The Santa Margarita River is one of the last free-flowing, perennial rivers in Southern California, and one of CalTrout's highest priorities for bringing back Southern Steelhead. Lightly touched by development along most of its length, the river still has the natural, spring-fed character and channel conditions that steelhead need to migrate and spawn, offering a rare chance to restore complete headwaters-to-ocean access for the region's most resilient native fish, the endangered Southern Steelhead.

That potential has long been blocked by an aging bridge and culvert crossing at Sandia Creek Drive, which prevents steelhead from reaching the best spawning and rearing habitat upstream. Replacing it with a new steel bridge will reopen 12 miles of that habitat, restoring unbroken passage across the river's full 29-mile length. The same crossing also floods during storms, so the new bridge does double duty: it clears the way for fish while protecting the thousands of drivers, residents, and commuters, including those traveling to and from Camp Pendleton, who rely on this road every day.

Getting here took care and collaboration. When construction first began, workers uncovered culturally significant materials, and the project paused so that CalTrout, its funding partners, the landowner, and local tribal representatives could redesign the bridge alignment to protect that sensitive ground. The new bridge will replace the old flood-prone crossing while keeping trails and the river crossing open to the public throughout.

Once complete, the project will do more than help one species: it will restore a healthier, more connected river system, reduce flood risk for the surrounding community, and preserve a rare, wild stretch of river for people to enjoy for generations to come.