Who We Are (South Coast)

Who We Are

California Trout is one of the largest freshwater conservation organizations in the state. We are a non-profit with over 50 full-time staff made up of scientists, storytellers, administrators, grant writers, creatives, and more. Our staff live in the communities that we work in across the state from the conifer forests of far Northern California to the chaparral of Southern California. We work in close collaboration with communities to form local and statewide partnerships for fish, water, and people that help us move towards a better California together.

Our South Coast region stretches across the lower half of the state with offices in Ventura and San Diego, with some of our largest conservation projects by dollar amount in the state. The unique geography of the South Coast, with its high density of people and infrastructure, requires a creative approach that where the benefits to fish, water, and people become indistinguishable.

How We Work

CalTrout’s mission is to revitalize waters for resilient wild fish and a better California. It's our belief that abundant wild fish indicate healthy waters and that healthy waters benefit all Californians.

In our South Coast region our core focus is restoring Southern steelhead. This iconic species is Southern California’s only remaining anadromous salmonid and is at risk of extinction in the next 50 years without intervention. To prevent that irreversible loss we are managing projects ranging from major barrier removal projects, including leading the process of removing obsolete dams across the region, to advocating for and protecting the source waters in the high ranges where rivers are born. Some of our major efforts in this region include the Malibu Creek Ecosystem Restoration Project in Los Angeles County, I-5 Trabuco Creek Fish Passage Project in Orange County, Santa Margarita River/Sandia Creek Fish Passage Project in San Diego County, and many more. Check out our South Coast region page to explore our projects further.

Statewide we have more than sixty large-scale conservation projects underway, in tandem with public policy efforts in Sacramento. Our nine regional offices work tirelessly to advance our cause through a four-pillared approach to conservation: science, restoration, community engagement, and advocacy. Our work looks different in different places - from removing dams to restoring floodplains to advocating for enough water to meet the needs of both fish and people.

Take Action

Get Southern steelhead permanently listed under the Endangered Species Act - sign the petition to save Southern steelhead!

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