CalTrout News
Conservation Corps of Orange County and CDFW pull a 25-foot seine through the river to remove non-native aquatic species
CalTrout is partnering with Conservation Corps – Orange County and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to remove non-native aquatic species in the Santa Margarita River near San Diego. Non-native species such as bass, sunfish and crayfish compete with native trout that historically populated this river.
This South Coast Steelhead Coalition grant awarded to CalTrout will support habitat improvement for the endangered Southern California steelhead in the upper Santa Margarita River. The river is one of four highest priority steelhead recovery rivers regionally. The goal of this project is to provide suitable spawning and rearing habitat for ocean-going trout over 20 miles inland. This will be accomplished once access is restored by removing two downstream fish passage barriers currently under remediation. Efforts are focused in the headwaters area of the Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve, an exceptional gem of a field station operated by San Diego State University for research, education and wildlife preservation. Funding is gratefully acknowledged from Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project and Earth Island Institute.
Russell Barabe, CDFW Fisheries Biologist, guides the net through a deep pool.
Photos by Sandra Jacobson
5 Comments
This is such a joke. I have lived forty feet from the Santa Margarita for the last 28 years. They went after the bass and other species, now the Blue Herons are gone and I rarely see the osprey, both frequent guests in the past. People trying to fix a problem, a fix that won’t work and help restore steelhead but can definitely screw with the natural balance.
I think a better approach might be to reduce the amount of pollution going into the river .
wow thats shitty. good luck with the crayfish removal i guarantee that wont work, and its very unlikely they can permantly remove any other species no matter how much seining they do
Saw what I believe were several large Steelhead today, In the Santa Marg river, while we were on a hike. Very cool-
I Live Within De luz Heights, a close rural community near SMR, OUR BIGGEST and most CRITICAL issue right now in the River Preserve and surrounding ecological reserve is human foot traffic and physical traffic. All Trails and other apps have put this river on the map, and now it’s disneyland…To protect the mammals that provide habitat for steelhead, WE MUST FIRST ADDRESS the thousands of people newly commuting to The trailhead, causing extreme trail and land habitat destruction.. couldn’t believe my eyes as i visited The Trail head this saturday. This is extremely concerning for steelhead, and as a resident and wildlife conservation and ecosystem restoration Advocate i felt it important to bring this to the sites attention.
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