Santa Monica Mountains’ last steelhead trout survived the Palisades fire — and even had babies
Scientists feared the Santa Monica Mountains’ last remaining steelhead trout were dead, smothered by debris flows unleashed by the Palisades fire. But the endangered fish surprised them: A team of biologists recently spotted 30 of the rare trout — and 21 babies — in Topanga Creek. … [T]he steelhead here are endangered, at both the state and federal levels. Once, they swam in most streams of the Santa Monicas, but their numbers plummeted amid overfishing and coastal development. Increasingly frequent wildfire has further stressed their habitat. Topanga Creek, a biodiversity hot spot, is home to their last known population in the mountains that stretch from the Hollywood Hills to Point Mugu in Ventura County.
Other fish restoration news:
- The Guardian (U.K.): Arizona lake closes indefinitely to visitors after all of its fish die
- Active NorCal (Redding, Calif.): A coalition of fishermen, tribes and conservationists has been fighting for West Coast salmon for years
- Active NorCal (Redding, Calif.): A chemical from car tires is reaching San Francisco Bay and killing salmon
- California Trout: Blog: New funding marks major milestone for Cannibal Island restoration
- Maven’s Notebook: Blog: Can Delta smelt make a comeback?
