Steelhead/Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) Resources South of the Golden Gate, California

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Steelhead/Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) Resources South of the Golden Gate, California Becker Steelhead/Rainbow Trout Reining (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Steelhead/Rainbow Trout Steelhead/Rainbow Trout Resources South of the Golden Gate, California October 2008 Gordon S. Becker #ENTERFOR%COSYSTEM-ANAGEMENT2ESTORATION Isabelle J. Reining (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Cartography by David A. Asbury Prepared for California State Coastal Conservancy and The Resources Legacy Fund Foundation Resources South of the Golden Gate, California Resources South of the Golden Gate, California The mission of the Center for Ecosystem Management and Restoration is to make effective use of scientific information to promote the restoration and sustainable management of ecosystems. The Center is a not-for-profit corporation, and contributions in support of its programs are tax-deductible. Center for Ecosystem Management & Restoration 4179 Piedmont Ave, Suite 325, Oakland, CA 94611 Center for Ecosystem Management and Restoration 510.420.4565 http://www.cemar.org CEMAR The cover image is a map of the watershed area of streams tributary to the Pacific Ocean south of the Golden Gate, California, by CEMAR. The image above is a 1934 Gazos Creek stream survey report published by the California Division of Fish and Game. Book design by Audrey Kallander. Steelhead/Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Resources South of the Golden Gate, California Gordon S. Becker Isabelle J. Reining Cartography by David A. Asbury This report should be cited as: Becker, G.S. and I.J. Reining. 2008. Steelhead/rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) resources south of the Golden Gate, California. Cartography by D.A. Asbury. Center for Ecosystem Management and Restoration. Oakland, CA. Center for Ecosystem Management and Restoration TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreward pg. 3 Introduction pg. 5 Methods pg. 9 Steelhead Resources of San Mateo County pg. 13 Steelhead Resources of Santa Cruz County pg. 55 Steelhead Resources of Monterey County pg. 137 Steelhead Resources of San Luis Obispo County pg. 207 Steelhead Resources of Santa Barbara County pg. 253 Steelhead Resources of Ventura County pg. 309 Steelhead Resources of Los Angeles County pg. 345 Steelhead Resources of Orange County pg. 375 Steelhead Resources of San Diego County pg. 395 Discussion pg. 419 Acknowledgments pg. 425 Tables Table 1. Distribution status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of San Mateo County pg. 47 Table 2. Distribution status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of Santa Cruz County pg. 123 Table 3. Distribution status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of Monterey County pg. 189 Table 4. Distribution status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of San Luis Obispo County pg. 241 Table 5. Distribution status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of Santa Barbara County pg. 295 Table 6. Distribution status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of Ventura County pg. 335 Table 7. Distribution status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of Los Angeles County pg. 365 Table 8. Distribution status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of Orange County pg. 389 Table 9. Distribution status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of San Diego County pg. 409 Table 10. Summary of O. mykiss distribution and related features south of the Golden Gate, California. pg. 419 Figures Figure 1. Study area pg. 7 Figure 2. Historical status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of San Mateo County, California pg. 51 Figure 3. Current status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of San Mateo County, California pg. 53 Figure 4. Historical status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of Santa Cruz County, California pg. 129 Figure 5. Current status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of Santa Cruz County, California pg. 131 Figure 6. Historical status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of the Pajaro River system, California pg. 133 Figure 7. Current status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of the Pajaro River system, California pg. 135 Figure 8. Historical status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of the Salinas River system, California pg. 195 Figure 9. Current status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of the Salinas River system, California pg. 197 Figure 10. Historical status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of northern Monterey County, California pg. 199 Figure 11. Current status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of northern Monterey County, California pg. 201 Figure 12. Historical status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of southern Monterey County, California pg. 203 Figure 13. Current status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of southern Monterey County, California pg. 205 Figure 14. Historical status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of northern San Luis Obispo County, California pg. 245 Figure 15. Current status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of northern San Luis Obispo County, California pg. 247 Figure 16. Historical status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of southern San Luis Obispo County, California pg. 249 Figure 17. Current status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of southern San Luis Obispo County, California pg. 251 Figure 18. Historical status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of northern Santa Barbara County, California pg. 301 Figure 19. Current status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of northern Santa Barbara County, California pg. 303 Figure 20. Historical status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of southern Santa Barbara County, California pg. 305 Figure 21. Current status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of southern Santa Barbara County, California pg. 307 Figure 22. Historical status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of northern Ventura County, California pg. 337 Figure 23. Current status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of northern Ventura County, California pg. 339 Figure 24. Historical status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of southern Ventura County, California pg. 341 Figure 25. Current status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of southern Ventura County, California pg. 343 Figure 26. Historical status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of northern Los Angeles County, California pg. 367 Figure 27. Current status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of northern Los Angeles County, California pg. 369 Figure 28. Historical status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of southern Los Angeles County, California pg. 371 Figure 29. Current status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of southern Los Angeles County, California pg. 373 Figure 30. Historical status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of Orange County, California pg. 391 Figure 31. Current status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of Orange County, California pg. 393 Figure 32. Historical status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of southern San Diego County, California pg. 411 Figure 33. Current status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of southern San Diego County, California pg. 413 Figure 34. Historical status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of southern San Diego County, California pg. 415 Figure 35. Current status of O. mykiss in coastal streams of southern San Diego County, California pg. 417 FOREWORD To many people, one of the most surprising revelations about fish in California has been that southern California has significant runs of fish that come up from the ocean to spawn in fresh water: steelhead, coho salmon, and Pacific lamprey. Coho salmon only make it as far south as Santa Cruz County but both steelhead and lamprey had populations as far south as Baja California in Mexico. The presence of steelhead in particular seems counter-intuitive. These are fish famous among anglers for living in the streams that flow through the dense forests of the Pacific Northwest, migrating upstream every year in the dead of winter when flows are high, rain is pouring down, and temperatures are cold. So how do we account for anglers once being able to catch steelhead migrating upstream in downtown Los Angeles as well the historic presence of steelhead in literally hundreds of streams south of San Francisco Bay? Most of these streams, even prior to the colonization of California by Euro-Americans, flow through dry oak and chaparral covered hills, the often-intermittent stream beds lined with a thin band of sycamores, live oaks, and willows. The mouths of the streams are usually small lagoons that in dry years or dry months are closed to ocean access by sand bars. There are four keys to understanding how a cold water loving, migratory fish can persist in such a dry area. First, the headwaters of steelhead streams typically have permanent flows, with cold ground water seeping in to maintain them as “trout streams.” Often these areas have thin forests of pine and other trees we associate with steelhead habitat. Second, the Mediterranean climate of the region consistently provides high flows in winter from heavy rain. These flows not only fill dry stream beds and provide steelhead access to the permanent headwaters, but breach the bars of the lagoons. The floodwaters send a message to the fish waiting in the ocean that now is the time to move upstream. Third, the ocean region off California is one of the most productive in the world, with cold water upwelling from the bottom providing the base of a food web in which the steelhead is one of the top predators. Fourth, and most importantly, the steelhead/ rainbow trout is an enormously adaptable fish. It is more widely distributed and occurs in a greater variety of habitats than any other trout or salmon. The steelhead of southern California have life histories adapted to local conditions. The ocean-going adults live long enough so they do not have to come back every year to spawn successfully. If the streams are inaccessible, they come back the following year. Upstream, the juveniles may wait one, two, or even three years before going out to sea. Perhaps it is not surprising, therefore, that in a region where life history flexibility is an adaptive advantage the southern populations of steelhead are among the most diverse genetically of any steelhead.
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