“Iša’kowoč is directly tied to the Indigenous lifeways of these lands and waterways.”

- Mati Waiya,

Executive Director of the Wishtoyo Chumash Foundation

Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are an anadromous salmonid that populates waters from the Pacific coast of North America to Asia, and whose southern range terminates in southern California. The southern steelhead evolutionary significant unit, identified by National Marine Fisheries Service, populates coastal watersheds from Point Conception south and is federally listed as an endangered species to the border of Mexico. As an anadromous species, steelhead require healthy habitats from spawning habitats in upper tributaries, through mainstem reaches of flowing river, coastal estuaries, and marine environments. The protection of this species and its habitats represents the definition of an umbrella species. The protection of this species and its habitats throughout coastal watersheds provides benefits to all native plants and wildlife that share habitats throughout these sensitive watersheds.

The southern California steelhead population has suffered massive declines over the past century as urban and agricultural development has fragmented their habitat and migration routes. The Southern Steelhead population is dangerously imperiled by surface water diversions, fish passage barriers, climate change, impacts to in-stream flows, pesticide runoff, industrial pollution, plastic debris, and extended drought conditions. Since the species’ federal endangered species act listing in 1997, southern steelhead populations have continued to decline. In the Santa Clara River, major water diversions and fish passage barriers continue to prevent the species from reaching spawning habitats throughout the watershed.

Wishtoyo has a long history of taking on steelhead habitat restoration projects, endangered species act litigation to protect steelhead, and scientific research on the coastal watersheds of the region. Wishtoyo will continue to monitor the United Water Conservation District’s compliance with a 2018 court order requiring the district to redesign and reconstruct a fish passage solution at the Vern Freeman Diversion in the lower Santa Clara River. As solutions for fish passage at the Vern Freeman Diversion are pursued, California Trout is hard at work restoring fish passage and migration in Santa Paula Creek with their project at Harvey Diversion. California Trout is also working on the habitat and hydrological restoration in Rose Valley Creek with the removal of Rose Valley Lakes. California Trout’s petition for the California Endangered Species Act listing of Southern California Steelhead has proven to be a major victory today.

California Fish and Game Commission Adds Steelhead to the Endangered Species List

4/19/2024 - The California Fish and Game Commission (FGC) voted unanimously today to list southern California steelhead under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). This decision marks a crucial recognition of the dramatic decline of this cultural keystone species and underscores the urgent need for further protection and restoration of Southern California’s coastal watersheds.

The listing of Southern Steelhead under the California Endangered Species Act represents a pivotal moment in our collective commitment to the preservation of this cultural keystone species. As protectors of natural cultural resources, it is incumbent upon us to take decisive action to ensure the survival of Isha’kowoch for generations to come.

Keep up with us here as we continue our campaign to protect our special relative, Iša’kowoč!