steelhead in a
pool about 4.5 km upstr eam fr om Highway 1.
I n 1970, the CDFG evaluated the impact of summer tr out fishing on the j uvenile
steelhead population inhabiting the Santa Rosa Cr eek lagoon (L . Puckett, CDFG, unpubl.
memo. of 2 November 1970). The study consisted of (i) a mar k-and-r ecaptur e estimate of the
lagoon-dwelling j uvenile steelhead population; and (ii) an estimate of the number of steelhead
r emoved fr om the population by angling dur ing the summer tr out season as deter mined by a
cr eel census. Beginning in mid-February 1970 and continuing periodically through April 1970,
j uvenile steelhead wer e seined in the lagoon, mar ked with an adipose fin clip and r eleased.
Juvenile steelhead enter ing the lagoon wer e inter cepted at a downstr eam migr ant tr ap 1.6 km
above the lagoon. These fish too wer e mar ked and released. Trapping continued through July
1970, although <50 tr out wer e tr apped over the entir e per iod. Thus, most downstr eam
movement must have occur r ed pr ior to ear ly M ar ch. Over all, 1,800 j uvenile steelhead wer e
mar ked and r eleased.
The lagoon population was estimated to be 6,800 j uvenile steelhead by the opening of
the tr out season on 2 M ay 1970. An estimated 2,290 j uvenile steelhead, or 34% of the lagoon
population, wer e captur ed dur ing 2 M ay31 August 1970, as deter mined by the cr eel census.

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These fish aver aged 13.0 cm in length. On a monthly basis, 1,960, 268, 61, and 0 tr out wer e
caught in M ay, June, July, and August, r espectively. The seasonal decr ease in har vest
r eflected a decline in use r ather than catch r ate, as catch r ates thr oughout the per iod that
fishing occur r ed r emained above 1.3 tr out/hr . No angling took place in August 1970, yet at
least sever al hundr ed j uvenile steelhead r emained in the lagoon, as deter mined by seining.
Thus, of the estimated 6,800 steelhead pr esent at the star t of the tr out season, r oughly
50% wer e accounted for in the fisher y (~2,300 tr out) and as fish sur viving the summer in the
lagoon (per haps as many as 1,000 tr out). The other half of the or iginal population either
escaped to the ocean befor e the sandbar for med in ear ly M ay, was lost to pr edation, or died as
a r esult of decr easing water quality with water temper atur e peaking at 25.6 C on warm calm
days. Puckett concluded that the data did not suppor t the need for a closur e on summer tr out
fishing in lagoons south of San Fr ancisco, as the obser ved level of fishing mor tality was not
thought to have a significant influence on adult r un size, which he noted was about 500 fish.
However , cur r ent r egulations pr ohibit summer tr out fishing fr om San Fr ancisco through San
L uis Obispo counties on coastal str eams or por tions ther eof accessible to steelhead, including
lagoons.
Bailey (1973) estimated the population size and biomass of j uvenile steelhead in Santa
Rosa Cr eek dur ing JuneAugust 1970. The study ar ea included the lower most 19.3 km of the
str eam. Dur ing this study per iod, str eam flow in the cr eek was inter r upted which r esulted in
thr ee dr y sections, the most significant of which extended fr om about 11 to 13 km upstr eam
fr om the mouth. This dr y section was used as a boundar y zone between the upper and lower
cr eek for which post hoc compar isons wer e made. The lower creek lacked riparian vegetation,
and was r elatively war m and eutr ophicated. I n contr ast, the upper cr eek had dense r ipar ian
vegetation, an abundance of r iffles, and was r elatively cool and oligotr ophic. Juvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out abundance was estimated, by use of electr ofishing and the two-pass
r emoval method, in typically four , r andomly selected 30.5 m long sections in each of 11
contiguous, 1.6 km str eam r eaches.

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Juvenile steelhead densities in individual sections wer e highly var iable (r ange, 01,020
tr out/100 m; c.v. = 88% ), and aver aged 345 302 tr out/100 m. Densities in the upper cr eek
aver aged 535 286 tr out/100 m, while those in the lower cr eek aver aged 202 229 tr out/100
m, and this differ ence was highly significant (M ann-Whitney U test, p<0.001) 4. I ndividual
section density estimates wer e aver aged and expanded for each 1.6 km r each, and it followed
that r each densities in the upper cr eek (5,336 1,874 tr out/km) wer e significantly gr eater
(M ann-Whitney U test, p<0.02) than those in the lower cr eek (2,117 1,071 tr out/km).
Aver age individual masses of tr out in upper cr eek r eaches (179 48 tr out/kg) wer e
significantly lower (M ann-Whitney U test, p<0.03) than those in lower cr eek r eaches (83 47
tr out/kg). Thus, j uvenile steelhead wer e typically mor e abundant per unit area and smaller in
the upper cr eek r elative to the lower cr eek. With an aver age individual mass in the upper and
lower cr eek of 5.6 g and 12.0 g, r espectively, most fish in the upper cr eek wer e young-of-the-
year while year lings wer e pr opor tionately mor e abundant in the lower cr eek. I nter estingly,
aver age total biomass in upper cr eek r eaches (29 15 kg/km) did not differ significantly
(M ann-Whitney U test, p>0.85) fr om that in lower cr eek r eaches (28 18 kg/km). The total
population estimate and biomass for the study ar ea was 63,378 trout and 504 kg. Bailey (1973)
concluded (i) that Santa Rosa Cr eek, on a per km basis, was the most pr oductive among
sever al centr al coast steelhead str eams sur veyed dur ing 197071 under the dir ection of the
CDFG (L . K . Puckett, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 30 December 1971); and (ii) that water
development posed the gr eatest thr eat to the Santa Rosa Cr eek steelhead r un.
On 2 Febr uar y 1974, the CDFG obser ved thr ee adult steelhead in the cr eek, about 68
km above the mouth. The visually-estimated lengths of these fish wer e 41 cm, 64 cm, and 76

4
Note that sampling occur r ed fr om June to August, the per iod dur ing which the size of the age 0 cohor t is
typically r egulated the most pr opor tionately (r eviewed by Titus 1990). Thus, the overall picture provided by Bailey (1973) may
have been somewhat confounded in that abundance and biomass estimates made at differ ent locations and times likely
cor r esponded to differ ent r ecr uitment stages.

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cm. On 23 Febr uar y 1974, the CDFG captur ed two spawning pair s of adult steelhead in Santa
Rosa Cr eek by electr ofishing: the fir st pair consisted of a 79.8 cm female and 72.9 cm male,
and the second pair of a 61.0 cm female and a 51.3 cm male. On 24 Febr uar y 1974, a 50.8 cm
female was captur ed on hook and line in the lagoon.
Dur ing 17 August22 October 1978, K nable (1978) estimated j uvenile steelhead
abundance and biomass in Santa Rosa Cr eek and five other San L uis Obispo County coastal
str eams. Santa Rosa Cr eek was selected to r epr esent a steelhead pr oduction system subject to
a moder ate level of human-induced degr adation. Similar ly to Bailey (1973), abundance and
biomass wer e estimated, by use of electr ofishing and the two-pass r emoval method, in six
r andomly-selected 30.5 m long sections in each of five 1.6 km long str eam r eaches. Two
r eaches each cor r esponded to the lower and upper cr eek ar eas descr ibed by Bailey (1973; see
above), and the fifth r each was in the boundar y zone fr om about 11 to 13 km above the mouth.
As seen by Bailey (1973), individual section densities var ied gr eatly (r ange, 0105
tr out/100 m; c.v. = 151% ), but the aver age of 22 33 tr out/100 m was an entir e or der of
magnitude lower than that estimated by Bailey (1973) and this differ ence was highly
significant (M ann-Whitney U test, p<0.001). As in 1970, densities in the upper cr eek (41 40
tr out/100 m) tended to be higher than those in the lower cr eek (6 11 tr out/100 m), and this
differ ence was near ly significant (M ann-Whitney U test, p = 0.0525). Also consistent with
Bailey (1973), aver age individual masses of j uvenile steelhead in upper cr eek sections (111
68 tr out/kg) wer e significantly lower (M ann-Whitney U test, p<0.007) than those in lower
cr eek sections (25 7 tr out/kg). Again, j uvenile steelhead wer e typically mor e abundant per
unit ar ea and smaller in the upper cr eek r elative to the lower cr eek. With an aver age
individual mass in the upper and lower cr eek of 9.0 g and 40.0 g, r espectively, most fish in the
upper cr eek wer e young-of-the-year while most of those in the lower cr eek wer e year lings.
Over all, of 161 tr out sampled, 52% wer e 5099 mm in length, 31% wer e 100149 mm, 16%
wer e 150199 mm, and 1% was 200249 mm. Also consistent with Bailey (1973) was the
finding that aver age total biomass in upper cr eek sections (446 539 g/100 m) did not differ

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significantly (M ann-Whitney U test, p>0.58) fr om that in lower creek reaches (330 429 g/100
m).
K nable (1978) found that lower Santa Rosa Cr eek was evolving towar d a state of
advanced degr adation. The str eam channel in the lower cr eek was eroding and broadening as
a r esult of str eamside vegetation loss, caused by intense livestock gr azing, ur banization, and
agr icultur al development. The quality of r ear ing habitat for j uvenile steelhead was limited
because of the lack of cover . Spawning gr avel occur r ed in the lower most 13 km of the cr eek
but its utility was consider ed questionable because of insufficient cover . Suitable spawning
gr avel and cover existed in the upper cr eek ar ea, which had not been sever ely modified. The
lower cr eek, especially near Cambr ia, was polluted with ur ban debr is which also r educed
r ear ing habitat quality. Str eam flow was inter r upted in many ar eas above str eam kilometer
9.6. I n addition, the 19761977 dr ought likely exacerbated these negative impacts on steelhead
habitat and ther efor e the population.
Rathbun et al. (1991) pr esented a br ief summar y of up-to-date obser vations on
steelhead in Santa Rosa Cr eek, and indicated that j uveniles wer e abundant in the dr ainage
thr ough the ear ly 1980 s, based on CDFG unpublished r epor ts and field logs. Spor t fishing
effor t for r etur ning adult steelhead was r epor tedly still intense at the mouth of the cr eek
thr ough 1986. Angler obser vations and r epor ts indicated that the number of adult steelhead
enter ing the cr eek declined significantly fr om 1987 thr ough 1991. Dur ing a qualitative survey
in 1988, r ainbow tr out wer e noted as fair ly numer ous in the upper water shed, but absent in
lower Santa Rosa Cr eek. Only a few j uvenile steelhead wer e seen in one pool dur ing a sur vey
fr om the mouth to the M ain Str eet br idge in Cambr ia in M ar ch 1990. Dur ing 19881991, the
CDFG r eceived only a few r epor ts of spawning adults. No steelhead were seen during a survey
of the lower most 3.2 km of the cr eek in mid-July 1991. As of 1991, steelhead still spawned and
r ear ed in the upper dr ainage, but the lagoon no longer functioned as impor tant r ear ing
habitat, especially dur ing the summer , as no steelhead had been seen ther e for year s. I t was
appar ent to Rathbun et al. (1991) that over all steelhead abundance was dr astically r educed

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fr om histor ic number s. These author s attr ibuted the decline pr imar ily to r educed habitat
quality and quantity fr om loss of instr eam flow and perennial holding pools in the lower creek,
and to loss of flow to the lagoon, as a r esult of incr eased agr icultur al and ur ban use of the
water . The 19871992 dr ought undoubtedly exacer bated the pr oblem.
The lower most 21 km of Santa Rosa Cr eek wer e sur veyed by the CDFG fr om 28 Apr il
1992 thr ough 1 M ay 1992. The lower most 4 km of the cr eek, wher e it flows thr ough Cambria,
was somewhat ur banized, including pollution fr om ur ban debr is. The next 9.7 km upstr eam
flowed thr ough land developed for cattle gr azing and cr op pr oduction; cattle wastes wer e a
sour ce of or ganic pollution and cattle use of the str eam channel also caused str eambank
er osion and sediment pollution as did poor agr icultur al pr actices. M any homes wer e built
adj acent to the cr eek. Extensive str etches of high quality spawning gr ounds, some over 30 m
long, existed thr oughout the dr ainage. Rear ing habitat, in the for m of pools and cover , also
occur r ed thr oughout the dr ainage. Steelhead had access to the lowermost 18 km of Santa Rosa
Cr eek as cascade falls in the headwater s blocked upstr eam migr ation of adult spawner s.
Ther e was a log j am about 13 km upstr eam fr om the lagoon but ther e was no indication if it
was a migr ation bar r ier . An elevated culver t at the mouth of the Santa Rosa Cr eek tr ibutar y,
Cur ti Cr eek, blocked upstr eam migr ation into that str eam. M any sur face water diver sions
wer e seen thr oughout the dr ainage, in addition to wells on the str eam banks which pumped
fr om the under flow. Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e pr esent thr oughout the drainage,
with the exception of the upper most 2.4 km of the study ar ea. Young-of-the-year wer e
abundant at only thr ee locations in the upper cr eek. Year ling steelhead, 12.5 cm in length,
wer e seen thr oughout the system but not in gr eat abundance. Santa Rosa Cr eek was still
r ecognized as having been one of the best steelhead pr oduction ar eas in San L uis Obispo.
L ack of instr eam flow dur ing the summer and fall was consider ed the factor which most
pr evented the steelhead pr oduction potential of the system fr om being met. Other wise,
r estor ation potential was high with r egar d to pr oblems associated with cattle gr azing, cr op
pr oduction, and other development.

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This str eam sur vey was followed by a CDFG assessment of the j uvenile steelhead
population and str eam habitat in 1993 (Nelson 1994b). The study area included the lowermost
23 km of the cr eek. Str eam flow at str eam kilometer 16 in the upper cr eek ar ea decr eased
fr om 0.214 m3/s on 5 M ay 1993 to 0.012 m3/s by 1 November 1993. At str eam kilometer 3.2 in
the lower cr eek ar ea, str eam flow decr eased fr om 0.301 m3/s on 5 M ay 1993 to 0.011 m3/s by
20 September 1993, at which time measur ements wer e discontinued at that station due to
inter r upted flow conditions.
Steelhead wer e sampled by use of a downstr eam migr ant tr ap and electr ofishing. The
downstr eam migr ant tr ap was located at str eam kilometer 1.9, and was fished fr om 26 Apr il
1993 to 5 June 1993. Only one steelhead par r (76 mm TL ), five smolts (158247 mm TL ), 13
r ainbow tr out (174300 mm TL ), and thr ee post-spawner adults (421496 mm TL ) wer e
captur ed. M or e smolts may have emigr ated pr ior to the tr apping per iod.
The electr ofishing sur vey r epeated the str atified r andom sampling method used by
Bailey (1973) and, to a lesser extent, K nable (1978). Dur ing 16 August9 September 1993,
abundance and biomass wer e estimated, by use of the multiple-pass r emoval method, in six
r andomly-selected 30.5 m long sections in each of 14 contiguous, 1.6 km long str eam r eaches.
Seven r eaches cor r esponded to the lower cr eek ar ea descr ibed by Bailey (1973), while six
cor r esponded to the upper cr eek ar ea. As seen pr eviously, individual section densities var ied
gr eatly (r ange, 0433 tr out/100 m; c.v. = 168% ), and the aver age of 56 94 tr out/100 m
r epr esented the same lower , or der -of-magnitude differ ence in densities seen by Knable (1978),
and this differ ence r elative to Bailey (1973) was highly significant (M ann-Whitney U test,
p<0.001). Consistent with ear lier r esults, densities in the upper cr eek (123 112 tr out/100 m)
wer e significantly higher (M ann-Whitney U test, p<0.001) than those in the lower cr eek (4 9
tr out/100 m), and aver age individual masses of j uvenile steelhead in upper creek sections (75
50 tr out/kg) wer e significantly lower (M ann-Whitney U test, p<0.001) than those in lower
cr eek sections (15 20 tr out/kg). These r esults r eaffir med the dr ainage use patter n obser ved
ear lier wher e the upper cr eek consistently pr ovided suitable spawning and young-of-the-year

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r ear ing habitat, while the lower creek supported only relatively few yearling and older juvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out. Over all, of the 1,172 trout sampled, 64% were <100 mm TL , only 8%
wer e 100200 mm TL , and 28% wer e >200 mm TL .
Nelson (1994b) also pr esented the r esults of an exhaustive habitat typing effort made on
the cr eek dur ing JulyOctober 1993. No attempt will be made her e to summar ize the ver y
detailed r each-by-r each descr iptions. The r esults clearly corroborate earlier, more qualitative
obser vations r egar ding over all habitat quality for steelhead spawning and rearing between the
upstr eam and downstr eam cr eek ar eas. Habitat quality in the lower cr eek was negatively
impacted by the pr oximate effects of cattle gr azing, cr op pr oduction, and ur banization, and
the diver sion of water for both agr icultur al and domestic use. These effects included loss of
r ipar ian vegetation, excessive er osion, increased sediment load, and reduction of instream flow
which led to extensive desiccation of the str eam and lagoon. With little suitable spawning
substr ate, minimal vegetative cover , poor pool development, and a lack of instream flow, there
was little or no successful spawning and little r ear ing in the lower cr eek, as evidenced in the
electr ofishing sur vey. I n contr ast, as seen in pr evious sur veys, ther e was gr eater diversity and
complexity in physical habitat in the upper cr eek, along with mostly perennial flow conditions.
These high quality habitat attr ibutes continued to suppor t adult spawning and year -r ound
r ear ing habitat for at least thr ee year classes of j uvenile steelhead and rainbow trout. Nelsons
(1994b) pr imar y r ecommendation was to maintain the favor able spawning and r ear ing
habitats for steelhead in the upper cr eek and to r e-establish adequate flow conditions in the
lower cr eek. The negative impacts of the var ious land uses in the lower cr eek would then be
secondar ily addr essed once instr eam flow r equir ements wer e deter mined and implemented.
The j uvenile steelhead population and str eam habitat in Santa Rosa Cr eek wer e
assessed again in fall 1994 by Alley & Associates (1994). The study area extended from the fish
ladder at SK M 5.4 to SK M 20.9, and consisted of seven study r eaches (1.3 0.7 km long;
r ange, 0.352.4 km) inter r upted by one 6.3 km long dr y section. Two r eaches corresponded to
the lower cr eek ar ea descr ibed by Bailey (1973), while five cor r esponded to the upper cr eek

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ar ea. I n contr ast to ear lier population sur veys at Santa Rosa Cr eek, study r eaches wer e not
selected r andomly but wer e instead selected to r epr esent the por tion of the str eam pr oviding
highest quality r ear ing habitat for j uvenile steelhead. For example, the lower most 5.4 km of
str eam below the fish ladder was not included in the sur vey because (s)ampling in pr evious
year s indicated ver y low steelhead densities in that section. Another depar tur e fr om ear lier
methodology was that abundance estimates wer e made on a mesohabitat-specific basis (i.e.
pool, r iffle, r un, etc.), and pools wer e sampled most compr ehensively as they wer e the most
heavily utilized habitat type under the pr evailing low-flow conditions. Abundance estimates
wer e made using the multiple-pass r emoval method, wher e habitat-type specific densities of
each age class wer e weighed by the cumulative length of each habitat type in each r each. As
such, only one compr ehensive density estimate (no. tr out/km) could be deter mined for each
r each.
Compar ison with ear lier sur veys, especially on a str eam-wide basis, was compr omised
in that the study design used by Alley & Associates (1994) lacked r eplication of r andomly-
selected sections within r eaches, and sampling was biased towar d higher density r eaches and
mesohabitat types. Yet, an attempt is made below to pr esent the r esults within the context of
the ear lier , mor e similar ly designed studies.
Alley & Associates (1994) deter mined that r each densities aver aged 1,737 582
tr out/km (r ange, 1,2992,669 tr out/km) and although this aver age was on the same or der of
magnitude as that seen by Bailey (1973; 3,580 2,192 tr out/km), it was still significantly lower
(M ann-Whitney U test, p 0.03). Densities in the upper cr eek (1,892 634 tr out/km) tended
to be higher than those in the lower cr eek (1,351 74 tr out/km) but, contr ar y to pr evious
studies, this differ ence was not significant (M ann-Whitney U test, p>0.12). When the data of
Alley & Associates (1994) ar e plotted along with those of K nable (1978) and Nelson (1994b),
depicting the r esults of all thr ee fall population sur veys (Figur e X), it becomes appar ent that
spawning and subsequent r ear ing have been most heavily concentr ated in the upper cr eek
ar ea. Alley & Associates (1994) density estimates for the two lower cr eek r eaches appear

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anomalous r elative to K nable (1978) and Nelson (1994b), and ar e likely a r esult of the bias
intr oduced in the selection of r eaches and individual habitat units sampled, as described above
and fur ther in their r epor t. Based on obser ved densities of j uvenile steelhead in fall 1994,
Alley & Associates (1994) estimated the cor r esponding number of adult steelhead that would
be pr oduced at 405 fish, using a model developed by K elley et al. (1987). Alley & Associates
(1994) concluded that low str eam flow in summer was the factor that most limited the number
of j uvenile steelhead in Santa Rosa Cr eek, by r ender ing step-r un and glide habitats unuseable
and by r educing the amount of escape cover in pools.
Over all, the most noticeable change that has occur r ed in this dr ainage is the patter n of
use by steelhead, as r eflected in the r esults of the similar ly designed studies of Bailey (1973),
K nable (1978), and Nelson (1994b). Using aver age densities of j uvenile steelhead in the upper
and lower cr eek ar eas as an indication, the per centage of the population using the upper creek
has incr eased fr om about 73% in 1970, to 87% in 1978, to 97% in 1993, cor r esponding to a
decr ease in the lower cr eek fr om 27% to 13% to 3% , r espectively. This change in fr equencies
in use between the two str eam ar eas over this 23 yr per iod was highly significant (X2 = 38.8, df
= 2, p = 0.0001). These r esults str ongly suggest that the degraded physical habitat and reduced
instr eam flows in the lower cr eek have pr ogr essively r ender ed this ar ea less and less suitable
for steelhead pr oduction.

Toro Creek Drainage

Tor o Cr eek, a tr ibutar y to Ester o Bay, has histor ically suppor ted a steelhead
population. When sur veyed by the CDFG in the mid-1930 s, spawning gr ounds were noted as
common along the str eam. No diver sions or bar r ier s wer e obser ved. Tor o Cr eek was
other wise descr ibed as a small br ushy str eam (that) contains a goodly number of small fish
because of the shade and pools . Appar ently j uvenile steelhead did not r each a lar ge size in
the cr eek, which would suggest that they smolted and emigr ated at an early age and small size.
Angling pr essur e was r epor tedly heavy in spring, and then light during MayJuly. Because of
low flow conditions late in the season and a pr evailing dr y cycle, Tor o Cr eek was not highly

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r egar ded for its summer tr out fishing. The sur veyor s r ecommended that only a few steelhead
be stocked in wet year s. Ear ly stocking r ecor ds showed that the Tor o Cr eek steelhead
population had been supplemented with 10,000 j uveniles in 1932 and 8,000 in 1933.
The CDFG sur veyed the lower most 16 km of Tor o Cr eek on 17 Januar y 1962. The
upper 8 km of the sur vey ar ea contained the high-gr adient headwater and canyon sections of
the str eam, while the lower 8 km of str eam flowed thr ough a low-gr adient coastal valley
developed for agr icultur e. Spawning ar eas wer e scar ce in the headwater s wher e much of the
r ubble and gr avel wer e cemented by calcar eous deposits, but abundant and of high quality
thr oughout the lower most 8 km of stream. Rearing conditions for juvenile steelhead were poor
because of extr emely low flow conditions. Under nor mal flow conditions, r ear ing habitat in
the for m of pools and cover was of high quality, especially in the canyon section. Although
ther e wer e no natur al migr ation bar r ier s in the str eam, ther e was a flashboar d dam in the
headwater s which blocked adult steelhead migr ation. One domestic diver sion was seen in the
headwater s, and many pump diver sions for ir r igation in the lower cr eek section. No pollution
was seen in the headwater or canyon sections, but in the lower section, gr azing cattle polluted
the str eam with sediment and excr ement. The lagoon ar ea was polluted with an oily-br ine
outfall fr om the Standar d Oil Company s El Ester o pumping station. No j uvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e seen in the lower cr eek section, and only a few in the canyon
section. L ow tr out abundance was attr ibuted to sever al year s of per sistently low flow
conditions r esulting fr om dr ought, exacer bated by agr icultur al diver sions. L ocal r esidents
r epor ted good adult steelhead r uns in past year s, including fish that r eached the absolute
headwater s dur ing the 1957-58 season. Angling pr essur e was pr obably only heavy at the
str eam mouth dur ing steelhead season when the adults were running. The surveyors regarded
Tor o Cr eek as a steelhead pr oduction ar ea with high potential. They also r ecognized that
incr eased pumping for ir r igation would lower steelhead pr oduction.
Tor o Cr eek was sur veyed in its entir ety by the CDFG dur ing the weeks of 25 June and
2 July 1973. The upper most 4 km of the headwater s wer e dr y, although they wer e included in

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addition to the upper and lower 8 km sections descr ibed in the 1962 CDFG sur vey. Suitable
spawning ar eas occur r ed not only in the lower most 8 km as in 1962, but also in the upper most
4 km headwater section. Spawning ar eas wer e described as both readily accessible and of very
high quality. Rear ing habitat in the for m of pools and cover was especially good in the canyon
section, although some pool habitat was also available in the lower section. Ther e wer e no
bar r ier s to migr ating adult steelhead. Two diver sions wer e obser ved. Juvenile steelhead
abundance was estimated at seven stations throughout the survey area, by use of electrofishing
and the two-pass r emoval method. Tr out wer e found at all but one station. The expanded
estimate for the 16 km of wetted str eam was about 16,000 tr out, 6.525.5 cm in length. The
r elatively lar ge j uvenile population was attr ibuted to observed high quality habitat conditions,
including an abundance of aquatic insect pr ey. The adult steelhead r un suppor ted a popular
spor t fisher y. A local r esident r epor ted that no stocking had occurred during the previous 15
18 yr s, and that at least thr ee spawner s migr ated successfully past SKM 16 the previous winter
wher e five r edds had also been obser ved.
The CDFG monitor ed for adult steelhead at Tor o Cr eek on seven occasions fr om 14
Januar y7 Apr il 1974 (M . Seefeldt, CDFG, unpubl. field r epor ts of 14 Januar y7 April 1974).
No adults wer e seen on the fir st occasion, although ther e has been substantial r ainfall and the
sandbar at the cr eek mouth had been br eached for mor e than a week. A total of 10 adult
steelhead was captur ed by electr ofishing fr om the second occasion on 10 Febr uar y 1974
thr ough the final occasion. These fish aver aged 50.1 5.9 cm FL (r ange, 41.961.6 cm FL ).
M any j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e obser ved dur ing these sur veys; these fish ranged
in length fr om about 10 to 35.5 cm.
I n fall 1974, the CDFG investigated the j uvenile steelhead population in Tor o Cr eek
(Snider 1974). The char acter of the upper and lower 8 km sections of the creek was apparently
the same as descr ibed in the 1962 CDFG sur vey (see above). The ar ea of pr imar y concern was
the lower most 3.2 km of the str eam, wher e Standar d Oil pr oposed an expansion of their
onshor e oil stor age facility. Juvenile steelhead abundances wer e deter mined in 12 r andomly-

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selected 30.5 m sections by use of electr ofishing and the two-pass r emoval method. For
compar ison, j uvenile steelhead abundances were also determined in six randomly-selected 30.5
m sections by the same method in the upper 8 km section.
M ean estimated j uvenile density in the lower cr eek was 30 3 tr out/100 m, which gave
an estimate of about 2,400 tr out for the entir e lower 8 km section. M ean density in the upper
cr eek was an or der of magnitude higher , 390 128 tr out/100 m, and cor r esponded to about
31,200 tr out for the entir e upper 8 km section. Age 0+ tr out aver aged about 80 mm TL , age 1+
about 157 mm TL , and age 2+ about 227 mm TL . I n the lower cr eek, 14% of sampled tr out
wer e age 0+, 69% wer e age 1+, and 17% wer e age 2+, while corresponding figures in the upper
cr eek wer e 78% , 17% , and 5% , r espectively. Over all, 68% of the j uvenile steelhead
population wer e young-of-the-year , 26% wer e 1+, and 6% wer e 2+. Based on age-class
specific sur vival r ates fr om Shapovalov and Taft (1954), observed juvenile production in Toro
Cr eek cor r esponded to an estimated adult steelhead pr oduction of about 1,400 fish. Snider
(1974) r elated the r elatively lar ge steelhead r un at Tor o Cr eek to the lack of development in
the dr ainage.
Bar clay (1975) found j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out in Tor o Cr eek, and they wer e
abundant in ar eas with clean, cool water s that flowed over gr avel or other r ock substr ate.
The CDFG sur veyed Tor o Cr eek in its entir ety during 1115 September 1978. Of its 30
seasonal tr ibutar ies and spr ings, 11 contr ibuted significant flow to the creek. The distribution
and quality of spawning and r ear ing habitats wer e essentially the same as descr ibed in the
1973 CDFG sur vey (see above). A heavy concentr ation of spawning r epor tedly occur r ed at
about SK M 14.5 the pr evious winter . Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e obser ved fr om
SK M 6 thr ough SK M 15. The gr eatest density and largest individuals were associated with the
high quality r ear ing habitat in the canyon section. Angling pr essur e was light, and the 1976
77 dr ought appar ently had a noticeable, negative impact on the j uvenile population (see
K nable 1978, below). One diver sion was obser ved, although it was not in oper ation. Ther e
was a potential bar r ier to adult immigr ation at a culver ted r oad cr ossing in SK M 11.

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L ocalized heavy gr azing pr essur e, especially in the lower section, r esulted in r emoval of
r ipar ian vegetation and fecal pollution. The cr eek was also polluted with ur ban debr is.
Dur ing 17 August22 October 1978, K nable (1978) estimated j uvenile steelhead
abundance and biomass in Toro Creek and five other San L uis Obispo County coastal streams.
Tor o Cr eek was selected to r epr esent a steelhead pr oduction system subj ect to a moder ate
level of human-induced degr adation. Abundance and biomass wer e estimated using
electr ofishing and the two-pass r emoval method in six randomly-selected, 30.5 m long sections,
in thr ee 1.6 km long str eam r eaches. Two r eaches occur r ed in the lower 8 km section, while a
thir d was in the upper 8 km section; the str eam was dr y above this point.
M ean estimated j uvenile density in the lower cr eek was 3 5 trout/100 m which was an
or der of magnitude lower than that seen by Snider (1974); mean upper creek density was 7 8
tr out/100 m, two or der s of magnitude lower than that seen by Snider (1974). Ther e was no
significant differ ence between lower and upper creek densities (Mann-Whitney U test, p>0.18).
Obser vations indicated that gr eatest tr out abundance was in SK M 8.09.7, but this reach was
not sampled. Appar ently, j uvenile r ecr uitment in 1978 was poor as only 7% of sampled tr out
(n = 28) wer e likely young-of-the-year (50 99 mm in length), 75% were 100199 mm, and 18%
wer e 200299 mm. M ost sampled tr out wer e year lings as aver age individual mass was 38.5 g.
K nable (1978) concluded that the lower section of Tor o Cr eek was evolving towar d a
state of advanced degr adation, pr imar ily because of grazing effects on riparian vegetation and
water quality as descr ibed in the 1978 CDFG sur vey (see above). I n the upper 8 km section,
two flashboar d dams, a shor t channelized section, and a natural 1.2 m waterfall were noted but
not as significant pr oblems for steelhead production. The exception was the road crossing with
blocked culver ts in SK M 11 mentioned above.
Steelhead wer e still mentioned as a viable fisher y r esour ce in Tor o Cr eek in r ecent
(thr ough 1988) CDFG file documents, in connection with pr oposed development. Adult
steelhead have r epor tedly been seen in Tor o Cr eek as r ecently as the late 1980 s (D. W. Alley,
D. W. Alley and Associates, per s. comm. of 21 Januar y 1993).

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Villa Creek Drainage

L ittle documentation was found r egar ding the histor y of steelhead in Villa Cr eek, a
small tr ibutar y to nor ther n Ester o Bay. When sur veyed by the CDFG dur ing 1314 August
1969, str eam flow was inter r upted along its entir e cour se of about 13 km. Ther e wer e suitable
spawning ar eas in the centr al and upper str eam, given winter flow conditions. Suitable
r ear ing habitat occur r ed in the upper 5 km of str eam wher e pools had sufficient cover ; pools
in the lower 8 km wer e silted and lacked cover . Ther e wer e two low-flow barriers in the upper
5 km; both wer e consider ed passable under winter flow conditions. Juvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e found from 1.6 km above the mouth to the headwaters, including
above the bar r ier s. Visually estimated densities of 6.510.0 cm long tr out wer e about 490
tr out/100 m in SK M 1.68.0, and about 220 tr out/100 m in the upper most 5 km. The
population suppor ted a winter fisher y at the cr eek mouth for adult steelhead with moderate to
heavy pr essur e. Summer fishing for j uveniles was light because of r estr icted access to pr ivate
lands.
I n 1980, the CDFG deter mined the abundance of j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out by
electr ofishing at thr ee stations on the upper most 3.2 km of Villa Creek (P. P. Chappell, CDFG,
unpubl. memo. of 14 October 1980). The exact date of sampling was not indicated but it is
assumed that sampling occur r ed sometime dur ing late summer ear ly fall. Ther e was an
aver age of 392 124 tr out/100 m. The upper most 5 km appear ed to pr ovide most of the
spawning and r ear ing habitat in the str eam, although this conclusion was based on limited
obser vation.

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY

Arroyo Hondo Drainage

Canada del Corral Drainage

No for mal r ecor ds of an histor ical steelhead population wer e found for Canada del
Cor r al. However , this small str eam did r eceive CDFG plants of j uvenile steelhead r escued

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fr om the Santa Ynez River dur ing the 1940 s. I n addition, documents contained in the CDFG
file expr essed concer n for the steelhead r esour ce in this cr eek in r elation to pollution fr om oil
extr action oper ations in the lower str eam ar ea.

Canada Honda Creek Drainage

No infor mation was discover ed r egar ding an historical steelhead population in Canada
Honda Cr eek, which is contained within the boundar ies of Vandenbur g Air For ce Base.
However , in a br ief sur vey conducted r ecently by the CDFG, the str eam appear ed highly
suitable as a steelhead and/or r esident r ainbow tr out pr oduction ar ea; no appar ent migration
bar r ier s existed at the Highway 1 or Souther n Pacific r ailr oad cr ossings, and the physical
instr eam habitat and r iparian vegetation provided favorable spawning and rearing conditions.
A local author ity indicated that much of the cr eek was dry during the 198792 drought except
for isolated pools, and it was concluded that an electr ofishing sur vey should be conducted to
assess the tr out population (S. Par menter , CDFG, per s. comm. of 31 M ar ch 1993).

Carpinteria Creek Drainage

No infor mation was discover ed r egar ding steelhead in Car pinter ia Cr eek. However ,
the following Car pinter ia tr ibutar ies, which appar ently compr ise tr out habitat, have received
CDFG plants of O. mykiss: Dar k Canyon Cr eek was stocked with 3,000 j uvenile steelhead
r escued fr om Santa Cr uz Cr eek in the Santa Ynez River system in 1939; Deer Cr eek has
r eceived hatcher y r ainbow tr out; and Gober nador Cr eek was planted with j uvenile steelhead
r escued fr om the Santa Ynez River in 1939, and has r eceived hatcher y r ainbow tr out.

Dos Pueblos Canyon Creek Drainage

No r ecor d of steelhead was found for Dos Pueblo Canyon Cr eek. However , the cr eek
appar ently compr ises O. mykiss habitat as it has r eceived CDFG plants of hatcher y r ainbow
tr out.

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Gaviota Creek (Canada de la Gaviota) Drainage

Ther e is little for mal r ecor d r egar ding the steelhead in Gaviota Cr eek. I n the report of
a mid-1930 s CDFG str eam sur vey, it was mentioned that steelhead enter ed the cr eek in
winter . Steelhead have continued to r un in Gaviota Cr eek (Swift et al. 1993), at least as
r ecently as 1986 (S. Sasaki, CDFG, unpubl. file r epor t of 3 October 1986). Adult steelhead
wer e r epor ted, near ly annually, attempting to ascend the str eam at the Gaviota State Par k
r oad cr ossing. Sasaki had also obser ved and sampled j uvenile steelhead and/or rainbow trout
in sections of the cr eek adj acent to Highway 101. The cr eek still had per ennial flow, and
spawning ar eas and r ear ing pools wer e available to steelhead. Sasaki pr edicted that r un sizes
wer e ver y small. The 198792 dr ought may have had a significant negative impact on this
small population, as Nehlsen et al. (1991) listed the native Gaviota steelhead stock as extinct.
No steelhead wer e captur ed when a 30 m section, downstr eam fr om a Highway 101 gr ade
stabilization str uctur e, was electr ofished dur ing 2123 Januar y 1992 (D. M cEwan, CDFG,
unpubl. memo. of 26 M ar ch 1992).
The Gaviota Cr eek tr ibutar y, Canada de las Cr uces, was planted with j uvenile
steelhead r escued fr om the Santa Ynez River in 1939.

Mission Creek Drainage

No detailed r ecor ds of an histor ical steelhead r un wer e found for M ission Cr eek.
Accor ding to Cooper et al. (1986), it is pr obable that steelhead more fully exploited the Mission
Cr eek system and other small Santa Bar bar a County coastal str eams befor e dams wer e built
by Spanish colonists. Steelhead still attempt to ascend these str eams; one was caught in lower
M ission Cr eek in the late 1950 s (Cooper et al. 1986). Swift et al. (1993) indicated that
steelhead have continued to r un in M ission Cr eek in r ecent year s. Juvenile steelhead wer e
pr esent in the str eam in 1984 (Santa Bar bar a News-Pr ess of 3 June 1984). Habitat loss and
migr ation bar r ier s, both as a r esult of flood contr ol structures, and reductions in water quality
and quantity have pr obably contr ibuted to the decline of the M ission Cr eek steelhead
population.

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Rattlesnake Creek
Resident r ainbow tr out ar e pr esent in Rattlesnake Cr eek, a M ission Creek tributary to
which steelhead may have had access at one time. Cooper et al. (1986) pr esented a detailed
descr iption of this str eam. L ocal r esidents claim that Rattlesnake Cr eek has histor ically
suppor ted a native r ainbow tr out population. The CDFG stocked 1,000 juvenile rainbow trout
into the cr eek in 1975. Natur al pr opagation does occur as young-of-the-year have been
obser ved. The size of the population is highly var iable and pr obably r egulated by density-
independent factor s such as floods and droughts. For example, trout density decreased in a 1.3
km r each fr om >31 tr out/km in 1982 to 1.5 tr out/km in 1984. Although no details wer e given
on the str uctur e of the population, r ainbow tr out used in field exper iments have r anged fr om
10.2 to 32.5 cm TL (Cooper 1984).

Refugio Creek (Canada del Refugio) Drainage

Although Refugio Cr eek is a known steelhead str eam, no details wer e found r egarding
the histor y of its population. The cr eek r eceived plants of j uvenile steelhead r escued fr om the
Santa Ynez River dur ing the 1940 s, and hatcher y r ainbow tr out. CDFG file documents made
r efer ence to obser vations of adult steelhead ascending the stream in winter to spawn, especially
in wet year s . Steelhead pr esence in the str eam was documented as late as 1958. M an-made
str uctur es in the lower cr eek ar ea, including a low water cr ossing built in the 1960 s, have
cr eated bar r ier s for immigr ating adult steelhead. A descr iption of Refugio Creek is presented
by Fox (1975; as cited in Hemphill and Cooper 1983). The cur r ent status of the steelhead
population is not known.

Rincon Creek Drainage, Including Portinos in Ventura County

Although known histor ically as a steelhead str eam, few details wer e discover ed
r egar ding the steelhead in Rincon Cr eek. When sur veyed by the CDFG in 1934, the creek had
r ecover ed fr om an input of sediment that r esulted fr om an ear lier fir e in the water shed. The
upper water shed was descr ibed as not being pr one to er osion. I t was also indicated that local
angler s did not value the steelhead r uns, as the fish would r etur n to the sea . The cr eek
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r eceived plants of j uvenile steelhead r escued from the Santa Ynez River during the 1940s, and
hatcher y-r ear ed r ainbow tr out.
Within the lower cr eek ar ea, r ubble dr op structures on two bridges and a long, inclined
concr ete culver t at the U.S. 101 cr ossing effectively pr event immigr ation of steelhead from the
ocean (M . H. Capelli, Califor nia Coastal Commission, unpubl. pr oj ect r eview of 22 M ar ch
1989 to C. Cesena, Caltr ans). The input of fine sediment fr om agricultural operations has also
degr aded the str eam below the confluence with Casitas Cr eek. Yet, the headwater s still
maintain per ennial flow and other habitat attr ibutes necessar y for successful spawning and
r ear ing of steelhead. Nehlsen et al. (1991) listed the Rincon Creek steelhead stock as extinct. I t
is not known if r esident r ainbow tr out r emain in the headwater s.

San Antonio Creek Drainage

No infor mation was discover ed r egar ding an histor ical steelhead population in San
Antonio Cr eek. However , the cr eek did r eceive a plant of j uvenile steelhead r escued fr om the
Santa Ynez River in 1944. War mwater fishes and stickleback appar ently inhabit this str eam,
based on infor mation contained in the CDFG file. The CDFG recently made a casual survey of
gener al conditions in the lower cr eek, and concluded that the obser ved low gr adient and soft-
sediment substr ate did not give the str eam a high pr ior ity status for fur ther investigation with
r egar d to steelhead assessment and r estor ation (S. Par menter , CDFG, per s. comm. of 31
M ar ch 1993).

San Jose Creek Drainage

San Jose Cr eek r eceived a plant of j uvenile steelhead r escued fr om the Santa Ynez
River in 1944, and has also been stocked with hatcher y r ainbow tr out. A 3.2 kg steelhead was
caught in the cr eek in 1975. The lower most por tion of San Jose Cr eek is channelized with a
concr ete lining for flood contr ol. This str ucture may function as a migration barrier because it
lacks r esting ar eas for immigr ating adult steelhead.

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Atascadero Creek
Swift et al. (1993) indicated that steelhead have continued to r un in the San Jose Cr eek
tr ibutar y, Atascader o Cr eek, in r ecent year s. Two adult steelhead wer e captur ed in the
Atascader o Cr eek tr ibutary, Maria Ygnacio Creek, in March 1982 (Santa Barbara News-Press
of 23 M ar ch 1982). These fish measur ed 76 cm, 4.5 kg and 69 cm, 2.5 kg. A dense gr owth of
emer gent vegetation in Atascader o Cr eek, at the confluence with the M ar ia Ygnacio, may
cr eate a bar r ier to upstr eam migr ating adult steelhead (M . Car denas, CDFG, per s. comm. of
22 Apr il 1993).

Santa Maria River Drainage, Including Portions in San Luis Obispo

and Ventura Counties
Shapovalov (1944b) descr ibed the Santa M ar ia River dr ainage, and its steelhead
population and fisher y, thr ough 1944. The Santa M ar ia is for med by the confluence of the
Cuyama and Sisquoc r iver s, about 40 km upstream from the river mouth. Stream flow in most
of the dr ainage was inter mittent or inter r upted each year , especially dur ing the dr y summer
season. Some headwater tr ibutar ies of the Sisquoc River , such as M anzana Cr eek and its
tr ibutar ies, and the South For k Sisquoc River , maintained per ennial flow over long str eam
r eaches. Other str eams, such as the Cuyama River tr ibutar y, K elly Canyon Cr eek, had
per ennial pools in their upper r eaches. I n addition to natur al dr ought conditions, stream flow
was r educed by gr oundwater extr action for agr icultur e, especially in the Santa M ar ia and
upper Cuyama valleys, and by sever al sur face water diversions. Forest fires, especially during
the pr eceding 22 year s, had r emoved gr ound cover and incr eased er osion. Consequently,
r unoff occur r ed mor e r apidly dur ing the wet season, and less water was available for str eam
flow dur ing the summer as mor e of it was absor bed in the str eam bed wher e the er oded
mater ials wer e deposited. No dams wer e pr esent in the system as of 1944.
I n addition to the migr ator y steelhead, r esident r ainbow tr out wer e also pr esent in the
dr ainage, especially in headwater ar eas (Shapovalov 1944b). The r esident rainbows probably
compr ised indigenous populations, pr ogeny of intr oduced hatcher y fish, and hybr ids of the

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var ious genotypes.

Steelhead used the Santa M ar ia River pr imar ily as a migr ation cor r idor to and fr om
the Cuyama and Sisquoc r iver s, wher e r epr oduction and nur ser y ar eas existed. Adult
steelhead enter ed the r iver following the fir st heavy r ains of the wet season (Shapovalov
1944b). The gr eatest pr opor tion of the r un enter ed dur ing December M ar ch. No estimate of
r un sizes was available. Few details wer e known about spawning ar ea locations, although the
Sisquoc system was appar ently used mor e heavily by steelhead than the Cuyama system (see
below). The Sisquoc tr ibutar y, L a Br ea Cr eek, was known as a r epr oduction ar ea for
steelhead. I n gener al, spawning and r ear ing conditions had gr eatly deter ior ated as a r esult of
the afor ementioned for est fir es; sediment had smother ed spawning gr avels and filled r ear ing
pools. Pr ior to the fir es, some Sisquoc River tr ibutar ies wer e famous for their steelhead and
r ainbow tr out fishing.
Hatcher y-r ear ed steelhead and r ainbow trout were stocked in the Sisquoc River, and in
tr ibutar ies to both the Sisquoc and Cuyama, at least as ear ly as 193033 (Shapovalov 1944b).
No r ecor ds wer e found for stocking which may have occur r ed befor e 1930. Juvenile steelhead
r escued fr om the Santa Ynez River wer e planted in the Santa M ar ia system dur ing 194044;
mor e may have been planted in 1945 and 1946, the last year s of fish r escues in the Santa Ynez,
but no r ecor ds wer e found. Stocking details for which documentation was found ar e given
below.
As of 1950, ther e appear ed to have been no adult steelhead fisher y for 1015 year s in
the Santa M ar ia River , and ver y few steelhead wer e r epor ted to have enter ed the Cuyama
River for a decade (W. A. Evans, CDFG, file letter r egar ding the pr oposed Vaquer o Dam
pr oj ect on the Cuyama River ). M ost steelhead enter ed the Sisquoc River system and spawned
in the headwater s. Juvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out measur ing 2336 cm wer e r epor tedly
abundant in the inaccessible tr ibutar ies of the Sisquoc in year s following lar ge steelhead runs.
The last sizeable steelhead r un in the Santa M ar ia system occur r ed in 1941, few enter ed in
1942 and 1943 dur ing br ief per iods when r iver flow r eached the ocean, and no r uns wer e

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thought to have occur r ed dur ing the ensuing 7 year s of dr ought. I n addition to the natur ally
inconsistent flows in the Santa M ar ia River , completion of the Vaquero Dam project in the late
1950 s made flow conditions for steelhead even mor e unr eliable. Vaquero Dam, which creates
Twitchell Reser voir , is located on the Cuyama River about 11 km upstr eam fr om the
confluence with the Sisquoc River . The dam was built for flood contr ol and r eplenishment of
gr ound water in the Santa M ar ia Valley.
Steelhead use of the Santa M ar ia River system has not been assessed r ecently.
Steelhead may still have access to the Sisquoc system when flow conditions allow, but extensive
habitat degr adation thr oughout the system, and lack of access to the upper Cuyama River (see
below), gr eatly limit steelhead use.

Cuyama River and tributaries

Vir tually no details wer e discover ed r egar ding the histor ic steelhead r esour ce in the
Cuyama River . Steelhead migr ations to and fr om most of the Cuyama system became
obstr ucted when Vaquer o Dam was completed in the lower r iver in the late 1950 s. I t can be
assumed that the oppor tunity for steelhead to use the Cuyama River was gone by 1960.
The Cuyama River tr ibutar y, Alamos Cr eek (San L uis Obispo County), was planted
with a total of 28,000 j uvenile steelhead r escued fr om the Santa Ynez River dur ing 194042
(Shapovalov 1944b), and has also been stocked with hatcher y r ainbow tr out. The cr eek has
per ennial str eam flow and now r uns into one of the main ar ms of Twitchell Reser voir .
The Cuyama tr ibutar y, K elly Canyon Cr eek, was planted with 6,000 hatchery rainbow
tr out in 1932 (Shapovalov 1944b). The cr eek s water shed was destr oyed by forest fires during
the 1920 s.
The following ar e headwater tr ibutar ies to the Cuyama River in Ventur a County that
have been managed for catchable tr out fisher ies and stocked with hatcher y r ainbow trout but
whose CDFG files lack any mention or r ecor d of an histor ical steelhead r un: Alamo Cr eek,
with a stocking r ecor d back to 1947; Bear tr ap Cr eek with a stocking r ecor d back to 1944 and
1947; Reyes Cr eek with stocking r ecor ds dating back to 1933 and 194148, and with wild

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j uvenile r ainbows obser ved in 1949.

Sisquoc River and tributaries

I n addition to having been an impor tant spawning and r ear ing ar ea for Santa M ar ia
River steelhead, the Sisquoc River has also been managed for a resident rainbow trout fishery.
Documented CDFG plants of hatcher y-r ear ed r ainbow tr out date back to 1932 (8,000 fish),
1939, and 194447. Some 20,000 hatcher y-r ear ed steelhead wer e also planted in 1930.
I n the CDFG files, pools in the main stem Sisquoc River wer e noted as pr oviding good
habitat for r ainbows up to 36 cm which wer e well-fed on chubs (Gila sp.). I n a 1959 CDFG
str eam sur vey (W. M . Richar dson, CDFG, unpubl. file r eport), a self-sustaining rainbow trout
population was found with all size-classes pr esent ranging from young-of-the-year to adults 34
cm in length. A high abundance of chubs was also noted. Thus, the Sisquoc River still
pr ovided a functioning system for natur al pr oduction of O. mykiss, although ther e was no
mention of a contempor ar y steelhead r un. A similar sur vey was conducted in August 1964 but
under low flow conditions (M . J. Whalls, CDFG, unpubl. memo.). Sever al size-classes of
natur ally pr opagated r ainbow tr out wer e still pr esent although in lower abundance than in
1959 due to poor water conditions. I t was also mentioned that upstr eam movement of
anadr omous fishes in the Santa M ar ia system had been all but eliminated because of
intensified water use. I n a CDFG sur vey in the lower Sisquoc River in Apr il 1984, r ainbow
tr out wer e r epor tedly common with sever al size-classes pr esent (S. Sasaki, CDFG, unpubl.
memo.).
The Sisquoc tr ibutar y, L a Br ea Cr eek, was a known spawning ar ea for steelhead
(Shapovalov 1944b). The cr eek was also a famous fishing str eam befor e for est fir es in the
1920 s destr oyed the water shed. Er oded materials were washed into the stream over the years,
and by the time of a mid-1930 s CDFG sur vey, sediment cover ed the spawning gr avels and
filled the pools. L a Br ea Cr eek was stocked with 6,000 hatcher y r ainbow tr out in 1932.
The M anzana Cr eek dr ainage, in the headwater s of the Sisquoc, had per ennial flow,
unlike most por tions of the Santa M ar ia system (Shapovalov 1944b). CDFG stocking r ecor ds

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for M anzana Cr eek date back to 1930 when 15,000 hatcher y-r ear ed steelhead wer e planted.
Some 10,000 hatcher y r ainbow tr out wer e also planted in 1930, and about 4,500 dur ing 1941
42. The cr eek also r eceived a total of 47,240 j uvenile steelhead r escued fr om the Santa Ynez
River dur ing 194044. The M anzana tr ibutar y, Davy Br own Canyon Cr eek, r eceived about
1,900 hatcher y r ainbow tr out dur ing 194142, and 103,600 Santa Ynez steelhead during 1940
44. I n June 1956, CDFG per sonnel found a high abundance of 1520 cm r ainbow tr out in
M anzana Cr eek.
The South For k Sisquoc River r eceived a plant of 10,000 hatcher y-r ear ed steelhead in
1933, and 3,200 hatcher y r ainbow tr out in 1942 (Shapovalov 1944b).
The Sisquoc River tr ibutar y, Tepusquet Cr eek, was planted with a total of 73,800
j uvenile steelhead r escued fr om the Santa Ynez River dur ing 194044 (Shapovalov 1944b).
The cr eek has also been stocked with hatcher y r ainbow tr out.

Santa Ynez River Drainage

The Santa Ynez River pr obably suppor ted the lar gest steelhead r un in souther n
Califor nia, and was famous for its steelhead spor t fisher y (e.g. M ear s 1947). I n an ear ly
account, Holden (1910) r elated the popular ity of the lower Santa Ynez for catching steelhead
as lar ge as 9 kg, and how these fish would ascend the str eam 6580 km to spawn in the upper
dr ainage wher e r esident r ainbow tr out wer e also abundant (see also Fr y 1938).
Gibr altar Dam, located about 116 km upstream from the river mouth and built in 1920,
was the fir st man-made obstr uction to block steelhead access to the upper Santa Ynez
dr ainage. L andlocked steelhead, 1339 cm long and 24 years old, were captured when Curtis
(1937) gill-netted Gibr altar Reser voir in November 1937. These fish included females with
developing ova. No young-of-the-year steelhead wer e obser ved in the r eser voir . I n the
tr ibutar y str eams above the r eser voir , Cur tis (1937) identified suitable spawning gr ounds in
the Santa Ynez River below the confluence with M ono Cr eek; in M ono Cr eek up to the debr is
dam; and in Gidney Cr eek. Although no j uveniles wer e obser ved in the Santa Ynez or M ono
Cr eek, both r epor tedly r eceived spawning runs of steelhead. Spawning reportedly occurred in

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Febr uar y, although the 1937 spawning r un was appar ently small. Siltation and desiccation
wer e mentioned as potential pr oblems for successful spawning in M ono Cr eek and the upper
Santa Ynez River . Gidney Cr eek was unsilted and contained sur ficial flow later into the
season. Camuesa Cr eek was appar ently not used by steelhead spawner s for some unknown
r eason.
I n addition to suppor ting landlocked steelhead native to the dr ainage, the Gibr altar
Reser voir stock was also supplemented with 25,000 hatcher y-r ear ed steelhead in 1932; 87,000
in 1933; 30,000 in 1934; 50,000 in 1935; and 40,000 in 1936. Some 10,000 hatcher y r ainbow
tr out wer e stocked in 1932. Shapovalov (1944a) also indicated that 9,000 j uvenile steelhead,
r escued fr om the Santa Ynez River , wer e stocked in the r eser voir in 1939, 195,000 in 1940, and
25,440 in 1944.
Dur ing the mid-1930 s, the CDFG conducted a cur sor y sur vey of 120 km of the Santa
Ynez River to evaluate the system s suitability for stocking of hatcher y-r ear ed tr out. The
sur vey r epor t indicated that spawning gr ounds for steelhead and rainbow trout were common
along the entir e str eam, but that flow was a limiting factor for spawning habitat quantity.
Dur ing spr ing fr eshets, steelhead wer e obser ved spawning in all tr ibutar ies and in the
mainstem r iver below Gibr altar Dam. Natur al pr opagation pr oduced the pr inciple supply of
har vestable j uvenile steelhead and r ainbow tr out in the str eam. Planting was not
r ecommended for the r iver or tr ibutar ies because of high mor tality due to inter mittent flow
conditions in summer . Fish r escues wer e conducted ever y summer and fish losses wer e
typically heavy after 1 June.
Shapovalov (1944a) descr ibed the Santa Ynez River dr ainage, and its steelhead
population and fisher y, thr ough 1944. Tr ibutar y str eams typically went dr y in their lower
r eaches dur ing the summer , but maintained per ennial flow or ser ies of pools in their upper
r eaches. M uch of the main stem Santa Ynez below Gibraltar Reservoir also became desiccated
dur ing M ayJuly, except for sever al kilometer s of str eam in the vicinity of Solvang; at the
lagoon, which was also sever al kilometer s long (see Shapovalov 1940b); and occasionally at

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lar ge pools elsewher e. Str eam flow dur ing the dr y season in the lower Santa Ynez had been
r educed by the effects of for est fir es, water stor age and diver sion in the upper dr ainage at
Gibr altar Reser voir and Jameson L ake, and gr oundwater pumping for ir r igation. There was
a saltwater intr usion bar r ier near the mouth of the Santa Ynez River which included a
r epor tedly satisfactor y fishway. Yet, despite unstable flow conditions, water dischar ges at
L ompoc on the lower Santa Ynez dur ing 192844, wer e gr eat enough to allow immigr ation of
adult steelhead to upstr eam spawning gr ounds in all year s except pr obably 1929 and 1931,
which wer e ver y dr y (M offett and Nielson 1945).
Steelhead, most of which enter ed the r iver dur ing December M ar ch following the first
heavy r ains of the season, still spawned as far upstr eam as Gibr altar Dam. L andlocked
steelhead, and possibly var ious strains of rainbow trout and hybrids of the different genotypes,
per sisted in Gibr altar Reser voir and in the cr eeks upstr eam fr om ther e. Steelhead pr ogeny,
which wer e r escued annually fr om the dr ying Santa Ynez below Gibr altar Dam, were planted
in cr eeks both above and below the dam. No counts wer e ever made of the adult steelhead run
in the Santa Ynez, but as Shapovalov (1944a) indicated, the 1,036,980 j uvenile steelhead
r escued fr om the dr ying main stem in 1944 suggested a ver y large run. This count would serve
as the basis for an under estimate of the adult r un size as an additional pr opor tion of the
j uvenile population went uncounted: fish which migr ated to the lagoon befor e r escues began,
those which sur vived in the r emaining live por tions of the r iver system, and those which
pr esumably died in the desiccated lower r eaches of tr ibutar ies. A local CDFG employee
believed that the 1943-44 adult steelhead r un in the Santa Ynez at least equalled the 1938-39
and 1939-40 r uns at Benbow Dam on the South For k Eel River in nor ther n Califor nia, which
he had per sonally obser ved. Adult steelhead r uns at Benbow Dam had r anged fr om 12,995 to
25,032 fish fr om 1938-39 to 1943-44. For est fir es dur ing the pr eceding 20 year s had r educed
steelhead/r ainbow tr out populations, especially above Gibr altar Reser voir , either by dir ect
mor tality or thr ough the destr uction of spawning and r ear ing habitat by erosion and siltation.
Among the upper tr ibutar ies affected were Alamar, I ndian, and Buckhorn creeks where trout

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had sur vived the summer dr y season in per ennial pools.

Shapovalov (1944a) r epor ted that, at that time, most mainstem spawning by steelhead
occur r ed upstr eam fr om Buellton to Gibr altar Dam. Steelhead also spawned in near ly all
accessible tr ibutar ies below the dam, including Alisal, Santa Cota, Cachuma, Tequepis
Canyon, and Santa Cr uz cr eeks. Alamar and I ndian cr eeks wer e among the tributaries above
Gibr altar Reser voir which wer e known to have been utilized by steelhead befor e the dam was
constr ucted (see also the above summar y of Cur tis 1937).
Fish r escue oper ations wer e conducted by the CDFG each summer for sever al year s in
the Santa Ynez dr ainage below Gibr altar Dam. No r ecor ds wer e available pr ior to 1939, but
dur ing 193944 (excluding 1941 when sufficient flow per sisted), a total of about 2,850,000
j uvenile steelhead was r escued fr om the lower mainstem Santa Ynez River (Shapovalov
1944a). The fish r anged in batch sizes fr om about 212 to 1,411 fish/kg (near ly all r escued
steelhead wer e young-of-the-year ). On aver age, about 73% of each year s r escue was
r eplanted in per ennial water within the Santa Ynez River system, the maj or ity in the lagoon
(see below). I n addition, a combined total of about 1,450,000 j uvenile steelhead was rescued in
1945 and 1946; no r escues wer e conducted after 1946 due to a lack of fish (CDFG, unpubl. file
data; see also below). As an example of the magnitude of j uvenile steelhead pr oduction in the
Santa Ynez River , Shapovalov (1944a) pr esented appr oximate number s of steelhead r escued
fr om thr ee r iver r eaches in 1944; cor r esponding densities wer e 11,298, 32,219, and 51,781
steelhead/km. That near ly all r escued steelhead wer e young-of-the-year indicates that main
stem Santa Ynez steelhead smolted and emigr ated to the ocean pr imar ily at age 1.
Dur ing 19401947, near ly 2,550,000 j uvenile steelhead wer e planted in the lower Santa
Ynez River , pr imar ily in the lagoon and in per ennial water at Solvang (Shapovalov 1944a;
CDFG, unpubl. file data). With the exception of 1947, these fish wer e r escued steelhead fr om
within the Santa Ynez River dr ainage. I n addition, a total of 133,000 hatchery-reared juvenile
steelhead wer e planted in the Santa Ynez River dur ing 193035 (Shapovalov 1944a). Some
5,000 hatcher y-r ear ed r ainbow trout were stocked in the river in 1930 (Shapovalov 1944a), 650

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in the lower r iver in 1945, and 35,160 in the lower r iver dur ing 195053 (CDFG, unpubl. file
data).
On 2829 M ar ch 1946, a par ty of state and feder al fisher y biologists conducted a visual
sur vey of steelhead spawning in the Santa Ynez River (L . Shapovalov, CDFG, unpubl. field
cor r espondence of 2 Apr il 1946). I n addition to obser vations of r ecently completed r edds,
adult steelhead wer e seen moving upstr eam and actually spawning among four river locations
fr om Alisal Cr eek to Oso Canyon, wher e high quality spawning gr ounds occur r ed. I n
contr ast, no live steelhead or spawning activity wer e obser ved fr om the saltwater intr usion
bar r ier near the r iver mouth to the Highway 150 cr ossing at L ompoc. The substr ate in this
r iver r each was dominated by shifting silt, sand, and fine gr avel. Shapovalov concluded that
spawning habitat quality for steelhead was ver y poor from the mouth to the Salsipuedes Creek
confluence, of doubtful quality fr om Salsipuedes Cr eek to Solvang (a conser vative j udgement
since no obser vations wer e documented for this r each), and excellent fr om Solvang to
Gibr altar Dam. He also noted that high quality spawning gr ounds existed in tr ibutar ies but
that the flow in these str eams was too low at the time of the sur vey to allow the ascent of adult
steelhead. Finally, many adult steelhead car casses wer e obser ved in the lower r iver between
the mouth and L ompoc; appar ently high adult mor tality had occur r ed in this ar ea dur ing the
pr evious 2 weeks when water temper atur e peaked at 21 C.
The winter of 1946-47 was r elatively poor for steelhead due to little pr ecipitation and
low flow. Ther e was no steelhead r un in the fall of 1951 (W. A. Evans, CDFG, unpubl. field
notes). Cachuma Dam, known now as Br adbur y Dam which cr eates L ake Cachuma about 76
km upstr eam fr om the r iver mouth, was completed in ear ly 1953. The last substantial
steelhead r un occur r ed in 1945-46 (H. L . L antis, CDFG, unpubl. file letter ). I n 1946-47, lar ge
number s of steelhead wer e obser ved outside the mouth of the r iver , waiting for the sandbar to
br each to make their ascent. This never occur r ed due to lack of pr ecipitation and
consequently ther e was no spawning r un that year . Observations or catches of steelhead in the
Santa Ynez after 1946 wer e r elatively r ar e. For example, about 25 fish wer e taken in the river

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in 1952. Adult steelhead wer e other wise taken by angler s in the ocean sur f near the r iver
mouth dur ing 194752; too little fr eshwater outflow pr evented these fish fr om enter ing the
r iver system. Juvenile steelhead had been planted in the lagoon in an effor t to r eestablish the
r un, but low pr ecipitation and r educed r iver outflow due to Br adbur y Dam wer e cited as
causes for the failur e of these plantings. Some 2040 adult steelhead, r epor tedly up to 5.56.5
kg, wer e obser ved at the head of the Santa Ynez lagoon in M ar ch 1956. Steelhead wer e also
obser ved in the lower Santa Ynez tr ibutar y, Salsipuedes Cr eek. Some steelhead wer e also
r epor tedly taken in the r iver dur ing the spr ing of 1962.
L ake Cachuma has been heavily stocked with hatcher y-r ear ed r ainbow tr out. The
CDFG stocked the r eser voir with 199,250 r ainbow tr out finger lings (Ar r owhead, Hot Cr eek,
and M t. Shasta str ains @ 55317/kg) fr om 24 Febr uar y 1953 thr ough 16 October 1953 in
pr epar ation for the 1 M ay 1954 opening of angling at the r eser voir (CDFG, unpubl. file data).
Some 10,271 catchable-sized r ainbow tr out (@ about 11/kg) fr om a pr ivate hatcher y wer e
stocked on 6 August 1954, under pur chase by the County of Santa Bar bar a (S. M . Soule,
CDFG, unpubl. intr aoffice cor r espondence of 7 October 1954). The CDFG planted an
additional 2,277,767 finger lings dur ing 19541958 but, overall, survival and thus creel returns
wer e low because of poor water quality for tr out in summer . Finger ling plants wer e
discontinued in 1959, and the management r ecommendation of stocking only catchable-size
r ainbow tr out dur ing cool-water months (H. L . Huddle, CDFG, unpubl. file r epor t of 23
October 1958) has been followed since 1960. The extent to which these planted tr out disper se
up- and downstr eam in the system, and the effect they may have on native steelhead and
r ainbow tr out, is not known.
No wild r ainbow tr out were found in the Santa Ynez River between L ake Cachuma and
Gibr altar Reser voir dur ing a sur vey in November 1972 (S. Sasaki, CDFG, unpubl. memo.).
Steelhead wer e r epor tedly caught in the lower Santa Ynez dur ing 1972-73, a high water year ,
although these catches wer e unver ified (S. Sasaki, CDFG, unpubl. memo.).
By 1975, Br adbur y Dam had all but eliminated the Santa Ynez steelhead r un fr om its

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estimated aver age annual size of 20,000 migr ant adults, as r epor ted by the CDFG (Califor nia
Depar tment of Fish and Game 1975). I nsufficient water r eleases fr om L ake Cachuma, to
pr ovide flow for migr ations, spawning, and r ear ing, and a lack of adult steelhead salvage
facilities at the dam, wer e cited as the pr imar y causes for the demise of the r un.
I n 1986, the CDFG indicated that excellent spawning areas still existed in the main stem
Santa Ynez below Br adbur y Dam (S. Sasaki, CDFG, unpubl. file r epor t of 3 October 1986).
However , it was also indicated that even in year s of high r ainfall when adults could
conceivably enter the r iver and spawn, flow below the dam would not be maintained thr ough
the summer and fall to allow for j uvenile sur vival.
I n 1989, the Califor nia Spor tfishing Pr otection Alliance (CSPA) submitted a petition to
the Califor nia Fish and Game Commission to list the Santa Ynez River steelhead as an
endanger ed species under the Califor nia Endanger ed Species Act (R. J. Baiocchi, CSPA,
petition of 25 August 1989). The basic tenet of the petition was that the Santa Ynez steelhead
was unique because of the maximum size of 9 kg attained by adults, and because of the size of
the estimated aver age adult r un, which histor ically was on the order of 20,000 fish. The CDFG
r ej ected the petition based on the conclusion that these char acter istics wer e not uncommon in
Califor nia steelhead populations (P. Bontadelli, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 7 December 1989).
See Discussion for mor e on this issue.
Nehlsen at al. (1991) listed the Santa Ynez River steelhead stock as being at a high r isk
of extinction.

Santa Ynez River L agoon. Dur ing late spr ing and summer 1940, the CDFG r escued
mor e than 525,000 young steelhead fr om the dr ying Santa Ynez River (Shapovalov 1940b).
Near ly all of these fish wer e young-of-the-year , and 191,700 wer e planted in the Santa Ynez
River lagoon. One lot of about 8,700 steelhead was r etained at the Fillmor e Hatcher y in
Ventur a County, to be used in a lagoon stocking exper iment and in br ackish water challenge
tests. The steelhead wer e mar ked by clipping both ventral fins, and reared through September

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1940. On 5 October 1940, when the fish had r eached an aver age size of near ly 9 cm and 9 g,
the young steelhead wer e planted in the fr eshwater por tion of the Santa Ynez lagoon,
appar ently with success as no signs of str ess or mor tality wer e seen over the next several hours
of obser vation. A shor t-ter m exper iment had also been made at the hatchery on 26 September
1940 of tr ansfer r ing small samples of mar ked steelhead (3 and 12 fish in two tr ials) from fresh
hatcher y water to br ackish lagoon water and back to fr esh water . The fish in both tr ials
showed no signs of str ess. The combined r esults of both exper iments suggested that young
steelhead could be planted dir ectly in br ackish water lagoons from fresh water with little or no
mor tality.
Hundr eds of thousands of j uvenile steelhead r escued fr om the Santa Ynez River wer e
planted in the lagoon dur ing 19401947 (see above). I n Febr uar y 1954, 16,500 catchable
r ainbow tr out wer e planted in the lagoon with appar ently poor r etur ns to the cr eel (H. L .
Huddle, CDFG, unpubl.intr aoffice cor r espondence of 3 December 1957). Dur ing 1718 June
1954, the CDFG seined both shallow (1 haul) and deep water (4 hauls) habitat in the lagoon to
cur sor ily evaluate the r etention of these r ainbow tr out (P. E. Giguer e, CDFG, unpubl.
intr aoffice cor r espondence of 9 July 1954). Sever al mar ine and eur yhaline fishes wer e
captur ed but no r ainbow tr out or j uvenile steelhead. However , one each hatcher y r ainbow
tr out (26.0 cm) and j uvenile steelhead (15.0 cm) wer e seined fr om small fr eshwater pools
upstr eam fr om the saltwater intr usion bar r ier . On 14 July 1954, two r ainbow tr out (~17.0
18.0 cm) wer e seined fr om the most seawar d extension of the lagoon but not at any of thr ee
other lagoon stations (CDFG, unpubl. field r epor t of 14 July 1954).
Dur ing 1213 M ar ch 1958, one gr oup of 10 of each 7.510.0 cm long and 20.023.0 cm
long hatcher y r ainbow tr out wer e placed in live cages at two lagoon locations wher e sur face
salinity r anged fr om 2.5 to 4.0 ppt (H. L . Huddle, CDFG, unpubl. intr aoffice cor r espondence
of 21 M ar ch 1958). All tr out sur vived after 24 h, as had r ainbow tr out finger lings tested at 12
ppt salinity in aquar ia. These r esults seemed to cor r obor ate the r esults of Shapovalov s
(1940b) seawater challenge tests, as r epor ted above.

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Agua Caliente Creek

Although no histor ical r ecor d was discover ed, steelhead pr obably spawned in Agua
Caliente Cr eek pr ior to the constr uction of Gibr altar Dam, as they did in other tr ibutar ies in
the upper Santa Ynez River dr ainage. Agua Caliente Reser voir , cr eated by a debr is dam
completed on the cr eek in 1937, was planted with 13,000 j uvenile steelhead r escued fr om the
Santa Ynez in 1939, and 27,000 in 1940 (Shapovalov 1944a). The r eser voir basin was
completely filled with sediment by 1944.

Alisal Creek
Alisal Cr eek, which enter s the Santa Ynez below Br adbur y Dam, has been used
histor ically for spawning by steelhead (Shapovalov 1944a). Some 26,000 j uvenile steelhead
wer e r escued fr om the cr eek in 1940. An adult O. mykiss about 38 cm in length, which was
pr esumably a steelhead, was captur ed in the cr eek by an angler dur ing the 1992-93 steelhead
season (M . Car denas, CDFG, per s. comm. of 5 Apr il 1993).

Ballard Creek
Steelhead pr obably spawned in Ballard Creek, a Santa Ynez tributary below Bradbury
Dam, as they did in most accessible tr ibutar ies (Shapovalov 1944a). The creek received a plant
of 1,500 j uvenile steelhead r escued fr om the Santa Ynez in 1943.

Cachuma Creek
Steelhead spawned in Cachuma Cr eek (Shapovalov 1944a), prior to the construction of
Br adbur y Dam. The cr eek r eceived a plant of 7,000 j uvenile steelhead r escued from the Santa
Ynez in 1942. Steelhead r uns occur r ed at least as late as 1948, and the cr eek, which now flows
into one of the main ar ms of L ake Cachuma, has also histor ically contained r esident r ainbow
tr out (CDFG, unpubl. file data).

Gidney Creek
Steelhead pr obably spawned in Gidney Cr eek pr ior to the constr uction of Gibr altar
Dam; it now flows into one of the main ar ms of Gibr altar Reser voir . Cur tis (1937) identified

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favor able spawning gr ounds in the cr eek, wher e j uveniles (512.5 cm long) of landlocked
steelhead fr om the r eser voir wer e seen at a density of about 30 tr out/pool. Gidney Cr eek was
unsilted and contained sur ficial flow late into the season.

Hilton Canyon Creek

O. mykiss adults wer e obser ved spawning in Hilton Canyon Cr eek, the upper most
tr ibutar y to the Santa Ynez below Br adbur y Dam, dur ing mid- to late Febr uar y 1993 (C.
Fusar o, Santa Bar bar a City College, per s. comm. of 9 M ar ch 1993). One spawning pair
compr ised fish which wer e 4651 cm in length. Some 22 adult tr out, at visually estimated
weights of 1.82.7 kg, wer e obser ved in the cr eek on one day. I t was not known if these fish
wer e actual steelhead or lar ge r ainbow tr out which had moved downstr eam out of L ake
Cachuma, although this pr oblem was being investigated. Adult fish continued to be obser ved
in the cr eek thr ough late Apr il 1993 (M . Car denas, CDFG, per s. comm. of 22 Apr il 1993).

Mono Creek and Tributaries

Steelhead spawned in M ono Cr eek, a tr ibutar y to the upper Santa Ynez, pr ior to the
constr uction of Gibr altar Dam. Cur tis (1937) identified suitable steelhead spawning gr ounds
in M ono Cr eek up to the debr is dam, and although no j uveniles wer e obser ved, the cr eek
r epor tedly r eceived spawning r uns of landlocked steelhead fr om the r eser voir . Siltation and
desiccation wer e mentioned as potential pr oblems for successful spawning in the cr eek.
Sea-r un steelhead also spawned in the M ono Cr eek tr ibutar ies, Alamar and I ndian
cr eeks, befor e the dam was built (Shapovalov 1944a). Forest fires since the 1920s had reduced
O. mykiss populations in these tr ibutar ies, and in the I ndian Cr eek tr ibutar y, Buckhor n
Cr eek, either by dir ect mor tality or thr ough the destr uction of spawning and r ear ing habitat
by er osion and siltation. Tr out had sur vived the summer dry season in perennial pools in these
str eams. I ndian Cr eek r eceived a plant of j uvenile steelhead r escued fr om the Santa Ynez in
1945.

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Salsipuedes Creek and Tributaries

As of 1974 (P. R. Gantt, Goleta, CA, unpubl. cor r espondence in the CDFG file) and
1986 (S. Sasaki, CDFG, unpubl. file r epor t of 3 October 1986), Salsipuedes Cr eek and its
tr ibutar y, El Jar o Cr eek, r epor tedly continued to suppor t natur al steelhead pr opagation.
Accor ding to Sasaki, the Salsipuedes, which enter s the lower Santa Ynez River about 24 km
above the mouth, had suitable steelhead spawning areas, perennial flow, and an intact riparian
canopy which shelter ed the str eam. Although the pr esence of spawning adult steelhead had
not been investigated, Sasaki did obser ve many O. mykiss finger lings in the cr eek in some of
the 17 year s he had wor ked in the ar ea.
Electr ofishing surveys were conducted in Salsipuedes and El Jaro creeks in March 1987
and 1988 (Har per 1988), in which both j uvenile and adult steelhead were observed. Four adult
tr out wer e captur ed on 11 M ar ch 1987 in the lower most 5 km of Salsipuedes Creek: (i) a 48 cm
FL female steelhead which was age 4+ and had spent 2 year s each in fr esh and mar ine water ;
(ii) a 34.5 cm FL r ipe male which could not be distinguished as a resident or migrant trout; (iii)
a 30.5 cm FL female which appear ed to be a migr ant; and (iv) a 30 cm FL r ipe male which
could not be distinguished as a r esident or migr ant tr out. Another lar ge tr out, about the same
size as the 48 cm FL female steelhead above, was seen but not captur ed. Some 1015 j uvenile
tr out, >10 cm FL , wer e also captur ed on this date. On 12 M ar ch 1987, two adult tr out wer e
captur ed in El Jar o Cr eek: a 22.5 cm FL male which appear ed to be a str eam r esident, and a
28.5 cm FL female which appear ed to be a migr ant that had gr own in the lagoon or ocean. On
17 M ar ch 1988, sever al j uvenile tr out about 16 cm in length wer e seen but not captur ed in
lower Salsipuedes Cr eek. On 31 M ar ch 1988, eight j uvenile tr out, 9.518.5 cm FL , wer e
captur ed by electr ofishing; these fish appear ed to be str eam r esidents as they displayed no
signs of smolting. Thus, Salsipuedes Cr eek suppor ted a small, self-sustaining O. mykiss
population, which appear ed to include both steelhead and r esident r ainbow tr out.
Sever al adult O. mykiss wer e r eportedly caught by anglers in Salsipuedes Creek during
Febr uar yM ar ch 1993 following heavy pr ecipitation (M . Car denas, CDFG, per s. comm. of 5
Apr il 1993). The catches wer e to have included about a dozen 30 33 cm fish, and about five
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fish which wer e near ly 46 cm in length. These catches wer e not ver ified by the CDFG,
however .

Santa Cota (Zanja de Cota) Creek

Santa Cota Cr eek, which enter s the Santa Ynez below Br adbur y Dam, has been used
histor ically for spawning by steelhead (Shapovalov 1944a). The creek was stocked with 10,000
hatcher y-r ear ed r ainbow tr out in 1932.

Santa Cruz Creek and Tributaries

Steelhead spawned in Santa Cr uz Cr eek (Shapovalov 1944a) pr ior to the constr uction
of Br adbur y Dam. The cr eek now flows into one of the main ar ms of L ake Cachuma. The
cr eek was planted with 10,000 hatcher y-r ear ed j uvenile steelhead in 1932, and r eceived 3,000
j uveniles r escued fr om the Santa Ynez in 1939. Some 10,000 j uvenile steelhead wer e r escued
fr om the cr eek in each of 1939 and 1940 (Shapovalov 1944a).
Steelhead could not access the Santa Cr uz Cr eek tr ibutar y, Peach Tr ee Creek, because
of impassable water falls on Santa Cr uz Cr eek. However , the cr eek r eceived a total of near ly
125,000 j uvenile steelhead r escued fr om the Santa Ynez River dur ing 193944 (Shapovalov
1944a). Ther e was no indication whether the plants wer e made to take advantage of a
favor able but inaccessible r ear ing ar ea in Peach Tr ee Cr eek, or if the fish wer e to suppor t
summer tr out fishing ther e.

Tequepis Canyon Creek

Tequepis Canyon Cr eek was used histor ically by spawning steelhead, wher e 3,660
j uveniles (@ 970 fish/kg) wer e r escued in M ay 1941 (Shapovalov 1944a). Steelhead access to
the cr eek is now blocked by Br adbur y Dam.

Zaca Creek
No r ecor ds wer e discover ed of histor ical steelhead use of Zaca Cr eek, although the
str eam was planted with j uvenile steelhead r escued fr om the Santa Ynez River . This str eam
enter s the Santa Ynez downstr eam fr om Br adbur y Dam.

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 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Tecolote Creek Drainage

I n a r epor t to the CDFG, Gantt (1973) pr esented the effor ts of a local pr oper ty owner s
association to r estor e the steelhead/r ainbow tr out r esour ce of Tecolote Cr eek. I ncluded in the
r epor t appendix wer e photogr aphs of j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out caught by angler s
dur ing the 1930 s. Histor ically, steelhead had access to about the lower most 10 km of the
str eam, at which point a 6 m natur al water fall blocked upstr eam passage to the r emaining 5
km of str eam contained within L os Padr es National For est. The or iginal steelhead/r ainbow
tr out population was appar ently decimated when ear ly landowner s pumped the cr eek dr y.
As of 1973, two flood contr ol dams, 1.8 m and 3.7 m in height, r espectively, cr eated
migr ation bar r ier s downstr eam fr om the water fall. A 23 m long, inclined concrete culvert was
also a potential bar r ier to upstr eam migr ation of steelhead under high flow conditions.
Other wise, high quality spawning and r ear ing habitats existed along most of the str eam.
Exceptions wer e a 1.6 km long section of the lower stream which had interrupted surficial flow
dur ing the summer dr y season, and another lower str eam r each that was silted due to
constr uction activities and associated er osion. Ther e was a small lagoon at the cr eek mouth,
and a sandbar often closed the str eam dur ing the summer .
No estimates wer e given r egar ding the size of historic steelhead runs or natural juvenile
population densities. As par t of their r estor ation effor t, the gr oup r epr esented by Gantt
stocked the cr eek with 4,200 j uvenile steelhead and r ainbow tr out in mid-Apr il 1973. The fish
wer e pur chased fr om Silver K ing Oceanic Far ms in Santa Cr uz County (see Waddell Cr eek).
Some 3,900 of these fish wer e the pr ogeny of wild Waddell Cr eek steelhead, while the
r emaining 300 wer e r esident r ainbow tr out. The plant was made about 8 km upstr eam fr om
the ocean, and most fish wer e obser ved migr ating towar d the ocean within 2 weeks after
r elease. About 700 wer e r escued fr om pools in the inter r upted flow section of the creek in July
1973, and r eleased downstr eam. Fish r emaining in the str eam appar ently gr ew well. No
follow-up documentation on this oper ation was discover ed in the CDFG files. The cur r ent
status of this population is not known, although groundwater extraction and surface diversions

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at Tecolote Cr eek after 1973, as well as two dr ought per iods, most likely depleted the str eam
flow, which would be pr edicted to negatively impact the steelhead population.

VENTURA COUNTY

Big Sycamore Canyon Creek Drainage

K eegan (1990b) concluded that Big Sycamor e Cr eek had a r elatively low potential for
steelhead r estor ation because of a lack of per ennial str eam flow. Yet, Swift et al. (1993)
indicated that steelhead have r un in Big Sycamor e Canyon in r ecent year s.

Calleguas Creek Drainage

Ther e is no for mal r ecor d of steelhead inhabitation of this str eam. A 1973 U. S. Fish
and Wildlife Ser vice (USFWS) document stated that a pr oposed flood contr ol pr oj ect would
have no impact on fisher y r esour ces because the str eam was inter mittent and did not suppor t
fish populations. K eegan (1990b) j udged Calleguas Cr eek as having little potential for
steelhead r estor ation because of degr aded habitat fr om sedimentation, and poor water quality
fr om agr icultur al r unoff. The str eam other wise had a r elatively constant str eam flow, no
known bar r ier s to fish passage, and an extensive and pr otected (M ugu) lagoon.
Ar r oyo Conej o Cr eek is an inter mittent tr ibutar y to Calleguas Cr eek which contained
no salmonids in a 1948 CDFG sur vey.

Santa Clara River Drainage, Including Portions in Los Angeles County

The Santa Clar a River system once suppor ted a popular winter steelhead sport fishery
based on its appar ently lar ge and consistent r uns (Hubbs 1946; see also K r eider 1948). The
aver age annual r un in the Santa Clar a may have been on the or der of about 9,000 adult
steelhead (M oor e 1980a). Steelhead migr ated upstr eam thr ough the lower Santa Clar a River
to r each spawning gr ounds in Santa Paula, Sespe, and Pir u cr eeks, and per haps in other
tr ibutar ies and r eaches of the upper Santa Clar a itself (see below). However , the steelhead
stock has declined pr ecipitously since the mid-1950 s, pr imar ily due to an incr ease in sur face

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water diver sion in the lower Santa Clar a by the United Water Conser vation Distr ict. The
unscr eened diver sion near Saticoy has histor ically blocked upstr eam migr ation of adult
steelhead, entrained emigrating smolts into percolation basins, or eliminated fish movements to
and fr om the ocean altogether by dewater ing the r iver channel dur ing cr itical migr ation
per iods. The cur r ent diver sion str uctur e, the Ver n Fr eeman Diver sion Dam, was equipped
with a fish ladder and intake scr eens in 1989 to enhance fish passage, and the effectiveness of
these featur es ar e being evaluated (ENTRI X r epor ts). The steelhead decline has also been
attr ibuted, in par t, to alter ed flow patterns and blocked access to historic spawning grounds by
upstr eam dams (see below). Nehlsen et al. (1991) listed the Santa Clar a River steelhead stock
as having a high r isk of extinction.
The following is a chr onological r undown of infor mation fr om CDFG files r egar ding
the pr esence or stocking of steelhead and r ainbow tr out in the main stem Santa Clar a River .
Ear ly CDFG r ecor ds showed that 5,000 j uvenile steelhead wer e stocked in 1938 in the River
of Doubt ar ea, and 21,600 wer e planted in the lagoon in 1944, the latter being steelhead which
wer e r escued fr om the Santa Ynez River . I n a CDFG sur vey in the River of Doubt ar ea in
1949, no r ainbow tr out wer e found despite stocking of hatcher y r ainbows in 1939 and dur ing
194248. The main stem r iver was appar ently not sur veyed again for O. mykiss for many
year s. Bell (1978) found no O. mykiss by seining in the main stem Santa Clara from its mouth,
although hatcher y escapees of r ainbow tr out which live in the tailwater of the Fillmor e Fish
Hatcher y wer e obser ved. Ar eta and Willsr ud (1980) also captured no O. mykiss by seining the
main stem dur ing 824 M ay 1980. I n both of these sur veys, most of the fishes captur ed
r eflected an assemblage of war mwater and eur yhaline species.
I n a two-year CDFG study of steelhead in the lower Santa Clar a River system, Puckett
and Villa (1985) r epor ted the steelhead captur es pr esented in Table 3. I n addition, 25 other O.
mykiss wer e captur ed dur ing the study r anging in for k length fr om 20.3 to 45.7 cm, and in age
fr om 1 to 3 year s old. Some of these fish may have been pr e-smolted steelhead, and other s
r esident r ainbow tr out. No emigr ating smolts wer e captur ed in a fyke net set in the Ver n

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Fr eeman Diver sion canal at Saticoy dur ing both year s. Eleven other species of fish wer e
captur ed dur ing the study, including both emigr ating j uvenile and spent adult Pacific
lampr eys (L ampetr a tr identata). M ost adult lampr eys wer e captur ed at the Sespe Cr eek weir
although a few wer e also caught at Saticoy. Puckett and Villa (1985) concluded that the lower
Santa Clar a River ser ved pr imar ily as a migr ation cor r idor for both adult and j uvenile
steelhead, and was less impor tant as a spawning and r ear ing ar ea, with the exception of the
estuar y as potential r ear ing habitat. Fish movements, both upstr eam and downstr eam, wer e
coincident with flow pulses following maj or stor m events.

Piru Creek and Tributaries, including Portions of the Creek System in Los Angeles
County
Pir u Cr eek was histor ically a maj or steelhead spawning tr ibutar y in the Santa Clar a
River system. Steelhead r epor tedly ascended Pir u Cr eek occasionally as far as Buck and
Snowy cr eeks (W. A. Evans, CDFG, unpubl. field notes fr om 1946). However , since 1955,
Santa Felicia Dam at L ake Pir u has blocked steelhead access to Pir u Cr eek beyond the
lower most 9.7 km of the str eam. The dam at Pyr amid Reser voir blocks fish migr ation further
upstr eam as well.
Upstr eam por tions of the str eam ar e cur r ently managed for both catchable and wild
r ainbow tr out fisher ies (e.g. Deinstadt et al. 1990). Hatcher y r ainbow tr out stocking r ecor ds
date back to 1931. A mid-1930 s CDFG sur vey mentioned the pr esence of both r ainbow tr out
and j uvenile steelhead. Some 5,000 j uvenile steelhead wer e stocked in 1938, and an anecdote
indicated the pr esence of steelhead spawner s in 194445 as far upstr eam as the Gold Hill area.
No tr out wer e seen in the str eam below Fr enchman s Flat in a 1946 sur vey, nor in a
1949 sur vey. L ow summer flow and cor r espondingly high water temper atur e, and siltation
wer e cited as pr oblems in the suitability of this section of Pir u Cr eek as salmonid habitat. The
exception was some lar ge, deep pools which held tr out, such as in 1951 when sever al 3136 cm
r ainbows wer e obser ved. Bell (1978) found no O. mykiss in Pir u Cr eek below L ake Pir u
dur ing a seining sur vey. However , this por tion of the str eam may have some potential as a

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steelhead spawning and r ear ing ar ea since a flow of 5 cfs is guar anteed below Santa Felicia
Dam.
Agua Blanca Cr eek flows into Pir u Cr eek upstr eam fr om L ake Pir u. A mid-1930 s
CDFG sur vey indicated the pr esence of r esident r ainbow tr out and j uvenile steelhead,
although the str eam was not consider ed a valuable r esour ce because of low late-summer flows
which r educed available salmonid habitat. The stream had been stocked with 20,000 steelhead
in each of 1930 and 1931. Ther e was no mention of steelhead in a 1949 sur vey, and few
r ainbow tr out wer e seen despite stocking in 1939, 1942, 1944, and 1946.
Buck Cr eek enter s Pir u Creek above Pyramid Reservoir. Steelhead apparently entered
this str eam on occasion (W. A. Evans, CDFG, unpubl. field notes fr om 1946). I t is a small,
inter mittent tr ibutar y str eam which has been stocked with hatcher y r ainbow tr out at least as
ear ly as 1942.
L ockwood Cr eek is a headwater tr ibutar y to Pir u Cr eek upstr eam fr om Pyr amid
Reser voir with a r ecor d of pr esumably wild r ainbow tr out being pr esent in 1946. These fish
could have also been j uvenile steelhead although ther e is no mention of an histor ical steelhead
r un. Seymour Cr eek is a tr ibutar y to L ockwood Cr eek for which stocking r ecor ds of rainbow
tr out date back to 194344. Catchable size tr out wer e obser ved in the str eam in 1946 but no
young-of-the-year .
Snowy Cr eek is a tr ibutar y to Pir u Cr eek above Pyr amid Reser voir which was
appar ently used by steelhead on occasion (W. A. Evans, CDFG, unpubl. field notes from 1946).
Rainbow tr out stocking r ecor ds for this str eam date back to 1942.

Santa Paula Creek and Tributaries

Santa Paula Cr eek is known histor ically as a major spawning tributary for Santa Clara
River steelhead, but ther e is no for mal r ecor d on stock size. I t is the fir st maj or tr ibutar y
above the Ver n Fr eeman Diver sion available to steelhead spawner s r eturning from the Pacific
Ocean. About 6.4 km upstr eam fr om the confluence with the Santa Clar a River , the Santa
Paula Diver sion gr eatly r educes or eliminates str eam flow below the dam dur ing much of the

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year . Dur ing per iods of high r unoff, steelhead may gain access to the base of the dam but lack
of an oper able fishway blocks access to sever al ( 8) kilometer s of suitable steelhead spawning
habitat upstr eam fr om the diver sion.
Juvenile steelhead and r ainbow tr out wer e noted as being pr esent in the str eam in a
mid-1930 s CDFG sur vey. Since the 1940 s, Santa Paula Cr eek above the diver sion has been
managed intensively as a catchable r ainbow tr out fisher y, the activities of which included a
stocking and cr eel census exper iment in 1947 (W. A. Evans, CDFG, unpubl. file r epor t). The
pr esence of natur ally pr opagated O. mykiss j uveniles was noted dur ing the experiment, and it
was indicated that these fish wer e pr obably the pr ogeny of both r esident r ainbow tr out and
steelhead. The steelhead population was supplemented with 5,000 j uveniles in each of 1930
and 1931, 15,000 in 1938, and 3,500 in 1943. Stocking r ecor ds for r ainbow tr out date back to
1930.
I n M ar ch 1987, the USFWS conducted an electr ofishing sur vey in Santa Paula Cr eek
below the diver sion site which pr oduced two adult steelhead (37.5 and 38.0 cm FL ) and two
adult r esident r ainbow tr out (30.0 and 31.0 cm FL ). These fish wer e captur ed in the pool at
the base of the diver sion dam, which is wher e an angler had also caught two adult steelhead.
I n addition, one 16.0 cm FL steelhead smolt was captur ed. The pool below the dam was also
electr ofished in M ar ch 1988 and one, possibly two, adult steelhead was seen but not captur ed.
These sur veys (B. Har per , USFWS, unpubl. file r epor t) demonstrated that adult steelhead still
occur r ed in Santa Paula Cr eek but only in low number s. Decimation of the population to this
level was pr imar ily due to oper ational changes in the Ver n Fr eeman Diver sion, the inoperable
fishway at the Santa Paula Diver sion, and dr ought. However , with the constr uction of fish
passage facilities at the Ver n Fr eeman Diver sion in 1989, the lower Santa Clar a River should
be functional as a migr ation cor r idor for steelhead dur ing per iods of sufficient flow, and
r estor ation of the fishway at the Santa Paula Diver sion would allow steelhead to take
advantage of the spawning and r ear ing habitat in upper Santa Paula Cr eek. The CDFG
electr ofished a 100 m r each immediately below the Santa Paula Diver sion Dam dur ing 2123

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Januar y 1992, but no steelhead or r ainbow tr out wer e captur ed or obser ved (D. M cEwan,
CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 26 M ar ch 1992).
Sisar Canyon Cr eek is a headwater tr ibutar y to Santa Paula Cr eek. Ther e was no
mention of steelhead using the str eam histor ically via Santa Paula Cr eek although 5,000
steelhead (@ 847/kg) wer e planted in the str eam in 1938. Rainbow trout stocking records date
back to 1939, 194347, and suitable spawning habitat and young-of-the-year O. mykiss wer e
noted in a 1947 CDFG sur vey.

Sespe Creek and Tributaries

Sespe Cr eek is the only maj or steelhead spawning tr ibutar y in the Santa Clar a River
system which r emains unr egulated. Access to the Sespe by steelhead spawners returning from
the Pacific Ocean has been impeded by the Ver n Fr eeman Diver sion in the lower Santa Clar a
River (see main heading for Santa Clar a River Dr ainage). Ther e is no for mal r ecor d of the
steelhead population size at Sespe Cr eek.
M uch of the str eam has been managed for a catchable r ainbow tr out fishery. Rainbow
tr out stocking r ecor ds date back to 193031, 1939, and 194248. A 40 km section of Sespe
Cr eek was added to the Califor nia Wild Tr out Pr ogr am in 1986, a measur e which protects the
str eam s fr ee-flowing status.
The steelhead population was supplemented with 40,000 j uveniles in 1930, 38,000 in
1931, and 20,000 in 1938. I n 1944, 35,000 j uvenile steelhead r escued fr om the Santa Ynez
River wer e planted in upper Sespe Cr eek.
Juvenile steelhead and r ainbow tr out wer e pr esent dur ing a mid-1930s CDFG survey.
Juvenile steelhead wer e seen in the stream in 1937 although young-of-the-year were reportedly
r ar e. Steelhead wer e mentioned as being pr esent in 1947. Juvenile r ainbow trout or steelhead
(1015 cm), but no young-of-the-year , wer e pr esent in a 1949 CDFG sur vey. Steelhead
r epor tedly occur r ed in the upper Sespe dur ing the winter of 195354.
Bell (1978) r epor ted the pr esence of O. mykiss in the middle and upper Sespe dur ing a
seining sur vey. Puckett and Villa (1985) r epor ted small number s of both j uvenile and adult

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steelhead captur ed dur ing 198284, and a fair abundance of j uvenile and adult Pacific
lampr eys (see synopsis under the main heading for Santa Clar a River Dr ainage). CDFG fish
sur veys, conducted dur ing 198386 in pr epar ation of the Sespe Cr eek Wild Tr out
M anagement Plan, also demonstr ated the pr esence of wild r ainbow tr out (possibly including
j uvenile steelhead as well) and j uvenile Pacific lampr ey (Sasaki 1986; S. Sasaki, CDFG,
unpubl. file r epor t). I n both of these cases, the pr esence of lampr eys confir med that
anadr omous fishes had access to Sespe Cr eek via the lower Santa Clar a River . No adult or
j uvenile steelhead wer e obser ved or captur ed dur ing a walk-thr ough sur vey in Apr il 1988
fr om Alder Cr eek to the West For k Sespe Cr eek, although sever al year classes of r ainbow
tr out occur r ed in abundance including sever al fish 35 cm in length. Suitable steelhead
spawning and r ear ing habitat was noted as being abundant, and no barriers to adult migration
wer e seen (M . M oor e, Calif. Dept. Tr ans., unpubl. file r epor t). About 80 km of Sespe Cr eek
r emains available to steelhead for spawning and r ear ing.
Abadi Cr eek is a headwater tr ibutar y to Sespe Cr eek for which ther e ar e stocking
r ecor ds for r ainbow tr out dating back to 1942 and 1946, but for which ther e is no r ecord of an
histor ical steelhead r un.
I n the Sespe tr ibutar y, Bear Canyon Cr eek, j uvenile steelhead and r ainbow trout were
pr esent dur ing a mid-1930 s CDFG sur vey of this seasonal str eam. Some 5,000 M t. Whitney
steelhead (@ 847/kg) wer e stocked in the str eam on 30 September 1938. Juvenile O. mykiss
wer e obser ved in the str eam in 1949.
Howar d Cr eek is a seasonal tr ibutar y to Sespe Cr eek and in a mid-1930 s CDFG
sur vey, j uvenile steelhead and r esident r ainbow tr out wer e pr esent. Steelhead use of the
str eam was mentioned in field notes fr om 1949, and what wer e listed as 1015 cm r ainbow
tr out wer e seen in the same year . Rainbow tr out (1525 cm) were seen in 1951. Howard Creek
has been managed pr imar ily as a catchable r ainbow tr out str eam. Stocking records date back
to 1940, 1948, 1953, and 1956 for r ainbow tr out.
Rose Valley Cr eek is a seasonal tr ibutar y to Howar d Cr eek. Although ther e is no

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explicit mention of it in CDFG files, steelhead pr obably used this str eam as they did Howar d
Cr eek. Stocking r ecor ds for r ainbow tr out date back to 1948. Dams have blocked steelhead
access to the upper por tion of the str eam since 1955.
L ion Canyon Cr eek is a tr ibutar y to Sespe Cr eek. I n mid-1930s CDFG stream survey,
j uvenile steelhead and r esident r ainbow tr out wer e listed as pr esent. After this time, the
str eam was managed pr imar ily for a catchable tr out fisher y with r ainbow tr out stocking
r ecor ds dating back to 1948. Juvenile O. mykiss wer e seen in the str eam in 1949. Str eam flow
acceler ator s wer e constr ucted in 1956 to incr ease pool habitat.
L or ds Cr eek is a tr ibutar y to Sespe Cr eek. Stocking r ecor ds for finger ling r ainbow
tr out date back to 1945 and 1947, but ther e was no mention in the CDFG file of steelhead in
this str eam.
Piedr a Blanca Cr eek is a tr ibutar y str eam located in the upper Sespe drainage. Stream
flow in the Piedr a Blanca is inter mittent after late spr ing. Some 5,000 steelhead (@ 847/kg)
wer e stocked into the str eam in 1938, but ther e was no mention in the CDFG file about an
histor ical steelhead r un. Rainbow tr out stocking r ecor ds date back to 1942 and 1945, and
pr esumably wild r ainbows wer e obser ved in the str eam in 1949 and 1963.
Pine Canyon Cr eek is a tr ibutar y to Sespe Cr eek which has been stocked with rainbow
tr out since at least 1946. No r ecor d was discover ed of steelhead use of this str eam.
Tule Cr eek is a headwater tr ibutar y to Sespe Cr eek. I n a mid-1930 s CDFG sur vey,
j uvenile steelhead and r esident r ainbow tr out wer e listed as pr esent. Spawning habitat was
noted as being common but the str eam was not consider ed to be of much value because of its
seasonal flow. No for mal r ecor d of steelhead use in this stream was discovered, although it was
likely when flow conditions wer e suitable. Rainbow tr out stocking r ecor ds date back to 1942.

Minor Mainstem Santa Clara River Tributaries

L ost Cr eek is a Santa Clar a River tr ibutar y for which there is mention of steelhead. W.
A. Evans (CDFG, unpubl. field notes) wr ote on 30 Apr il 1947, Steelhead enter this str eam.
Bell (1978) found no O. mykiss in Todd Bar r anca, a tr ibutar y to the main stem below Santa

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Paula Cr eek, dur ing a seining sur vey.

The following ar e other minor tr ibutar ies to the main stem Santa Clara River that have
been stocked with hatcher y r ainbow tr out, but whose CDFG files lack any mention or r ecor d
of an histor ical steelhead r un: Hopper Canyon Cr eek, for which ther e ar e r ainbow tr out
stocking r ecor ds dating back to 1942, 1944, and 1946, and its tributary, Tom Creek, which was
planted with finger ling r ainbow tr out in 1946 and contained 1015 cm tr out in 1947; Pole
Cr eek with stocking r ecor ds dating back to 1940 and 1941, and as r ecently as 1984 (both
Hopper Canyon and Pole Cr eek ar e southwar d flowing str eams which enter the Santa Clar a
between Sespe and Pir u cr eeks); and Willar d Cr eek wher e 10 cm r ainbow tr out wer e seen in
1949 but no natur al pr opagation was thought to have occur r ed.

Santa Clara River Headwater Tributaries in Los Angeles County

CDFG r ecor ds show that hatchery rainbow trout were stocked and present in the upper
sections of Bouquet Canyon Cr eek dur ing the 1940 s and 1950 s, but ther e was no mention of
an histor ical steelhead r un. The dam cr eating Bouquet Reser voir would now block steelhead
access to the most upstr eam por tion of this str eam.
Bell (1978) found no O. mykiss in Castaic Cr eek below Castaic L ake dur ing a seining
sur vey.
No O. mykiss wer e seen in Elizabeth L ake Canyon Cr eek in a 1948 CDFG sur vey, and
ther e was no mention of an histor ical steelhead r un. Steelhead access to the upper por tion of
this str eam would now be blocked by the dam at Castaic L ake.
Fish Canyon Cr eek is a tr ibutar y to Castaic Cr eek, above Castaic L ake. This is a
highly inter mittent str eam for which ther e ar e hatchery rainbow trout stocking records dating
back to 1945 and 1948. Ther e is no mention of an histor ical steelhead r un in the CDFG file.
Steelhead access to this str eam would now be blocked by the dam at Castaic L ake.
San Fr ancisquito Canyon and Soledad Canyon cr eeks ar e two str eams for which there
ar e CDFG r ecor ds for r ainbow tr out pr esence and/or stocking dating back to c. 1930, but for
which ther e is no mention of histor ical steelhead r uns. Bell (1978) found no O. mykiss in these

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str eams dur ing a seining sur vey.

Ventura River Drainage

An excellent account on the histor y of the Ventur a River and its steelhead fisher y is
pr ovided by Capelli (1974; see also Ventur a County Fish and Game Commission 1973). The
Ventur a River suppor ted lar ge and consistent r uns of steelhead (Hubbs 1946) up until the
late 1940 s when pr olonged dr ought and the constr uction of M atilija Dam (completed in 1948)
on M atilij a Cr eek decimated the population. Appar ently, up until this time, steelhead
weighing 3 to 4 kg wer e commonly taken by angler s.
I n a 1934 CDFG sur vey, steelhead and r esident r ainbow tr out wer e listed as pr esent in
the r iver system. At this time, the r iver below the mouth of M atilij a Cr eek, wher e diver sions
gr eatly r educed str eam flow, was consider ed to be of no value except dur ing the winter when
steelhead used the r iver as a migr ation cor r idor to r each the abundant spawning gr ounds
upstr eam, especially in M atilij a Cr eek.
The steelhead population was supplemented with 40,000 j uveniles in 1930, 34,000 in
1931, and 15,000 in 1938. About 27,200 j uvenile steelhead r escued fr om the Santa Ynez River
wer e planted in the Ventur a in 1943, about 20,800 in 1944, and about 45,440 in 1945. Stocking
r ecor ds for r ainbow tr out date back to 1936 and 1939.
CDFG per sonnel in 1946 (D. A. Clanton and J. W. Jar vis, CDFG, unpubl. file report of
8 M ay 1946) estimated that in nor mal water year s, a minimum of 4,0005,000 adult steelhead
spawned in the Ventur a River system, about half of them in M atilij a Cr eek. The obser vation
of sever al hundr ed year ling steelhead, 1015 cm in length, in M atilij a Cr eek was also noted in
this r epor t.
I n M ar ch 1947 under dr ought conditions, an estimated 250300 adult steelhead wer e
obser ved in scatter ed pools fr om the r iver mouth to the Foster Par k br idge located about 5
miles upstr eam (W. A. Evans, CDFG, unpubl. file r epor t of 29 M ar ch 1947). The steelhead
aver aged about 6166 cm in length and 23 kg. Sever al adult steelhead which had become
str anded in shallow water and died wer e also noted. Redds wer e obser ved within this r each

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and it was estimated that 3.2 km of available spawning habitat below the Foster Par k br idge
would suppor t a maximum of 1,000 steelhead spawner s. Under these low flow conditions,
upstr eam movement of adults was impeded by a sandbar at the r iver mouth and sever al
shallow r iffles upstr eam. The City of Ventur a diver sion dam above the Foster Par k br idge
blocked any fur ther upstr eam movement under low flow conditions. Year ling steelhead
j uveniles (2325 cm in length) wer e seen in the lagoon and in most pools obser ved.
A few steelhead r epor tedly enter ed the river in April 1950. No significant steelhead run
was r epor ted again until Januar y and Febr uar y of 1953 when angler s r epor ted the captur e of
sever al individuals r anging in length fr om about 3056 cm. Scales fr om the lar gest of these, a
female, showed that this fish had spent 3 year s in fr esh water and its last year in the ocean.
Accor ding to local fisher men, 1955 was the most pr oductive steelhead season on the Ventur a
River between the late 1940 s and 1973 (Ventur a County Fish and Game Commission 1973).
I n Febr uar y and M ar ch 1958, angler s r epor ted the pr esence of adult steelhead in the Ventur a
River and two of its tr ibutar ies, Coyote Cr eek and M atilij a Cr eek. However , a CDFG seining
sur vey in August 1958 in the r iver and tr ibutar ies including San Antonio Cr eek pr oduced no
young-of-the-year steelhead. The apparent lack of spawning success was attributed to siltation
pr oblems in Coyote Cr eek and the Ventur a River due to constr uction of Casitas Dam on
Coyote Cr eek, and a gener al lack of suitable spawning gr ounds in San Antonio Cr eek. With
completion of Casitas Dam and the Robles Diversion Dam in 1958, the latter of which transfers
water fr om the Ventur a River via the Robles-Casitas Canal for stor age in Casitas Reser voir ,
flow conditions favor able for Ventura River steelhead would become even more infrequent. I n
addition, both of these str uctur es wer e built without fish passage facilities.
I n the ear ly 1970 s, an or ganized effor t was begun to pr omote the r estor ation of the
Ventur a River and its steelhead population (Ventur a County Fish and Game Commission
1973). The Ventur a County Fish and Game Commission s pr oposal called for an end to
pollution and development within the r iver and its floodplain, and for an incr ease in both
quantity and quality of instr eam flows to maintain aquatic r esour ces.

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Despite r ather tenuous conditions for Ventur a River steelhead following the
constr uction of dams and diversions and other development during the 1940s and 1950s, local
angler s continued to r epor t the captur e of small number s of steelhead nearly annually into the
ear ly 1970 s (Ventur a County Fish and Game Commission 1973), and ther eafter based on a
var iety of accounts in the CDFG file which included infor mation on steelhead and r esident
r ainbow tr out captur es in the lower Ventur a River and San Antonio Creek during March and
October 1974, Febr uar yApr il 1975, November December 1978, and Januar y 1979.
A number of minor studies has been conducted over the years to evaluate water quality
in the lower Ventur a River as a component of the steelhead and r esident r ainbow tr out
habitat, and to deter mine the status of the steelhead population. I n August 1976, the CDFG
conducted a bioassay to deter mine acute impacts of effluent fr om the Oak View Sanitar y
Distr ict Tr eatment Plant on r ainbow tr out. High mor tality r ates of r ainbow tr out suggested
that water quality was negatively impacted by the effluent for sever al kilometer s downstr eam
fr om the point of dischar ge. Tr out losses wer e associated with low dissolved oxygen
concentr ations, and high ammonia and r esidual chlor ine concentr ations.
Based on the r esults of a field study conducted dur ing the winter of 1976-77 near
Casitas Spr ings (Tippets 1979; K elley 1982), it was concluded that a small r emnant steelhead
r un existed in the lower Ventur a River ; the size of the r un was limited by the number of smolt-
sized fish r emaining at the end of the fir st year ; and the r un size could only be enhanced if
water quality downstr eam fr om the Oak View Sanitar y Distr ict Tr eatment Plant was
impr oved. Densities of r ainbow tr out and/or steelhead in five r iver r eaches near Casitas
Spr ings in December 1976 r anged fr om 249 to 1,262/ha. No adult steelhead wer e obser ved in
this study, pr obably due to extr emely low fr eshwater outflow conditions which would block
upstr eam migr ation. However , r un size was estimated to aver age about 100 adults.
The condition of the r iver and status of the steelhead population it suppor ts r emain
essentially the same at pr esent. Nehlsen at al. (1991) listed the Ventur a River steelhead stock
as being at a high r isk of extinction. The 198792 dr ought was pr obably unfavor able for the

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steelhead, both in ter ms of pr e-smolt sur vival in the str eam, and in terms of allowing upstream
migr ation of adult spawner s r etur ning fr om the Pacific Ocean. Ventur a River tr ibutar ies
which still pr oduce steelhead ar e San Antonio Cr eek, which has about 19 km of habitat, and
Coyote Cr eek below L ake Casitas (Minutes of southern California steelhead meeting, USFWS,
Ventur a, CA, 22 Januar y 1991). Obser vations of small number s of steelhead annually have
continued, including the sighting of between 14 and 25 adults on 5 M ay 1991 in the upper
Ventur a River Estuar y (R. A. L eidy, Wetlands Science and Field Pr ogr am M anager , EPA,
unpubl. memo. of 8 M ay 1991). The r ange of estimated total lengths of these fish was 350625
mm. A shor t ( 15 m) section was electr ofished at the SP M illing gr avel extr action site dur ing
2123 Januar y 1992; this br ief sur vey pr oduced no steelhead or r esident r ainbow tr out (D.
M cEwan, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 26 M ar ch 1992). However , heavy r ains in ear ly February
1992 should have cr eated a good oppor tunity for any r emnant of the stock, as well as steelhead
fr om other stocks, to enter the r iver and spawn. The lagoon r emained open to the Pacific
Ocean in ear ly June 1992 (M . Capelli, California Coastal Commission, pers. comm.). The most
r ecent documented sighting of steelhead in the Ventur a River occur r ed on 4 Januar y 1993
when two adults, both about 51 cm in length and between 2.3 and 2.7 kg, wer e obser ved
beneath the Shell Road br idge, which is located about 4.8 km above the estuar y (M . Bennett,
Oak View, CA, unpubl. letter of 7 Januar y 1993 to M . Car denas, CDFG). These fish had
appar ently enter ed the r iver following heavy r ainfall.

Coyote Creek and Tributaries

A CDFG str eam survey from the mid-1930s states that both resident rainbow trout and
j uvenile steelhead wer e pr esent in Coyote Cr eek at that time. The natur al stocks of r esident
r ainbows and steelhead had been supplemented with hatcher y plants, and wer e doing well
pr ior to a 1932 fir e in the ar ea. Coyote Cr eek was still identified as a steelhead str eam in 1946
(D. A. Clanton and J. W. Jar vis, CDFG, unpubl. file r epor t of 8 M ay 1946), and it was
indicated that j uvenile steelhead wer e r escued in the lower por tion of the cr eek in dr y year s.

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I n another 1946 r epor t, CDFG per sonnel estimated that the 1945 steelhead run in the Coyote
Santa Ana Cr eek system compr ised at least 2,500 adults, and that the aver age was about 3,000
in nor mal water year s, which made steelhead use of these str eams compar able to that in
M atilij a Cr eek (D. A. Clanton and J. White, CDFG, unpubl. file r epor t). Spawning habitat
was listed as being poor downstr eam fr om a pr oposed (El Rancho Cola) dam site, 4.8 km
above the confluence with the Ventur a River . About 11 km of Coyote Cr eek and 6.4 km of
Santa Ana Cr eek above Highway 150 compr ised the spawning ar eas in this system. I n 1951,
the CDFG r epor ted anecdotes which stated that steelhead wer e seen as far upstr eam as the El
Rancho Cola Dam site, and that the cr eek was consider ed as one of the impor tant r emaining
spawning tr ibutar ies for Ventur a River steelhead (W. A. Evans, CDFG, unpubl. file r epor t).
Casitas Dam, 10.5 km above the confluence and completed in 1958, pr evented any fur ther
steelhead access to suitable spawning gr ounds in this str eam, as the dam was built without a
fish passage facility. Some steelhead pr oduction continues to occur in Coyote Cr eek below
L ake Casitas (M inutes of souther n Califor nia steelhead meeting, USFWS, Ventur a, CA, 22
Januar y 1991).

Matilija Creek and Tributaries

Accor ding to CDFG per sonnel in 1946, M atilij a Cr eek compr ised one of the most
pr oductive spawning gr ounds for steelhead in the Ventur a River system (D. A. Clanton and J.
W. Jar vis, CDFG, unpubl. file r epor t of 8 M ay 1946). I ts 19 km of spawning ar ea made up
about one-half of the entir e str eam ar ea of the M atilij a-Ventur a section. Completion of
M atilij a Dam in 1948 blocked steelhead access to this impor tant spawning and nur ser y ar ea.
A little used fish passage facility built in 1947 was r emoved in 1965 in connection with dam
modification wor k.
The M atilij a Cr eek steelhead population was supplemented with 10,000 j uveniles (@
847/kg) in 1938. I n 1944, 53,000 j uvenile steelhead r escued fr om the Santa Ynez River wer e
planted into the cr eek, and 21,120 in 1945. Recor ds for r ainbow trout plants date back to 1939
and 194248.

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North Fork Matilija Creek and Tributaries

CDFG per sonnel in 1946 estimated that <2% of the Ventur a River steelhead r un used
the nor th for k for spawning, despite the r emoval of a water fall 2 year s ear lier which added
about 5.6 km of available str eam (D. A. Clanton and J. W. Jarvis, CDFG, unpubl. file report of
8 M ay 1946). L ow flows and a lack of suitable spawning habitat wer e cited as causes of low
steelhead use. The steelhead population was supplemented with 10,000 j uveniles (@ 847/kg)
fr om M t. Whitney in 1938, 1,000 j uveniles r escued from Santa Ana Creek in 1944, and 3,900 of
unspecified or igin in 1954. Stocking r ecor ds for catchable r ainbow tr out date back to 1939
and 194247. Str eam impr ovement wor k, which consisted of the constr uction of 40 flow
constr ictor s, was car r ied out in 1955. Wild fingerling and sub-adult rainbow trout, as well as a
few r ecently planted catchables, wer e sampled and noted to be abundant dur ing an
electr ofishing sur vey on 16 April 1985 (S. Sasaki, CDFG, unpubl. memo.). Rainbow trout were
also stocked in the Upper Nor th For k M atilij a Cr eek in 1948, and in M ur ietta Canyon Cr eek
in 1942.

San Antonio Creek and Tributaries

No for mal r ecor d was discover ed of an histor ical steelhead r un in San Antonio Cr eek,
although 525 r escued j uvenile steelhead fr om Gr idley Canyon Cr eek and 1,500 fr om Howar d
Cr eek in Ventur a County wer e planted in the str eam in 1944. Rainbow trout stocking records
date back to the per iod 194347. O. mykiss of two size classes (1520 cm and 3040 cm) wer e
sampled in the lower cr eek in a Januar y 1982 CDFG sur vey (S. Sasaki, CDFG, unpubl. file
r epor t). Ther e was no mention of r esident r ainbow tr out or steelhead following sur veys in the
lower cr eek in Apr il 1984 and Apr il 1985 (S. Sasaki, CDFG, unpubl. file r epor ts). Yet, San
Antonio Cr eek, which has about 19 km of habitat, r epor tedly continues to function as a
steelhead pr oduction ar ea (M inutes of souther n Califor nia steelhead meeting, USFWS,
Ventur a, CA, 22 Januar y 1991).
L ion Cr eek, a tr ibutar y to San Antonio Cr eek, was stocked with hatcher y-r ear ed
steelhead (5,000 @ 847/kg) and r ainbow tr out in 1938. No r ecor d was discover ed of an
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histor ical steelhead r un in this inter mittent str eam. Steelhead access would now be blocked by
a dam on the str eam, about 68 km east of Oj ai, as mentioned in a 1949 CDFG field note.
Another tr ibutar y to San Antonio Cr eek, Senior Canyon Cr eek, was stocked with
hatcher y r ainbow tr out at least as ear ly as 1945.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY

Arroyo Sequit Drainage

Small r uns of steelhead have reportedly occurred in the Arroyo Sequit historically. The
CDFG sur veyed this str eam in mid-November 1979 by use of electr ofishing, in a r each
extending about 3.2 km upstr eam fr om L eo Car illo State Beach campgr ound (D. P. Dr ake,
CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 4 Febr uar y 1980). At that time, str eam flow was inter mittent, and
water temper atur e r anged fr om 14.5 C in shaded areas to 16.0 C in exposed areas. O. mykiss
was pr esent r anging in length fr om 5 to 16.5 cm. The 57 cm tr out wer e ver y abundant (>200
in a 5 m3 pool).
Both j uvenile and adult steelhead have been obser ved in r ecent year s (K eegan 1990b;
M . Capelli, Fr iends of the Ventur a River , per s. comm. in 1992). Several trout, about 3341 cm
in length, wer e obser ved in an upstr eam r each in November 1992 (M . Car denas, CDFG, per s.
comm. of 30 M ar ch 1993). Based on their size and the fact that the cr eek mouth was not open
to the ocean, these fish wer e pr obably steelhead that wer e tr apped in the cr eek fr om the
pr evious spawning season. Also, a ver y high density of young-of-the-year was obser ved. The
water shed appear ed to be in good condition. No stocking r ecor ds wer e discover ed for the
str eam, so the stock may be r elatively unaffected genetically by intr oduced hatcher y tr out.
Five tr out, 19.529.5 cm TL , wer e captur ed in the Ar r oyo Sequit by use of
electr ofishing on 9 Apr il 1993 (M . Car denas, CDFG, per s. comm. of 22 Apr il 1993).
K eegan (1990b) concluded that the steelhead r un in the Ar r oyo Sequit Cr eek would be
enhanced with incr eased str eam flow and impr ovements for fish passage. Apparently, a notch
has now been cut into a small check dam which will enhance fish passage to and fr om

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upstr eam ar eas (M . Capelli, Calif. Coastal Comm., per s. comm.).

Los Angeles River Drainage

No for mal r ecor d of an histor ical steelhead r un was found for the L os Angeles River ,
although steelhead appar ently did occur her e once because Nehlsen et al. (1991) listed this
native stock as being extinct. No steelhead wer e obser ved in a CDFG sur vey in the upper L os
Angeles River in 1945, nor dur ing an over night set of a 30 m gill net and thr ee minnow tr aps
by CDFG biologists on 1314 Febr uar y 1975 in the r iver near Wester n Avenue (V. C. Bleich,
CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 14 Febr uar y 1975). I n the latter case, the only captur e was thr ee
specimens of bigmouth buffalo (I ctiobus cypr inellus), an intr oduced species to Califor nia
which is gener ally not associated with steelhead water s (see Moyle 1976). Steelhead access and
use of the L os Angeles River is pr ecluded by the pr esence of flood contr ol str uctur es
thr oughout much of the lower r iver cour se, such as a concr ete lining of the r iver channel and
the dam at the Sepulveda Flood Contr ol Basin.

Arroyo Seco Creek and Tributaries

Ar r oyo Seco Cr eek, a tr ibutar y to the L os Angeles River, is managed for rainbow trout,
and is stocked with catchables although wild tr out are apparently also present. CDFG records
dating back to c. 1941 mention nothing about a pr evious steelhead r un. Tr ibutar ies to the
Ar r oyo Seco which also contain r ainbow tr out ar e Bear Canyon Cr eek and L ittle Bear Creek.

Big Tujunga Creek and Tributaries

Big Tuj unga Cr eek is a maj or tr ibutar y to the L os Angeles River that or iginates in the
San Gabr iel M ountains. No histor ical r ecor d or mention of steelhead was discover ed for the
cr eek. However , ear ly CDFG r ecor ds showed that r ainbow tr out wer e planted in this str eam
dur ing 194246, as they wer e in the Big Tuj unga tr ibutar ies, M ill Cr eek and Tr ail Canyon
Cr eek. Upstr eam migr ation of steelhead into the Big Tuj unga would now be blocked by dams
at Hansen L ake and Tuj unga Reser voir .

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Other Tributaries
I n a 1948 sur vey by the CDFG, O. mykiss was not seen in the Rio Hondo River
although a tr ibutar y, M ission Cr eek, was stocked with r ainbows dur ing the 1940 s, as wer e
other L os Angeles River tr ibutar ies such as M ur r ay Cr eek and Pacoima Canyon Cr eek. No
mention of histor ical steelhead r uns was found for these str eams.

Malibu Creek Drainage

At pr esent, M alibu Cr eek is the souther nmost Pacific coast str eam known to suppor t a
self-pr opagating r un of steelhead. The 30 m tall Rindge Dam was built in 1924, thus blocking
upstr eam migr ation of steelhead spawner s beyond 4.2 km above the str eam mouth. Pr ior to
this, 6.5 kg steelhead wer e r epor tedly caught as they migrated upstream to the lower reaches of
L as Vir genes Cr eek and Cold Cr eek to spawn. Since the late 1960 s, r eleases of tr eated
wastewater fr om the Tapia Water Reclamation Facility have maintained a per ennial sur face
flow in M alibu Cr eek, even dur ing the M ayOctober dr y season (Edmondson 1991). Nehlsen
et al. (1991) listed the M alibu Cr eek steelhead stock as having a high r isk of extinction.
CDFG r ecor ds indicate that ther e was a r elatively lar ge steelhead run in 1947 when the
sandbar acr oss the mouth of the str eam was opened manually, and steelhead wer e still
noticably pr esent in 1952, although no quantification of the r uns was given in either case. No
O. mykiss wer e obser ved dur ing CDFG sur veys in June 1969 and August 1972, in the 10 km
fr om Tapia Par k to the Pacific Ocean. However , local r esidents r epor tedly caught steelhead
below Rindge Dam in 1968, and found two steelhead which had washed ashor e dur ing a
Febr uar y 1969 stor m. I n mid-November 1979, the CDFG electr ofished a 183 m r each of the
cr eek, about 2 km upstr eam fr om the Pacific Coast Highway (D. P. Dr ake, CDFG, unpubl.
memo. of 4 Febr uar y 1980). Str eam flow was low (0.91.5 m3/s), and water temper atur e
var ied between 15.0 and 17.5 C. Ten O. mykiss wer e captur ed r anging in length fr om 12.7
to 19.0 cm. Dr ake also r epor tedly obser ved 61 adult steelhead j ust below Rindge Dam in 1980
(M anwar ing and Edmondson 1986). A 1.2 km r each of lower M alibu Cr eek above Cr oss
Cr eek Br idge was electr ofished on 24 M ay 1985 (W. E. Tippets, Calif. Dept. Parks Recreation,

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unpubl. memo. of 29 M ay 1985). No O. mykiss wer e seen or captur ed, although sever al other
fish species wer e pr esent.
The M alibu Cr eek Steelhead Watch (M anwar ing and Edmondson 1986) was
conducted on Satur days fr om 4 Januar y 1986 to 19 Apr il 1986. A total of about 158 salmonid
obser vations was made, compr ised of counts in the following classifications: r esident rainbow
tr out, fish with par r mar ks, steelhead smolts, and steelhead adults. Among these, 26
obser vations wer e of smolts which wer e seen fr om 8 M ar ch to 5 Apr il 1986. Only one adult
steelhead was obser ved, a spent female captur ed on 23 M ar ch 1986, which measur ed 69 cm in
for k length and weighed 3 kg. The r esults of this study led to the pr otective angling
r egulations cur r ently in effect on M alibu Cr eek.
M inor r econnaissance sur veys have continued over the year s. The following fish wer e
obser ved in late 1986ear ly 1987 as r epor ted by M anwar ing and Edmondson (1987): (i) A
female which measur ed 50 cm FL and weighed 2.35 kg was captur ed in a tr ap near Cr oss
Cr eek Road on 14 Febr uar y 1987. A second female measur ing about 61 cm was lost fr om the
tr ap. (ii) Thr ee females measur ing about 50 cm and 3 kg wer e captured on hook-and-line; two
below Rindge Dam in late December 1986, and one about 0.8 km below the dam on 28
Febr uar y 1987. (iii) Thr ee matur e O. mykiss males, 33 to 46 cm in length, wer e caught at
Rindge Dam in mid-December 1986. The CDFG and USFWS also electr ofished the cr eek
downstr eam fr om Rindge Dam in Apr il 1987, and although O. mykiss was appar ently
captur ed, the obser ved fish could not be conclusively identified as steelhead (Fisher ies
M anagement Activities in CDFG Region 5 for Apr il 1987). The CDFG electr ofished a 100 m
r each immediately below Rindge Dam dur ing 2123 Januar y 1992 (D. M cEwan, CDFG,
unpubl. memo. of 26 M ar ch 1992); sever al O. mykiss, r anging in length fr om about 20 to 41
cm, wer e obser ved but not captur ed.
No for mal r ecor ds were discovered of hatchery rainbow trout stocking in Malibu Creek
below Rindge Dam, although hatcher y r ainbows wer e planted at M alibu Cr eek State Par k in
1984, and evidently these plants ar e made r egular ly (M anwar ing and Edmondson 1986).

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Steelhead habitat availability and use has been evaluated in recent years. Franklin and
Dobush (1989) deter mined that about 504 m2 of spawning habitat was available in M alibu
Cr eek. The highest quality spawning habitat was located in narrow gorge sections between the
mouth of Cold Cr eek (above Rindge Dam) and 2.0 km below Rindge Dam. Near ly 5 km of
r ear ing habitat was available; the highest quality habitat was also located in nar r ow gor ge
sections, both below Cold Cr eek and above L as Vir genes Creek. Thus, about 86% of available
spawning habitat, and 65% of r ear ing habitat was inaccessible to steelhead because of
upstr eam migr ation bar r ier s which included: (i) Rindge Dam; (ii) a water fall near the Malibu
Canyon Road tunnel; (iii) a concr ete apr on at the str eam gage near Cold Cr eek; and (iv) a
concr ete r oad cr ossing in Centur y Ranch State Par k. Fr anklin and Dobush (1989) concluded
that spawning and r ear ing habitat would incr ease by 590% and 180% , r espectively, if fish
passage was pr ovided at these sites. Evaluations ar e cur r ently under way r egar ding a fish
passage facility at Rindge Dam.
I n a companion study to that by Franklin and Dobush (1989), Keegan (1990a) evaluated
habitat use of j uvenile steelhead in August 1989, fr om the mouth of M alibu Cr eek to Rindge
Dam. This 4.2 km study ar ea was divided into an upper (0.8 km), middle (1.0 km), and lower
(1.2 km) r each. Juvenile steelhead wer e most abundant (22.4 tr out/100 m) in the upper gor ge
r each, which contained the highest quality spawning and r ear ing habitat below Rindge Dam,
as deter mined by Fr anklin and Dobush (1989). Steelhead abundance decr eased in the middle
(17.5 tr out/100 m) and lower (3.5 tr out/100 m) r eaches wher e abundances of intr oduced
war mwater species incr eased. Steelhead use of pools (75% of 145 tr out obser ved) was
significantly gr eater (X2 = 7.507, DF = 2, p = 0.0234) than that of r uns (25% ). Thr ee or mor e
age-classes wer e pr esent: 0+, which wer e <10 cm; 1+, 1018 cm; and 2+ and older , >18 cm.
Age 1+ tr out wer e mor e abundant (44% of 145 tr out obser ved) than 0+ (32% ) or 2+ (24% )
tr out, although differ ences in r elative abundance among 0+ and 1+ tr out may have pr imar ily
r eflected differ ences in r elative year -class str ength. These r esults demonstr ated that (i)
successful r epr oduction had occur r ed in at least 3 consecutive year s, despite low flow

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conditions; (ii) j uvenile steelhead distr ibution was linked to quality of spawning and r ear ing
habitat; and (iii) summer flow and water temper atur e conditions wer e acceptable for juvenile
steelhead r ear ing. I t was concluded that steelhead pr oduction in the M alibu Cr eek dr ainage
could be at least tr ipled if passage was pr ovided for spawning adults over Rindge Dam.

San Gabriel River Drainage

The San Gabr iel River system once suppor ted steelhead although little histor ical
infor mation was discover ed. I n a per sonal communication to Ewy (1945), Commissioner L . F.
Payne of the L os Angeles Br anch of the CDFG stated that steelhead r un up the San Gabr ial
River in December , Januar y and Febr uar y to spawn . Steelhead wer e mentioned in
connection with San Jose Cr eek, a tr ibutar y to the lower main stem San Gabr iel River . This
per ennial foothill str eam suppor ted steelhead and other native fishes thr ough at least the
1940 s50 s (L . Par dy, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 13 December 1991). Nehlsen et al. (1991)
listed the native San Gabr iel River steelhead stock as extinct.
The San Gabr iel River is highly ur banized in its lower r eaches in the L os Angeles
Basin, and is impounded fur ther upstr eam. The fir st maj or dams for m M or r is Reser voir
followed by San Gabr iel Reser voir . The San Gabr iel system, especially its tr ibutar ies both
upstr eam and downstr eam fr om these r eser voir s, has been intensively managed for catchable
tr out fisher ies since the 193040 s, and mor e r ecently for wild tr out as well (Deinstadt et al.
1990). The CDFG files did contain consider able infor mation on r ainbow tr out stocking and
associated obser vations dating back to c. 1930. This infor mation is br iefly summar ized below
to indicate the appr oximate histor ical distr ibution of suitable habitat for steelhead/r ainbow
tr out in the system.
Hatcher y r ainbow tr out have been stocked in the main stem San Gabr iel River below
M or r is Reser voir with r ecor ds dating back to 1930. A main stem tr ibutar y, L ittle Dalton
Cr eek, was stocked with r ainbow tr out in 1945. Fish Canyon Cr eek is a tr ibutar y to the San
Gabr iel below M or r is Reser voir . Wild r ainbow tr out wer e pr esent in the headwater s of this
str eam dur ing CDFG sur veys conducted in 1949, 1956, and 1973. Rober t s Canyon Cr eek is

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also tr ibutar y to the main stem below M or r is Reser voir . Rainbow trout were present here in a
1947 sur vey and into the 1950 s. Rainbow tr out have occur r ed in San Dimas Canyon Creek, a
main stem tr ibutar y, as deter mined by CDFG sur veys. Finally, r ainbow tr out have also been
stocked in Winter Cr eek, which flows into Big Santa Anita Canyon Cr eek, a tr ibutar y to the
San Gabr iel River below M or r is Reser voir .
The var ious for ks of the San Gabr iel River ar e located upstr eam fr om M or r is and San
Gabr iel r eser voir s. The CDFG files contained infor mation on r ainbow tr out pr esence and
stocking dating back to c. 1930, but lacked any r ecor d of histor ical (pr e-r eser voir ) steelhead
r uns, for the following San Gabr iel for ks and their tr ibutar ies. The East For k San Gabr iel
River and two tr ibutar ies, Cattle Canyon Cr eek and Devils Canyon Creek, have been stocked
with r ainbow tr out since at least 1930. Rainbows wer e obser ved in Cattle Canyon Cr eek
dur ing a 1933 CDFG sur vey. Coldwater Canyon Cr eek, a tr ibutar y to Cattle Canyon Cr eek,
has also been stocked with r ainbows since 1930, and r ainbows wer e pr esent dur ing a 1981
CDFG sur vey (D. Dr ake, CDFG, unpubl. memo.).
The Nor th For k San Gabr iel River and one of its tr ibutar ies, Soldier Cr eek, have also
contained r esident r ainbow tr out since at least 1930. Rainbow tr out wer e pr esent in another
tr ibutar y, Bichota Cr eek, dur ing a 1949 CDFG sur vey, but not in Cedar Cr eek in a 1948
CDFG sur vey.
The West For k San Gabr iel River has also contained and been stocked with r esident
r ainbow tr out since at least 1930 (see also Deinstadt et al. 1990), as has Bear Cr eek. A
tr ibutar y to the latter , the West For k Bear Cr eek, also contained r esident r ainbow trout when
sur veyed by the CDFG in 1948. Below the falls in Chileno Cr eek, 515 cm r ainbow trout have
been obser ved in high abundance by the CDFG. Rainbow tr out wer e pr esent in Devil s
Canyon Cr eek dur ing a 1947 CDFG sur vey.
The Fish For k, I r on For k, Pr air ie For k, and South Forks of the San Gabriel River have
also contained r esident r ainbow tr out and been planted with hatcher y r ainbows since at least
1930.

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Topanga Creek Drainage

The CDFG electr ofished Topanga Cr eek in mid-November 1979 (D. P. Dr ake, CDFG,
unpubl. memo. of 4 Febr uar y 1980). Flow was inter mittent at this time, and habitat quality
was var iable. O. mykiss was pr esent, with individuals r anging in length fr om 10 to 32 cm.
Twelve tr out measur ed fr om 25 to 32 cm, but appar ently no young-of-the-year (tr out <10 cm)
wer e found.
K eegan (1990b) concluded that Topanga Cr eek had a r elatively high potential for
steelhead r estor ation, based on obser ved flow, substr ate, str eam mor phology, and r ipar ian
conditions. The str eam s high-gr adient aspect, and a wide beach at the str eam mouth, may
r esult in steelhead passage pr oblems under low flow conditions. Adult steelhead wer e
r epor tedly pr esent in pools upstr eam of the lagoon in M ar ch 1990. Swift et al. (1993) also
indicated that steelhead have r un in Topanga Cr eek in r ecent year s.

Various Smaller Coastal Drainages

The CDFG conducted an electr ofishing sur vey of the following smaller coastal
dr ainages (listed fr om nor th to south) in L os Angeles County dur ing mid-November 1979,
pr imar ily to deter mine the pr esence or absence of O. mykiss (D. P. Dr ake, CDFG, unpubl.
memo. of 4 Febr uar y 1980): Ar r oyo Sequit, Willow Cr eek, Unnamed str eam 0.8 km south of
Willow Cr eek, San Nichola Canyon, L os Alisos Canyon, L achusa Canyon, Unnamed str eam
0.47 km south of L achusa Canyon, Encinal Canyon, Steep Hill Canyon, Unnamed stream 0.77
km south of Steep Hill Canyon, Tr ancas Canyon, Unnamed str eam 1.25 km south of Tr ancas
Canyon, Zuma Canyon, Ramir ez Canyon, Escondido Canyon, L atigo Canyon, Solstice
Canyon, Unnamed str eam 1 km south of Solstice Canyon, Puer co Canyon, M ar ie Canyon,
Winter Canyon, M alibu Cr eek, Unnamed str eam 0.92 km south of M alibu Cr eek, Unnamed
str eam 2.27 km south of M alibu Cr eek, Car bon Canyon, L as Flores Canyon, Unnamed stream
0.35 km south of L as Flor es Canyon, Piedr a Gor da Canyon, L ena Canyon, Tuna Canyon, and
Topanga Canyon. Fish wer e found only in Ar r oyo Sequit, M alibu, and Topanga cr eeks (see
above). M ost of the other dr ainages wer e dr y.

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Zuma Cr eek was also dr y when sur veyed by K eegan (1990b). L ack of str eam flow was
cited as the pr imar y factor which would limit steelhead r estor ation in this stream. I n contrast,
K eegan (1990b) concluded that Solstice Cr eek had steelhead r estor ation potential because of
its adequate base flow, high inver tebr ate pr oduction, suitable substr ate, and intact r ipar ian
vegetation. I ts potential could be incr eased, however , with pool enhancement and r emoval of
at least two bar r ier falls.
Swift et al. (1993) indicated that steelhead have r un in M ullholland Cr eek in r ecent
year s.

ORANGE COUNTY

San Juan Creek Drainage

Steelhead have histor ically populated San Juan Cr eek. Juvenile steelhead wer e
collected fr om the lower cr eek by the Univer sity of M ichigan in the summer of 1939 (Swift et
al. 1993). Adult steelhead were reported, and resident rainbow trout and/or juvenile steelhead,
wer e seen in a CDFG sur vey of the str eam in 1946. Hubbs (1946) r epor ted an anecdote
r egar ding angler catches of steelhead in the San Juan Cr eek estuary. The lowermost 3.2 km of
the cr eek ar e channelized for flood contr ol, at least one maj or migr ation bar r ier exists in the
lower cr eek (see below), and water is diver ted fr om the str eam. Appar ently, 1969 was the last
year adult steelhead enter ed the cr eek (Woelfel 1991), and the population is cur r ently
consider ed extinct. Rainbow tr out stocking r ecor ds for San Juan Cr eek dated back to 1941.
M or e r ecently, plans for a fish passageway (Hinson 1989), at the downstr eam channel
stabilizer at Calmat L ake in lower San Juan Cr eek, have been appr oved by the CDFG and
implemented (M . Giusti, CDFG, per s. comm. of 13 M ay 1992). I n addition to facilitating fish
passage, the baffled culver t str uctur e is also pr edicted to sustain a base flow in the lower creek
dur ing r unoff per iods, thus enhancing steelhead movements to and fr om the Pacific Ocean.
The CDFG files contained infor mation on r esident r ainbow tr out in the following
tr ibutar ies to San Juan Cr eek, but made no mention of steelhead. Wild r ainbow tr out wer e

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obser ved in Falls Cr eek by CDFG per sonnel. Rainbow tr out wer e pr esent in Hot Spr ings
Canyon Cr eek dur ing a 1946 CDFG sur vey, and r ainbow tr out stocking records dated back to
1943. Wild r ainbow tr out wer e seen in Tr abuco Cr eek in 1946, and r ainbow tr out stocking
r ecor ds dated fr om 1942 to 1975. Holy Jim Cr eek, a tr ibutar y to Tr abuco Cr eek, is managed
as a catchable r ainbow tr out str eam with stocking r ecor ds dating back to 1949.

Santa Ana River Drainage

CDFG fish sampling sur veys in 1951 and 1955 in main stem sections of the Santa Ana
River below Pr ado Dam pr oduced no fish, although war mwater species wer e thought to be
pr esent. I n 1957, the CDFG indicated that steelhead had occur r ed in the Santa Ana River
dr ainage but that they wer e no longer found ther e; however , r esident r ainbow tr out wer e still
found in mountain headwater s (R. R. Bell, CDFG, unpubl. file letter of 16 October 1957; see
also Swift et al. 1993). Flow in the lower Santa Ana is composed pr imar ily of effluent fr om
water tr eatment facilities except dur ing the r ainy season. Because of this, in addition to
r estr icted r eleases fr om Pr ado Dam, fish occur r ence in the lower Santa Ana is limited (C.
M ar shall, CDFG, unpubl. file letter of 30 August 1984). Nehlsen et al. (1991) listed the native
Santa Ana River steelhead stock as extinct.
Among the mountain headwater tr ibutar ies mentioned above, Santiago Cr eek, which
or iginates in the Santa Ana M ountains, is highly managed for a resident rainbow trout fishery.
Rainbow tr out stocking r ecor ds for this str eam dated back to 1943. I n Silver ado Canyon
Cr eek, a tr ibutar y to Santiago Cr eek, no fish life was obser ved dur ing a 1952 CDFG sur vey.
Rainbow tr out wer e obser ved in L add Canyon Cr eek, a tr ibutar y to Silverado Canyon Creek,
when sur veyed in 1948. Note also that other Santa Ana headwater tributaries in Riverside and
San Ber nadino counties also suppor t both cultur ed and wild r esident r ainbow tr out (see e.g.
Deinstadt et al. 1990).

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SAN DIEGO COUNTY and BAJA CALIFORNIA

Otay River Drainage

Behnke (1992) citing Bar nhar t (1986) stated that steelhead occur r ed in the Otay River,
which enter s the Pacific Ocean j ust nor th of the Baj a California border. No other reference to
histor ical steelhead use of this r iver was discover ed. The dam at L ower Otay Reser voir
cur r ently blocks steelhead access to the upper dr ainage wher e spawning and r ear ing ar eas
pr esumably would have occur r ed. I f a steelhead population did indeed occur her e, it is now
extinct. Resident r ainbow tr out may still per sist in per ennial headwater s, such as Pine Valley
Cr eek (see Swift et al. 1993), for mer ly a tr ibutar y to the Tij uana River via Cottonwood Creek.

San Diego River Drainage

No for mal r ecor ds of steelhead use wer e discover ed for the San Diego River , although
steelhead wer e r epor tedly caught ther e by angler s (Hubbs 1946). The lower r iver is now
channelized for flood contr ol, and steelhead access to histor ical spawning and r ear ing ar eas
far ther upstr eam is blocked by the dam that for ms El Capitan Reser voir. Nehlsen et al. (1991)
listed the native San Diego River steelhead stock as extinct.
Resident r ainbow tr out may still per sist in per ennial headwater tr ibutar ies to the San
Diego River above El Capitan Reser voir , such as Boulder Cr eek (see Swift et al. 1993). Cedar
and K ing cr eeks have r eceived CDFG plants of hatcher y r ainbow tr out.

San Dieguito River Drainge

Hubbs (1946) mentioned the r epor t of a potential steelhead catch by an angler in the
estuar y of the San Dieguito River . No other r efer ence to histor ical steelhead use of this r iver
was discover ed. Dams at San Dieguito Reser voir and L ake Hodges cur r ently block steelhead
access to the upper dr ainage. I f a steelhead population did indeed occur here, it is now extinct.
The San Dieguito River below L ake Hodges has r eceived CDFG plants of hatcher y
r ainbow tr out, as has Black Canyon Cr eek, a tr ibutar y to Santa Ysabel Cr eek (thence San

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Dieguito River ).

San Luis Rey River Drainage

No for mal r ecor ds of steelhead use wer e discover ed for the San L uis Rey River ,
although steelhead wer e r epor tedly caught ther e by angler s (Hubbs 1946). The dam that
for ms L ake Henshaw r educes the downstr eam r iver flow, and blocks steelhead access to the
upper most por tion of the dr ainage. The native San L uis Rey steelhead stock is extinct
(Nehlsen et al. 1991), although r esident r ainbow tr out per sist in headwater tr ibutar ies such as
Pala and Pauma cr eeks (Behnke 1992; Swift et al. 1993).
The main stem San L uis Rey has r eceived hatcher y r ainbow tr out, as have tr ibutar ies
such as Pauma Cr eek (CDFG, unpubl. file r ecor ds; see also Behnke 1992).

San Mateo Creek Drainage

San M ateo Cr eek was at one time an impor tant steelhead-pr oducing str eam in San
Diego County to the extent that it suppor ted significant local spor t fisher ies of both j uveniles
and adults (e.g. Hubbs 1946). The steelhead-pr oducing capacity of the str eam, and thus the
population, ar e now gr eatly r educed as a r esult of habitat degr adation. The following account
on the histor y of the dr ainage and its steelhead/r ainbow tr out fisher ies is based on Higgins
(1991) and Woelfel (1991), except as other wise noted.
Accor ding to local newspaper ar ticles fr om M ar ch and M ay of 1916, the
steelhead/r ainbow tr out population in San Mateo Creek was larger and consisted of larger fish
than in neighbor ing Or ange County str eams. Fishing success was appar ently high. Woelfel
(1991) assumed that these descriptions included catches of both adult and juvenile steelhead, as
well as r esident r ainbow tr out. I n M ay 1939, the Univer isty of M ichigan took a sample of
j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out fr om the San Mateo Creek lagoon and about 13 km upstream
for its zoological museum collection (see also Swift et al. 1993). The local CDFG war den
r epor ted to Hubbs (1946) that steelhead r an consistently in San M ateo Cr eek, and that he had
per sonally obser ved the r uns for 20 year s. Appar ently, adults wer e as lar ge as 9 kg. The

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steelhead r un was under annual obser vation by the CDFG at that time, and j uvenile steelhead
r escues wer e made. For example, on 7 August 1939, the CDFG r escued about 9,800 steelhead
fr om isolated str eam sections and planted them in the San M ateo Cr eek lagoon. The CDFG
also obser ved mar ines r escue j uvenile steelhead fr om desiccating pools in the Camp Pendelton
section of the cr eek in M ay 1946. About 3,100 hatcher y r ainbow tr out wer e planted in the
cr eek by the CDFG dur ing 194546.
Woelfel (1991) also inter viewed local r esidents and r etir ed CDFG per sonnel who
pr ovided a var iety of anecdotes based on their per sonal obser vations made between 1900 and
1950. Descr iptions of adult steelhead included visually estimated lengths up to 76 cm and
weights up to 7 kg, although most r ecollections wer e of fish <50 cm in length. These anecdotes
also gave an impr ession of the var iability of str eam flow in the cr eek system, and how j uvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out sur vived summer dr ought conditions in isolated pools; fish losses
occur r ed in some cases when water temper atur e and dissolved oxygen became too high and
low, r espectively. Steelhead/r ainbow tr out, including adult steelhead, wer e also obser ved in
the San M ateo Cr eek tr ibutar y, Devil Canyon Cr eek.
The headwater s, fr om 1.6 km above the Devil Canyon Cr eek confluence to just below a
water fall in the upper dr ainage, was sur veyed by the CDFG in October 1950. Appar ently,
ther e was no continuous flow in the cr eek fr om the mouth to the headwater s. Bedr ock pools
and basins pr ovided habitat in which j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out could sur vive until
winter r ains cr eated continuous flow conditions again. Natur al r epr oduction had been
successful that year based on the obser vation of young-of-the-year tr out.
Ther e wer e fewer obser vations of j uvenile steelhead/rainbow trout in San Mateo Creek
after 1950. Tr out wer e found fr om the lagoon to the headwater s at L os Alamos Canyon
dur ing a CDFG sur vey on 1 September 1979. Woelfel (1991) r epor ted anecdotes of j uvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out pr esence in pools in the upper dr ainage dur ing the ear ly 1980 s, and
of a few steelhead adults ar ound 50 cm long being captur ed by a local r esident in the lower
cr eek in 1986. However , no j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e found in San M ateo Cr eek

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by Woelfel dur ing sur veys in 1987 and 1988.

The San M ateo Cr eek steelhead population was pr obably r educed per iodically by
natur al episodes of sediment input fr om within the water shed. However , incr eased
gr oundwater extr action in the lower cr eek ar ea since the mid-1940's is r esponsible, both
dir ectly and indir ectly, for the inability of steelhead to use the system as they have histor ically
(L ang et al. 1998). Ripar ian vegetation has been lost, str eam channel width has increased, and
sur ficial flow has been eliminated dur ing most of the year . Thus, the migr ation cor r idor for
immigr ating adult steelhead and emigr ating smolts has become ver y unr eliable. Recent
human-caused fir es far ther upstr eam r esulted in lar ge sediment inputs which filled in pools
and the lagoon, both of which ar e impor tant r ear ing habitats for j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow
tr out. Fish faunal sur veys in San M ateo Cr eek in 1995, 1996, and 1997 failed to detect the
pr esence of steelhead/r ainbow tr out (L ang et al. 1998).
Nehlsen et al. (1991) classified the San M ateo Cr eek steelhead population as extinct.
While we agr ee that conditions in the lower cr eek system, as descr ibed above, have made the
cr eek less conducive to anadr omy than it was pr ior to extensive gr oundwater pumping and
development, the CDFG r ecognizes the upstream spawning and rearing areas as functional for
steelhead pr oduction, and that they ar e still used when sufficient flow allows passage of
immigr ating adults (CDFG 2000).

San Onofre Creek Drainage

San Onofr e Cr eek is contained within the boundar ies of Camp Pendelton. A local
CDFG war den r epor ted to Hubbs (1946) that steelhead r an consistently in San Onofre Creek,
and that he had per sonally obser ved the r uns for 20 year s. The adult steelhead in San Onofr e
Cr eek wer e appar ently smaller on aver age than those obser ved in near by San M ateo Cr eek,
the latter of which is a lar ger str eam (Woelfel 1991). I n CDFG field notes fr om 1950, Fletcher
Cr eek, a tr ibutar y to the nor th for k of San Onofre Creek, was described as a steelhead nursery
str eam. Rainbow tr out and/or j uvenile steelhead wer e pr esent in San Onofr e Cr eek dur ing a

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CDFG sur vey on 1 September 1979. Gr oundwater extr action and associated effects have
pr obably led to the extinction of the San Onofr e Cr eek steelhead population, as at San M ateo
Cr eek (see above).

Santa Margarita River Drainage

Higgins (1991) pr esented a descr iption of the Santa M ar gar ita River as part of a report
on a steelhead r ecover y assessment. The lower most por tion of Santa M ar gar ita River is
contained within the boundar ies of Camp Pendelton wher e much of the r iver flow is diver ted
into O Neill L ake, the water supply for the camp. I mpoundment and diver sion of r iver flow
begins in the headwater s, however , at Skinner Reser voir and Vail L ake. With gr oundwater
pumping also occur r ing, ther e is no sur ficial flow in the lower r iver dur ing much of the year .
These conditions wer e exacer bated dur ing the 198792 dr ought.
Few details wer e discover ed r egar ding the histor y of the steelhead in the Santa
M ar gar ita River . I n M ay 1939, the Univer isty of M ichigan took a sample of j uvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out fr om the lower r iver for its zoological museum collection (Swift et al.
1993). Adult steelhead may have ascended the Santa M ar gar ita River into the 1970 s (Swift
1975 as cited in Higgins 1991). I n 1980, Camp Pendelton incr eased the height of the diver sion
at O Neill L ake, which pr obably cr eated a complete barrier to immigrating adult steelhead. I n
addition, water quality in the r iver decr eased dur ing 197080 because of pollution inputs from
sever al sour ces. Er osion has appar ently incr eased in the water shed; as of 1990, much of the
r iver bottom was silted, and the depth and ar ea of the lagoon wer e r educed. No steelhead
spawning habitat exists below the diver sion dam at O Neill L ake, so several successive years of
unsuccessful r epr oduction has appar ently led to the extinction of the population (Nehlsen et al.
1991). The CDFG planted hatcher y r ainbow tr out in the Santa M ar gar ita as r ecently as 1984,
but Higgins (1991) saw no evidence of a naturalized population resulting from these plants. De
L uz Cr eek, a tr ibutar y to the Santa M ar gar ita, has also r eceived CDFG plants of hatcher y
r ainbow tr out.

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Santo Domingo River Drainage

The souther nmost extension of the histor ical steelhead r ange in fr esh water is most
often given as the Rio Santo Domingo in nor ther n Baj a Califor nia, M exico (M oyle 1976;
Bar nhar t 1986; but see Behnke 1992), based on the wor k of Needham and Gar d (1959).
Collecting expeditions to the Rio Santo Domingo took place dur ing 193638, and as of that
time, steelhead still r epor tedly enter ed the r iver fr om the ocean dur ing per iods of high r unoff
in winter . A mor e r ecent publication about the status of, or conditions for, steelhead in the Rio
Santo Domingo was not discover ed, although r esident r ainbow tr out ar e still known to be
pr esent in the dr ainage (Behnke 1992).

Sweetwater River Drainage

Nehlsen et al. (1991) listed the native Sweetwater River steelhead stock as extinct. No
other r efer ence to histor ical steelhead use of this r iver was discover ed. The dam for ming
Sweetwater Reser voir in the lower r iver cur r ently blocks steelhead access to the upper
dr ainage wher e spawning and r ear ing ar eas pr esumably occur r ed. Str eam flow is also
impair ed far ther upstr eam wher e Sweetwater Falls Dam cr eates L oveland Reser voir . A
steelhead population would indeed have difficulty per sisting in the Sweetwater River under
cur r ent conditions.
Resident r ainbow tr out may still per sist in per ennial headwater s such as Cold Cr eek
(see Swift et al. 1993), a tr ibutar y to Gr een Valley Cr eek (thence Sweetwater River ). Gr een
Valley Cr eek has r eceived CDFG plants of hatcher y r ainbow tr out. Small j uvenile
steelhead/r ainbow tr out wer e seen in the Sweetwater tr ibutar y, Noble Cr eek, by the CDFG in
1946.

Tijuana River Drainage

A CDFG war den in San Diego County r epor ted to Hubbs (1946) that, in about 1927, he
had seen two adult steelhead that wer e taken by angler s in the lower flowing por tion of the
Tij uana River . No other r efer ence to the histor ical pr esence of steelhead in the main stem

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Tij uana River was discover ed.

However , ther e was mention of steelhead in the r epor t of a mid-1930s CDFG survey of
Cottonwood Cr eek, a maj or Tij uana River tr ibutar y in San Diego County. Appar ently, the
native j uvenile steelhead/r ainbow tr out population had been successfully supplemented with
CDFG plants of both r esident r ainbow tr out and j uvenile steelhead. Steelhead access to most
of the Cottonwood Cr eek dr ainage was blocked by the dams for ming Bar r ett L ake and
M or ena Reser voir . The Cottonwood Cr eek tr ibutary, Kitchen Creek, has also received CDFG
plants of hatcher y r ainbow tr out.
I t is assumed that the Tij uana River in M exico has been developed for water r esour ces
and other wise degr aded, as seen in San Diego County steelhead str eams, thus blocking
steelhead access to upstr eam spawning and r ear ing ar eas. Because no r epor ts suggest
other wise, the native steelhead population in the Tij uana River dr ainage, including
Cottonwood Cr eek and its tr ibutar ies, is consider ed extinct.

OVERALL TRENDS FROM DRAINAGE-BY-DRAINAGE

ACCOUNTS
The histor y and cur r ent status of steelhead were reviewed for 91 coastal drainages, comprising
276 str eams. The infor mation for 177 main stem str eams and pr imar y tr ibutar ies was used as
a subsample for fur ther analysis (Table 4). The steelhead stock in each str eam was
conser vatively assigned one of four status r atings, based on pr ofessional j udgement of
available infor mation (see footnote 2 in Table 4 for an explanation of each status r ating). The
availability of r eliable data on j uvenile sizes, densities, and adult sizes; the known pr esence of
wild r esident r ainbow tr out; and the stocking histor y of j uvenile steelhead and r ainbow trout,
wer e deter mined on a dr ainage-by-dr ainage basis. I n addition, a combination of documented
evidence and pr ofessional j udgement was conser vatively applied to identify each of nine man-
r elated factor s that has negatively impacted the steelhead population size and per sistence in
each str eam.
Overall, steelhead are present, without any discernible, significant change in production

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fr om histor ical levels, in 14% of 168 str eams for which a status rating could be assigned (Table
5). Assignment of this r ating to a population was usually based on the per sistence of habitat
quality thr ough time. I n another 31% of these streams, steelhead are present but production is
clear ly r educed fr om histor ical levels, or likely so, based on the natur e of the impacts on the
pr oduction ar ea. I n many cases, these r eductions ar e extr eme and include populations which
ar e often r efer r ed to as r emnants of histor ical r uns, and ar e near extinction (e.g. Salinas,
Car mel, Santa Ynez, Ventur a, and Santa Clar a r iver s and tr ibutar ies, and M alibu Cr eek).
Steelhead ar e extinct in about 24% of the 168 str eams wher e they occur r ed histor ically, and
the cur r ent pr esence or absence of steelhead is not known in the r emaining 32% . The latter
categor y may well include sever al extinct populations in degraded streams where surveys have
not been conducted for many year s. Reliable estimates ar e lacking with which to descr ibe
steelhead population declines in actual number s. However , estimates of histor ical aver age
annual r uns wer e 20,000 adults for the Santa Ynez River , 4,0005,000 in the Ventur a River ,
and 9,000 in the Santa Clar a River . The cur r ent aver age annual r un in these r iver s is
pr obably <100 adults each, which indicates that populations in the highly impacted souther n
counties have declined by at least two or der s of magnitude.
Var ious tr ends wer e r evealed when the status data wer e consider ed on a latitudinal
continuum, with counties or county gr oups ser ving as data blocks (Table 5). For example, the
pr opor tion of str eams in each county with steelhead pr esent at or near histor ical levels var ied
significantly, and gener ally decr eased fr om nor th to south, while the pr opor tion of extinct
populations incr eased over the same gr adient (Fig. 17a; Table 5 for X2 statistics for among-
county differ ences). The pr opor tion of extinct populations r anged fr om 0 in San M ateo and
Santa Cr uz counties in the nor th, to 0.92 in the Or ange/San Diego county block in the south.
Within the latter block, the Tij uana River steelhead stock was included as extinct, while that in
the Santo Domingo River was classified as unknown, due to a lack of infor mation r egar ding
contempor ar y steelhead use of the str eam.
The pr opor tion of r educed populations also var ied significantly among counties, and

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gener ally decr eased fr om nor th to south (Fig. 17b). The aver age ( SD) pr opor tion of
r emaining but r educed populations was gr eater in the four nor ther n counties (0.38 0.12)
than in the blocks r epr esenting the five southern counties and northern Baja California (0.13
0.12). This patter n r eflects the fact that, on aver age, a gr eater pr opor tion of str eams in the
souther n blocks was alr eady r educed to extinction. The proportion of streams for which status
was not known did not var y significantly among county blocks (p>0.05; Table 5).
The pr opor tion of str eams in each county block planted with exotic strains of hatchery-
r ear ed steelhead var ied significantly (Table 5), and while ther e was no clear latitudinal tr end
(Fig. 17c), the pr opor tion r anged fr om 0.52 in San M ateo County in the nor th to <0.10 in the
Or ange/San Diego county block in the south. Over all, 25% of the 177 str eams analyzed
r eceived plants of hatcher y steelhead. The pr opor tion of streams in each county block planted
with hatcher y r ainbow tr out also var ied significantly (Table 5), and gener ally incr eased fr om
nor th to south (Fig. 17c). About 35% of streams reviewed were stocked with hatchery rainbow
tr out, and the fr equency r eached 80% in the Ventur a/L os Angeles county block.
About 35% of 165 steelhead populations r eviewed wer e negatively impacted by water
diver sions. Fr equencies var ied significantly among counties, although ther e was no clear
latitudinal tr end (Table 5). The pr opor tion of steelhead populations affected by water
diver sions in San M ateo County (0.37) appr oached that of some of the souther n county blocks
(Table 5), because of both domestic and agr icultur al water demands. The pr opor tion of
str eams in each county block containing dams that lack functional fishways also var ied
significantly (Table 5), and gener ally incr eased fr om nor th to south (Fig. 17d). Over all, 24%
of the 165 populations r eviewed wer e negatively impacted by the pr esence of dams in the
dr ainage. The pr opor tion of str eams in each county block, wher e the quantity and quality of
spawning and r ear ing habitats for steelhead wer e r educed by siltation, var ied significantly
(Table 5), and gener ally decr eased fr om nor th to south (Fig. 17d). Near ly half the steelhead
str eams r eviewed in each of San M ateo and Santa Cr uz counties wer e affected by silt inputs.
Siltation of str eams in San M ateo, Santa Cr uz, and M onter ey counties was most often

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associated with logging oper ations, wher e steelhead pr oduction was also negatively impacted
by the effects of logj ams and slash in the str eam channels (Table 5).
The pr opor tion of str eams wher e channelization eliminated steelhead habitat var ied
significantly among county blocks (Table 5). Even though ther e was no clear latitudinal
patter n, the pr opor tion of channelized str eams in the Or ange/San Diego county block (0.27)
was higher than in all county blocks to the nor th ( 0.08).
The pr opor tion of str eams wher e steelhead populations have been negatively impacted
by bar r ier s and pollution did not var y significantly among county blocks, and no latitudinal
tr ends wer e appar ent (Table 5). Over all, 18% of 165 str eams reviewed had barriers, and 10%
wer e affected by pollution. Bar r ier s included impassable culver ts and br idge suppor t
str uctur es, for example, but not logj ams and dams, the fr equencies of which wer e analyzed
separ ately. Natur al bar r ier s, such as bedr ock falls, wer e also not included because they ar e
natur al components of a r iver system that influence the distr ibution and abundance of
steelhead and r esident r ainbow tr out.
Finally, the pr opor tion of spawning and r ear ing tr ibutar ies to which steelhead access
has been blocked by main stem impediments (e.g. dams, maj or diver sions) varied significantly
among county blocks (Table 5). The over all pr oportion among 165 streams reviewed was 0.21.
No latitudinal patter n was evident; instead, the r esults r eflect the fact that steelhead ar e no
longer able to r each impor tant upstr eam r epr oduction and nur ser y ar eas in most of the major
coastal r iver dr ainages south of San Fr ancisco Bay (e.g. the Salinas, Car mel, Santa M ar ia,
Santa Ynez, Ventur a, Santa Clar a, L os Angeles, San Gabr iel, Santa Ana, San Diego, and
Tij uana r iver dr ainages, among other s).

DISCUSSION
This r eview has clear ly demonstr ated the pr ecipitous decline of California steelhead in coastal
dr ainages south of San Fr ancisco Bay. Assuming the 168 main stem str eams and pr imar y
tr ibutar ies used in the status analysis wer e a r epr esentative subsample, steelhead populations
ar e either extinct or r educed in size fr om histor ical levels in at least half the steelhead str eams

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in the study ar ea. The status of near ly another thir d of the populations r eviewed could not be
deter mined based on available infor mation; some of these populations ar e also pr obably
r educed or extinct. Only 14% of the str eams r eviewed still had steelhead pr esent wher e ther e
was no discer nible, significant change fr om histor ical pr oduction levels.
All histor ical steelhead populations ar e extinct in Or ange and San Diego counties. The
effect of these extinctions is that within a few decades, the known southern limit of steelhead in
Nor th Amer ican fr esh water s has shifted nor thwar d fr om the Santo Domingo River in
nor ther n Baj a Califor nia (Needham and Gar d 1959), to M alibu Cr eek in L os Angeles County.
L ocal extinctions continue to cr eep nor thwar d (Fig. 17a) and ar e concomitant with ur ban
expansion and an incr easing human demand on fr eshwater r esour ces. I ndeed, among the
developmental activities negatively affecting steelhead populations, water diver sions wer e
pr opor tionately most common over all (0.35), and especially common in the San L uis Obispo
(0.44), Ventur a/L os Angeles (0.40), and Or ange/San Diego (1.00) county blocks (Table 5).
Dams wer e often pr esent in conj unction with water diver sion, especially in lar ger dr ainages,
and wer e third most common proportionately among the factors affecting steelhead abundance
and per sistence (Table 5).
The 197677 and 198792 dr oughts cer tainly exacer bated unfavor able conditions for
steelhead in str eams where water resource development had already impacted the populations.
Steelhead in the study ar ea, though, have evolved with periodic drought cycles as part of long-
ter m climatological conditions. However , the r elatively r ecent and dr astic incr ease in human
use of water is r ender ing an incr easing pr opor tion of these steelhead pr oduction systems
dysfunctional, or near ly so, and populations ar e disappear ing.
As documented in the dr ainage-by-dr ainage status accounts, the Santa Ynez River
dr ainage is among these dysfunctional systems. Santa Ynez steelhead r uns wer e on the or der
of 13,00025,000 adults pr ior to the constr uction of Br adbur y Dam in 1953, and the beginning
of an intensive water management pr ogr am in the lower r iver ar ea. The steelhead population
declined to a r emnant by the late 1980 s, which pr ompted the Califor nia Spor tfishing

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Pr otection Alliance (CSPA) to petition the Califor nia Fish and Game Commission to list the
Santa Ynez River steelhead as an endangered species under the California Endangered Species
Act (R. J. Baiocchi, CSPA, petition of 25 August 1989). The basic tenet of the petition was that
the Santa Ynez steelhead was an unique subspecies or str ain of migr ator y r ainbow tr out
because of the maximum size of 9 kg attained by adults caught in the past, and because of the
estimated magnitude of the histor ical r uns.
Following the r ecommendation of its staff (E. Ger stung, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 22
November 1989), the CDFG in its official r esponse to the CSPA (P. Bontadelli, CDFG, unpubl.
memo. of 7 December 1989) r ej ected the petition based on the conclusion that these
char acter istics wer e not uncommon in Califor nia winter steelhead populations. The CDFG
r ecommended instead that it would be mor e appr opr iate to r efor mulate the petition to
encompass all souther n Califor nia steelhead populations because of similar life histor ies
(pr esumed shor t fr eshwater r esidence as j uveniles, pr otr acted ocean r esidence dur ing
dr oughts), and similar pr oblems with r egar d to availability and quality of fr eshwater habitat.
This appr oach was pur sued by M oyle and Yoshiyama (1992) in their synopsis of
suppor ting infor mation for listing of souther n steelhead as endanger ed or thr eatened.
Souther n steelhead wer e r oughly defined as being ecologically and physiologically adapted to
the seasonally war m and inter mittent coastal str eams fr om San L uis Obispo County and
southwar d. The author s indicated that the line of demar cation was vague, due to a lack of
detailed knowledge r egar ding souther n steelhead life histor y, physiology, and genetics, and
that the distr ibution of souther n steelhead could r each as far nor th to include M onter ey
County steelhead as well.
L et us now take an even br oader spatial scale and consider the potential uniqueness of
steelhead for the entir e coastal r egion south of San Fr ancisco Bay. These populations ar e
unique fr om a zoogeogr aphic standpoint simply by vir tue of the fact that they r epr esent the
souther nmost por tion of the native steelhead r ange in Nor th Amer ica, which extends as far
nor th as the nor th side of the Alaska Peninsula (Bur gner et al. 1992). Coincident with this

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aspect is that these populations inhabit a unique continuum of str eam envir onments, one
completely differ ent fr om any found nor th of San Fr ancisco Bay. This continuum consists of a
gr adation of str eams or iginating in the r elatively moist and cool conifer ous for est-dominated
dr ainages in San M ateo and Santa Cr uz counties, to streams southward that are dominated by
ar id chapar r al and gr assland landscapes not usually associated with steelhead.
This collection of populations is also unique fr om at least one key life histor y aspect in
that smolting and emigr ation to the ocean at age 1 becomes the nor m, at least in main stem
population segments (c.f. L ife Histor y Analysis). Smolting at this r elatively ear ly age for
steelhead is most likely a consequence of one or both of the following. Fir st, because smolting
is a function of an individual salmonid s physiological per for mance (Thor pe 1986), which we
measur e as gr owth and express as size/age, steelhead in central and southern California coastal
dr ainages ar e able to develop as smolts by the end of their fir st year because of over all higher
aver age annual water temper atur e and a longer gr owing season with r egar d to photoper iod.
Both temper atur e and photoper iod ar e basic deter minants of gr owth r ates in fishes.
Second, smolting at age 1 may have also been selected for as an advantageous life
histor y char acter istic, especially in smaller str eams with unr eliable str eam flow dur ing late
summer and fall; with emigr ation to the ocean, the instr eam mor tality r isk due to str eam
desiccation is eliminated (Bor gstr m and Heggenes 1988; Titus and M osegaar d 1989, 1992).
The tr ade-off is, of cour se, that ocean sur vival of age 1 smolts may be lower than that of the
lar ger age 2 smolts, pr esumably because of the gr eater pr edation r isk exper ienced by smaller
individuals. When pr esent, some fish also spend their second year in the lagoon or estuary of a
str eam system befor e smolting and emigr ating to the ocean (e.g. Jones & Stokes Associates
1986; Smith 1990).
The significance of small, inter mittent tributaries as steelhead production areas has not
always been appr eciated. The CDFG conducted str eam sur veys to locate planting sites during
the expansion of their catchable tr out management pr ogr am, beginning in the 1930 s but
especially after Wor ld War I I . I n the str eam sur vey files for Santa Bar bar a County and

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southwar d, it was often noted that small headwater str eams lacking per ennial flow wer e
unsuitable habitat for catchable tr out. Because these small str eams had no appar ent fisher y
value, applications to develop their water r esour ces wer e seldom pr otested. When dams wer e
pr oposed, the loss of wild r esident r ainbow tr out and steelhead was mitigated by the
oppor tunity to develop war mwater r eser voir fisher ies, which was in a maj or exper imental
phase dur ing the post-war per iod (Jenkins 1970). The use and impor tance of seasonally
inter mittent str eams for spawning of both steelhead (Everest 1973) and resident rainbow trout
(Er man and Hawthor ne 1976) wer e not documented until much later. I t is known now that, in
dr y year s, newly-emer ged fr y escape mor tality by moving downstr eam to per manent water in
the main stem, but r emain in the tr ibutar y in wet year s when str eam flow per sists (Ever est
1971; Er man and L eidy 1975).
Consider ing the instability of steelhead str eams south of San Fr ancisco Bay, some
populations pr obably exper ience maj or r eductions appr oaching extinction dur ing dr ought
cycles, and then r ebuild again by an influx of founder individuals fr om other populations
dur ing nor mal and wet year s. For example, only 14 adult steelhead r etur ned to the Car mel
River fish ladder dur ing the 1991-92 season following 6 successive year s of extr eme dr ought.
But hundr eds of adults r etur ned dur ing the ver y wet 1992-93 season. I t is likely that this r un
included individuals spawned in other dr ainages, as an abundance of adult spawner s would
not be expected after sever al year s of poor r ecr uitment.
The per vasive view on the spawning migr ations of anadromous salmonids is that a very
high pr opor tion of adults home str ictly to their natal str eam to spawn (e.g. Taft and
Shapovalov 1938). Although this str ategy may wor k well in r egions wher e str eams ar e
typically stable, it may not be selectively advantageous wher e access to the natal spawning and
r ear ing ar ea may be highly unpr edictable because of stochastic meter ological conditions. The
degr ee of homing in steelhead south of Santa Cr uz County has not been explicitly studied.
However , it has been suggested, for example, that adult steelhead in souther n Califor nia may
tend to be lar ger and older on aver age than elsewher e in California because frequent droughts

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may pr event them fr om enter ing their natal str eam dur ing their fir st year (s) of matur ity (E.
Ger stung, CDFG, unpubl. memo. of 22 November 1989). Basic r esear ch questions on this
pr oblem should ask whether it is mor e advantageous under such conditions to simply delay
spawning and r esor b the gonads if unable to enter the natal str eam (winter steelhead ar e r ipe
upon entr y to fr esh water ), or to simply enter any accessible str eam in the r egion and pr oceed
with spawning. I t can be ar gued that the r isk of mor tality and not passing on one s genes is
gr eater if the ener getic investment in gonad production is made in one or more successive years
but spawning is not completed, than if entry is made into an, albeit, unfamiliar and therefore
r iskier r epr oduction area, but spawning is completed and progeny may be produced which can
car r y one s genes to the next gener ation.
A body of concepts and models has been consolidated r ecently under the r ubr ic of
metapopulation dynamics (Gilpin and Hanski 1991) that pr ovides a fr amewor k within which
this gener al pr oblem may be appr oached. Br oadly put, a metapopulation is a set of local
populations that inter act via individuals moving among populations (Hanski and Gilpin 1991).
The metapopulation concept is r elated to M acAr thur and Wilson s (1967) theor y of island
biogeogr aphy in that ther e ar e two essential elements in common: extinction and (r e-
)colonization. I sland biogeogr aphy r epr esents one extr eme on a continuum wher e the
mainland population (the sour ce of colonists) is immune to extinction while the sur r ounding
island populations ar e not. Theor etically, all populations in the set compr ising the
metapopulation have a r isk of extinction which is dependent on the size of the habitat patch
and thus the population. M ost r eal wor ld metapopulations appear to fall between these
opposite ends of the continuum as based on empir ical evidence (Har r ison 1991).
Under natur al conditions, wher e the effect of per iodic dr ought on population
per sistence is not exacer bated by human extr action of water , steelhead/r ainbow tr out
populations pr obably seldom go completely extinct, even in souther n Califor nia. Except in
some ver y small fir st-or der coastal str eams lacking per ennial r efugia, at least a fr action of the
r esident component of the population, as well as j uvenile steelhead which fail to escape to the

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ocean, pr obably per sist thr ough dr ought cycles, as evidenced in the dr ainage-by-dr ainage
mater ial r eviewed her ein. What leads obser ver s to the conclusion that a population is tr uly
extinct is the absence of adult steelhead spawner s in the str eam because of blocked entr y. The
pr esence of r esident r ainbow tr out had been identified in about 36% of the populations listed
in Table 4; their actual fr equncy is pr obably much higher but simply not explor ed and
documented.
A r elated aspect with r egar d to per sistence, especially in small str eams with small
populations, is the significance of life histor y var iation (see L ife Histor y Analysis). This
char acter istic has pr obably been the saving gr ace for steelhead, consider ing the highly
unpr edictable conditions under which they exist thr oughout much of the study ar ea.
Repr esentatives of each gener ation may potentially be pr esent in both fr esh water and the
ocean, which r educes the r isk of extinction fr om dir ect mor tality. Resistance to extinction
fr om r educed heter ozygosity and associated effects of inbr eeding in small populations is
enhanced by the pr esence of over lapping gener ations in the spawning population (Saunder s
and Schom 1985). This is facilitated by (i) the pr esence of matur e male par r or a full r esident-
population component in fr esh water ; (ii) var iation in steelhead age at emigr ation; (iii)
var iation in steelhead age at matur ity; and (iv) r epeat spawning among steelhead (see Titus
and M osegaar d 1992 for a r elated example). The inter change of individuals among
populations in a metapopulation would also help maintain genetic diver sity.

RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

I n conclusion, the following r ecommendations ar e made to assist in the development of
futur e r esear ch and management pr ogr ams.
Relative to sever al other salmonid species, little is documented about steelhead mating
systems. The composition of spawning aggr egations should be studied in the field, and the
pr opor tionate gametic contr ibutions of all male for ms, including matur e male parr, should be
deter mined. The fr equencies of matur e female par r should also be investigated, and the
r elationship of these individuals to the migr ator y component of the population deter mined.

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The genetic and/or envir onmental deter minants of individual life histor ies should be
explor ed by following individually mar ked fish thr ough time and space. One specific research
question is whether matur e par r r emain in fr esh water after spawning and functionally
assume a r esident life-style, or if they eventually smolt and leave the stream to continue growth
in the ocean, and r etur n to spawn again as lar ge migr ant spawner s. L ife histor y infor mation
at the population level is also lacking over much of the study ar ea; for example, mean smolt
and sea ages, and the r elative sur vival r ates of differ ent smolt-age gr oups to fir st spawning.
M anagement activities should be dir ected towar d the conser vation of both the resident
and migr ator y for ms of the species within a str eam or dr ainage. For example, minimum
str eam flows should maintain gr owth conditions that allow for the development of the average
natur al fr equencies of all physiologically-based life histor y char acter istics, such as smolting
and par r matur ation. As discussed ear lier , life histor y var iation appear s to be impor tant for
steelhead per sistence in a number of ways.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Pr epar ation of this paper was suppor ted by funds fr om the Agr icultur al Exper iment Station,
Depar tment of Forestry and Resource Management, University of California, Berkeley; and by
I nter agency Agr eement No. FG1384 with the Str eam Evaluation Pr ogr am, Envir onmental
Ser vices Division, Califor nia Depar tment of Fish and Game. We would like to thank M r .
Dennis M cEwan, M r . Steve Par menter , and especially M s. Jennifer Nelson, all of the CDFG,
for their assistance in infor mation gather ing, par ticular ly in CDFG r egional str eam sur vey
files. We would also like to thank Dr . Jer r y J. Smith, San Jose State Univer sity, M r . M ar k
Capelli, Fr iends of the Ventur a River , M r . Allen Gr eenwood, San Diego Tr out, and many
other s (list under construction) for their inputs of data, reports, observations, and commentary
on var ious dr afts of the manuscr ipt.

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291
 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

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292
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294
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U.S. Bur . Fish. 32:4972.

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92:101167.
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Tippets, W. E. 1979. Evidence of successful r epr oduction of steelhead r ainbow tr out, Salmo
gairdneri gairdneri , in the Ventur a River , Califor nia. Calif. Fish Game 65:177179.
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migr ator y tr out, Salmo trutta L ., in a small Baltic-coast str eam. J. Fish Biol.35(Suppl.
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295
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r esear ch and extension pr ogr am. Univer sity of Califor nia. Wildland Resour ces
Center , Repor t No. 13. 33 pp.
Wales, J. H. 1941. Development of steelhead tr out eggs. Calif. Fish Game 27:250260.
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15:1823.
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ammonia toxicity - San L uis Obispo Cr eek. WESCO. Pr epar ed for Br own and
Caldwell, Walnut Cr eek, CA. pp. 1825.
Withler , I . L . 1966. Var iability in life histor y char acter istics of steelhead tr out (Salmo
gairdneri ) along the Pacific coast of Nor th Amer ica. J. Fish. Res. Bd. Canada 23:365
393.
Woelfel, D. 1991. The r estor ation of San M ateo Cr eek; a feasibility study for a souther n
Califor nia steelhead fisher y. Unpubl. M .S. Thesis, Califor nia State Univer sity,
Fuller ton.

296
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Table 1 (in pr ep). Summar y of adult steelhead angler catch statistics fr om ear ly 1970 s cr eel
census on the San L or enzo River , Santa Cr uz County. Sour ce: CDFG data.

297
 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Table 2. Estimates of adult steelhead r un size in Ar r oyo Gr ande Cr eek, San L uis Obispo
County, based on inter views of local landowner s and angler s (fr om R. N. Hinton, CDFG,
unpubl. file r epor t of 1 M ar ch 1961).

Winter season(s) Estimated no. of adult steelhead in spawning r un

1939-40 and ear lier 5005,000 annually
1940-41 3,0005,000
1941-42 thr ough 1948-49 <200 annually
1949-50 200300
1950-51 thr ough 1953-54 <100 annually
1954-55 100200
1955-56 300500
1956-57 <100
1957-58 100300
1958-59 <100
1959-60 <100
1960-3/1/61 0

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 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Table 3. Summar y of steelhead captur ed in lower Santa Clar a River system by Puckett and
Villa (1985).

Captur e date Adult Smolt Captur e method and site

2 Apr il 1983 M ale, 61.5 cm FL , Hook and line in Sespe Cr eek
2.0 kg, age 1/2*
4 Apr il 1983 Potential steelhead Fyke net in Sespe Cr eek
emigr ant, 15 cm FL
26 Apr il 1983 Spent female, 70.4 cm FL , Weir in Sespe Cr eek
2.95 kg, age 1/2
mid-M ar ch 1984 c. 61 cm Hook and line in Sespe Cr eek
17 M ar ch 1984 Dead female, 45.0 cm FL , Weir in Sespe Cr eek
age 2/1
21 M ar ch 1984 15.7 cm FL Fyke net in Sespe Cr eek
23 M ar ch 1984 17.8 cm FL Fyke net in Sespe Cr eek

* Age A/B: A = no. year s in fr eshwater , B = no. year s in ocean.

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 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Fig. 1. The study ar ea, compr ised of coastal Califor nia south of San Fr ancisco Bay, and
nor ther n Baj a Califor nia, M exico.

Fig. 2. Var iation in (a) mean smolt age () and mean sea age at matur ity (_ ), and (b) mean
adult length, as functions of incr easing latitude among steelhead populations fr om centr al
Califor nia (Waddell Cr eek) to souther n Br itish Columbia. Data ar e fr om Withler (1966)
wher e mean ages at smolting and matur ity ar e calculated as in Fahy (1978).

Fig. 3. M ean ( SD) monthly upstr eam (a) and downstr eam (b) migr ation of adult spawner s
at Waddell Cr eek, Santa Cr uz County, 1933-34 thr ough 1941-42. Data ar e fr om Shapovalov
and Taft (1954).

Fig. 4. Total age fr equency distr ibutions of male and female steelhead spawner s at Waddell
Cr eek, Santa Cr uz County. Data ar e fr om Shapovalov and Taft (1954).

Fig. 5. Fr equency distr ibutions of (a) ages of male and female steelhead smolts, and (b) sea
ages of male and female steelhead at fir st spawning, at Waddell Cr eek, Santa Cr uz County.
Data ar e fr om Shapovalov and Taft (1954).

Fig. 6 (in pr ep). M ean ( SD) monthly downstr eam (a) and upstream (b) migration of juvenile
steelhead at Waddell Cr eek, Santa Cr uz County, 1933-34 thr ough 1941-42. Data ar e fr om
Shapovalov and Taft (1954).

Fig. 7. Negative density-dependent r elationship between stock (estimated number of eggs

pr oduced) and r ecr uits (estimated number of fir st-time spawner s) for steelhead at Waddell
Cr eek, Santa Cr uz County. Data ar e fr om Shapovalov and Taft (1954).

Fig. 8. Positive r elationship between the age of steelhead at initial downstr eam migr ation at
 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Waddell Cr eek, Santa Cr uz County, and the pr opor tion in each age-class sur viving to r etur n
fr om the ocean as fir st-time spawner s. Data ar e fr om Shapovalov and Taft (1954).

Fig. 9 (in pr ep). Juvenile steelhead population str uctur e at Gazos Cr eek, San M ateo County.
Sour ce: unpublished CDFG file data.

Fig. 10 (in pr ep). Juvenile steelhead population str uctur e at San Pedr o Cr eek, San M ateo
County, the nor ther nmost steelhead population in the study area. Source: unpublished CDFG
file data.

Fig. 11 (in pr ep). L ength-fr equencies of angler -caught adult steelhead at the San L or enzo
River , Santa Cr uz County. Sour ce: CDFG data.

Fig. 12 (in pr ep). Steelhead spawning r un at Scott Cr eek, Santa Cr uz County, 19081940.
Sour ce: CDFG egg-taking data.

Fig. 13. Total estimated number of adult migr ant spawner s at Waddell Cr eek, Santa Cr uz
County, 1933-34 thr ough 1941-42. Data ar e fr om Table 35 in Shapovalov and Taft (1954).

Fig. 14. Str uctur e of (a) the r esident r ainbow tr out population in the upper por tion of the Big
Sur River tr ibutar y, Juan Higuer a Cr eek; (b) the mixed r esident r ainbow tr out/j uvenile
steelhead population in lower Juan Higuer a Cr eek; (c) the pr edominantly j uvenile steelhead
population in the mainstem Big Sur River , M onter ey County, in November 1992. Data ar e
fr om Titus (unpubl. data).

Fig 15 (in pr ep). L ength-fr equency distr ibution of adult steelhead r etur ning to the Car mel
River , M onter ey County. Sour ce: CDFG data.
 STEEL HEAD I N SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Fig 16. Juvenile steelhead population str uctur e in (a) the per ennial cr eek por tion and (b) the
lagoon of the Ar r oyo de la Cr uz, San L uis Obispo County, dur ing late summer fall 1981.
Based on unpublished CDFG data.

Fig. 17. The pr opor tion of str eams in each county block with (a) steelhead pr esent with no
discer nible change in pr oduction fr om histor ical levels (), and steelhead extinct (_ ); (b)
steelhead pr esent but at r educed levels; (c) hatcher y steelhead planted (), and hatcher y
r ainbow tr out planted (_ ); and (d) dams () and siltation (_ ) affecting steelhead abundance
and distr ibution.