Beleaguered Southern California Steelhead may not know it, but their future just brightened - considerably. California Trout and the United Water Conservation District have reached an historic agreement that will protect the endangered salmonid by providing vital fish passage so that steelhead can access crucial spawning waters in the Santa Clara watersheds. CalTrout governors and staff are hopeful that this agreement will lead to Southern California Steelhead recovery throughout its historic range.
The agreement resolves a suit filed by CalTrout in January over the Vern Freeman Diversion Dam, an obstacle to fish passage on the Santa Clara River. The agreement requires a panel of experts to work closely with United and the National Marine Fisheries Service to determine the best options to ensure necessary fish passage for Southern California Steelhead at the Freeman Diversion. The report from the panel will be issued no later than August 1, 2010, at which time United will begin to implement the recommendations to improve passage and establish a reasonable timeline for completing the project.
"The settlement allows maximum flexibility for the use of the best possible solutions for the fish while meeting United's needs. By agreeing and adhering to focused timelines that achieve quick and meaningful protections for steelhead, CalTrout and United have an opportunity to work together productively to recover an iconic representative of our state's natural heritage," says Nica Knite, Southern California Regional Manager for CalTrout.
The Southern California Steelhead has been federally listed as endangered since 1997. Dams and other barriers can interfere with the steelhead's migration from freshwater mountain streams to the ocean and back unless appropriate fish passage is provided. These impediments to steelhead migration present one of the greatest threats to their continuing survival. The panel of experts will perform multiple studies and tests to determine the effectiveness of the current fish ladder at the Freeman Diversion and necessary modifications to provide passage for successful steelhead migration.
The decision to move forward with this case was a "very big deal" for CalTrout. While this tactic can be effective - as it was in CalTrout's successful effort to re-water Mono Lake - it can also be costly. We thank our members and others who stood beside us to make this happen. Thousands of dollars were raised in response to a TroutClout sent last week to direct friends of the fish to a blog with more information and options to help support this effort and spread the word.
The road ahead for the Southern California Steelhead is still rocky. But with this settlement, CalTrout has cleared a critical hurdle. We are hopeful that this sets a precedent that we can use again to unlock the entire region for fish passage and the return of steelhead to their historic numbers.* These are the first steps in a process that will unfold over the next two to three years.
To achieve this, we'll need your help. Visit our Southern California Steelhead blog, freeourrivers.com, our facebook page or twitter page to stay abreast of the news and don't forget to give.
