Monday December 4, 2023
LAist —
A Caltrans project along Pacific Coast Highway will help the endangered Southern California steelhead trout return to their historic habitat in the Santa Monica Mountains.
These giant fish in the salmon family used to be found all over the rivers and streams throughout Southern California, but their population has dropped off dramatically over the past few decades.
Kyle Evans is a senior environmental scientist supervisor with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for the South Coast Region. He told LAist local residents in the 1940s and 50s used to be able to catch big, beautiful 2-foot-long silver steelhead trout right in Malibu Creek.
And a little further up north in Santa Barbara County, Evans said the city of Lompoc had an entire culture around steelhead and recreational fishing.