South-Central California Coast Steelhead
Oncorynchus mykiss irideus
Photo: National Marine Fisheries Service
Introduction
Status
Ecological Requirements
RCIS Regions: Big Sur Coastline, Monterey Bay Coastline, Salinas River and Associated Corridor, Carmel River, Nacimiento River, Pajaro River (NMFS 2013)
RCIS Natural Communities: River, Riparian (CDFW 2020; NMFS 2013)
Highly migratory, adults spawn in coastal watersheds and juveniles rear in freshwater or estuarine habitats prior to migrating to the sea (NMFS 2013, 2016). Eelgrass is an important contributer to healthy estuaries (Sherman and DeBruyckere 2018).
Prefers cool, clear streams with abundant cover and well-vegetated banks, with relatively stable flows. Spawning habitat includes pool and riffle complexes and cold, gravelly streambeds (NMFS 2013).
Genetic exchange between wild and hatchery fish may impact species (NMFS 2016).
Full species account available: NMFS 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation of South-Central California Coast Steelhead Distinct Population Segment (NMFS 2016)
RCIS Conservation Target: High (Federally listed, near-endemic to RCIS area, representative of sensitive riparian corridors and aquatic connectivity)
Associated Non-Focal Species
Range and Modeled Habitat
Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment
Steelhead (South-Central California Coast Distinct Population Segment DPS) (SCCCS) are vulnerable to climate threats, including summer water deficit, flooding, sea-level rise, sea surface temperatures, and ocean acidification. Steelhead are likely to experience direct effects from increasing water temperatures, such as mortality from heat stress, changes in growth and development rates, and disease resistance (NMFS 2016). Changes in flow regime, especially from flooding and low flow events, are also likely to affect behavior and survival (NMFS 2016). SCCCS may behaviorally respond to these changes by shifting the seasonal timing of adult migration, spawning, fry emergence, and juvenile migration (NMFS 2016). Multiple climate change vulnerability assessments have been conducted for SCCCS and results vary from a “Highly Vulnerable” ranking by Moyle et al. (2012), as shown in Table 5‑31., to a ranking of “Moderate” by Crozier et al. (2019). Crozier et al. (2019) also conducted climate vulnerability assessments of exposure and sensitivity factors:
Exposure Factors
- Ocean Acidification Exposure– High
- Flooding– Moderate-high
- Sea-Level Rise– Moderate-high
- Sea Surface Temperature–Moderate-high
- Upwelling– Moderate
- Ocean Currents– Moderate
- Stream Temperature– Moderate
- Summer Water Deficit–Moderate
- Hydrologic Regime–Low
Sensitivity Factors
- Other Stressors-Moderate-high
- Juvenile Freshwater Stage– Moderate
- Estuary Stage– Moderate
- Cumulative Life-Cycle Effects– Moderate
- Population Viability– Moderate
- Ocean Acidification Sensitivity– Moderate
- Early Life History-Low
- Marine Stage-Low
- Adult Freshwater Stage– Low
- Hatchery Influence– Low
Overall Vulnerability
- Overall Sensitivity–Moderate
- Overall Exposure-Moderate-high
- Adaptive Capacity-Moderate
- Overall Vulnerability– Moderate
Conservation Strategies
South-Central California Coast Steelhead Goals, Objectives, and Actions
There are 50 proposed actions. For complete goals, objectives and actions explanations see the complete table of conservation strategies in the RCIS PDF.
Species Goals, Objectives, and Actions
Goal SCCCS 1
Promote persistence of steelhead south-central California coast DPS populations in the RCIS area through protection, restoration, and enhancement of habitat.Objective SCCCS 1.2
Enhance occupied and suitable steelhead south-central California coast DPS habitat throughout the RCIS area, focusing on NMFS-designated Core Populations 1, 2 and 3 and throughout the RCIS area. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the number of acres of Core Population and RCIS area riparian, riverine, and estuary habitat enhanced and occupied by steelhead.Action SCCCS 1.2.1
Develop and implement operating criteria to ensure the pattern and magnitude of groundwater extractions and water releases, including bypass flows around diversions, from Uvas Dam, Pacheco Dam, Salinas Dam, San Antonio Dam, Nacimiento Dam, San Clemente Dam, Los Padres Dam, Arroyo Seco, Lower Salinas River, San Jose Creek, Little Sur River, Big Sur River to provide essential habitat functions (NMFS 2013).
Action SCCCS 1.2.2
Enhance estuarine rearing habitat, including the management of artificial sandbar breaching at river's mouth and enhancement of supplemental water in NMFS-designated Core Population 1, 2, and 3 watersheds and throughout the RCIS area (NMFS 2013).
Action SCCCS 1.2.3
On the Carmel River, develop and implement alternative off-channel water supply project to eliminate or decrease water extraction from the channel, including subsurface extractions (NMFS 2013). Ensure provisional fish passage of adults and juveniles around dams and ensure that seasonal releases from dams support all life history phases (NMFS 2013).
Action SCCCS 1.2.4
On the Little Sur River, manage nearby roads to minimize sedimentation (NMFS 2013).
Action SCCCS 1.2.5
Collaborate with riverine habitat landowners and the State Water Resources Control Board to minimize and manage withdrawals from riparian wells and develop rain and runoff collection facilities to address adequate bypass flows (NMFS 2013).
Action SCCCS 1.2.6
Investigate the impacts of breeding between hatchery-reared fish and steelhead South-Central California DPS and mitigate potential negative impacts by eliminating the stocking of hatchery-raised fish in non-anadromous waters (NMFS 2016).
Action SCCCS 1.2.7
Implement population monitoring in Core Population watersheds where there is limited or no monitoring occurring (NMFS 2016).
Action SCCCS 1.2.8
Provide community education on the impacts of illegal take (NMFS 2013).
Objective SCCCS 1.3
Restore occupied and suitable steelhead habitat throughout the RCIS area, focusing on NMFS-designated Core Populations 1, 2, and 3. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by acres of Core Population and RCIS area habitat and adjacent/equivalent acres restored and occupied by steelhead (NMFS 2013).Action SCCCS 1.3.1
Physically modify or remove fish passage barriers on NMFS-designated Core Population 1, 2, and 3 watersheds, including Salinas Dam, San Antonio Dam, Nacimiento Dam, Los Padres Dam, Old Carmel River Dam (NMFS 2013) and throughout the RCIS area (NMFS 2013, 2016), using NMFS and CDFW priority rankings.
Action SCCCS 1.3.2
Re-establish access to upper watersheds in both small coastal streams (San Jose, Pismo, and Arroyo Grande creeks), Big Sur River, and larger interior river systems (Salinas, Pajaro, and Carmel rivers) (NMFS 2016).
Action SCCCS 1.3.3
Collaborate with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and county transportation departments with oversight on road practices to reduce or remove transportation related barriers to upstream and downstream passage (including railroad bridges, abutments, and similar structures) (NMFS 2013).
Action SCCCS 1.3.4
On the Carmel River, restore spawning gravel and large woody debris recruitment to the lower mainstem (NMFS 2013).
Action SCCCS 1.3.5
Implement local flood control and management programs (Pajaro River Bench Excavation Program and USACE Lower Pajaro River Flood Control Program) and incorporate habitat protection and restoration provisions (NMFS 2013).
Action SCCCS 1.3.6
Implement restoration projects to provide fish access to historical spawning and rearing habitats throughout the DPS boundary (NMFS 2013, 2016). Historical watersheds that are anthropogenically blocked include riparian habitats above the Hernandez Dam, San Antonio Dam, Nacimiento Dam, Salinas Dam, Lopez Dam, and North Fork Pacheco Creek Dam (NMFS 2016).
Action SCCCS 1.3.7
Assess the condition of and restore estuarine habitat through the control of fill, waste discharges, and instream flows, and through the establishment of functioning riparian buffers on intermittent and perennial streams (NMFS 2013).
Goal SCCCS 2
Promote persistence of eelgrass populations in the RCIS area through protection, enhancement, and restoration of habitat.Objective SCCCS 2.1
Create, restore, and enhance eelgrass habitat as an associated non-focal species occurring in estuarine steelhead rearing habitat. The NMFS California Eelgrass Mitigation Policy (CEMP) guidelines and standards include creating or restoring 20% more eelgrass habitat than was previous eliminated as part of mitigation efforts (NMFS 2014).Action SCCCS 2.1.1
Map eelgrass in the following estuaries where its occurrence has not been evaluated, identify anthropogenic factors inhibiting eelgrass, and develop measures to promote eelgrass where appropriate
Action SCCCS 2.1.2
Decrease sources of sedimentation running into estuaries and the nearshore environment (Sherman and DeBruyckere 2018).
Regional Goals, Objectives, and Actions
Goal RC 1
Sustain resilient, connected natural communities for the full range of native species, habitats, and ecological functions in the RCIS area through the protection of large blocks of continuous habitat supporting sensitive species.Objective RC 1.1
Protect and preserve existing intact non-marine habitats and resources and allow for expansion of habitat by protecting suitable or occupied habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the number of acres of habitat and adjacent/associated acres protected.Action RC 1.1.1
Acquire parcels with suitable habitat through fee title purchase or conservation easement.
Action RC 1.1.2
Conduct surveys using eDNA and/or traditional survey methods in suitable or potentially suitable habitat to locate undocumented occurrences of focal species and other conservation elements and opportunities for habitat protection, enhancement, restoration, and creation (USFWS 2008).
Action RC 1.1.3
Create and sustain long-term funding for protected areas maintenance.
Action RC 1.1.4
Establish an incentive program for private landowners to protect occurrences and manage habitat.
Action RC 1.1.5
Protect populations from impacts from construction, vegetation management, and/or activities, including by surveying areas such as roads/trails and implementing species protection measures.
Objective RC 1.2
Enhance occupied and suitable habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by number of acres of habitat enhanced and/or occupied.Action RC 1.2.1
Manage current and future recreation access including off-road vehicles, biking, equestrian, foot traffic, and unleashed pets to reduce impacts and disturbance to sensitive species and habitats. Ensure recreation is compatible with suitable and future potentially suitable habitat and adjacent areas, and areas of known occurrences. Enforcement and fencing may be used to prevent illegal off-road vehicle use (USFWS 2010).
Action RC 1.2.10
Work with private landowners and stakeholders to research species biology, threats, populations, densities, and/or ranges.
Action RC 1.2.11
Create/enhance connections between ecologically required habitat types, such as between aquatic breeding and upland dispersal habitats.
Action RC 1.2.2
Control non-native invasive species from occupied and/or suitable habitat, and areas designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as critical habitat throughout the RCIS area.
Action RC 1.2.3
Reduce/eliminate pesticide, rodenticide (especially first- and second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides), and herbicide use, including for roadside vegetation removal projects as part of integrated pest management efforts in identified suitable habitat, and sensitive natural communities. Promote alternative pest reduction methods, such as promoting natural predator populations (Ventura County Public Works Agency 2017).
Action RC 1.2.4
Minimize impacts from native and non-native predator populations that have increased due to anthropogenic factors, including through educational outreach and trainings on how to safely coexist with native predators and predator removal programs where appropriate.
Action RC 1.2.5
Reduce anthropogenic impacts on habitat, including infrastructure construction and maintenance, inappropriate grazing, uncontrolled grazing, or overgrazing, off-road vehicles, foot traffic, fire suppression, recreational development and activities, non-native plants, and sand mining
Action RC 1.2.6
Manage infrastructure construction and maintenance projects, including transportation, solar energy facilities and projects on military properties, to be compatible for sensitive species.
Action RC 1.2.7
Manage grazing, including the installation of wildlife-friendly fencing, to ensure it is compatible with suitable and future potentially suitable habitat and adjacent areas, and areas of known occurrences. Grazing in sensitive natural communities, public lands should be reduced.
Action RC 1.2.8
Reduce trash dumping in areas with suitable and future potentially suitable habitat and adjacent areas, and areas of known occurrences.
Action RC 1.2.9
Enhance and restore native vegetation in occupied habitat and suitable but unoccupied habitat.
Water Goals, Objectives, and Actions
Goal Water 1
Improve conditions of water resources, aquatic and riparian habitats, and connectivity throughout the RCIS area through enhancement and restoration.Objective Water 1.1
Improve freshwater aquatic and riparian habitat conditions in areas with sensitive species and habitats. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the improvement and restoration of aquatic and riparian conditions (inundation duration, water depth, water chemical composition, stream substrate composition and/or stream characterization, habitat structure, native species diversity, percent cover), water quality, and connectivity of water resources.Action Water 1.1.1
Reduce water pollutants such as fine sediments, pesticides, herbicides, sewage effluent, and other non-point and point source waste discharges, including through development and implementation of stormwater policy and infrastructure.
Action Water 1.1.2
Improve/ remove barriers to fish passage throughout RCIS area, includes ground truthing and monitoring all assumed fish passage barriers.
Action Water 1.1.3
Improve quality of wetland habitats and create new wetland habitats, including through invasive species control, increased water period, and recontouring to enhance proper elevation, etc.
Action Water 1.1.4
Improve quality of riparian habitats and create new riparian habitats, focusing on temperature profiles and appropriate substrate, especially considering areas of expected climate change impacts and future range.
Action Water 1.1.5
Minimize impacts to water resources from construction, military activities, and agricultural practices.
Action Water 1.1.6
Reduce introduction of sediments in creek channels from bank erosion, livestock grazing, timber harvestings, unpaved roads and trails, and recreation.
Action Water 1.1.7
Improve and expand existing riparian and upland buffers and create new buffers where they are lacking around stream and wetland habitats, as well as connectivity corridors between heterogeneous habitats. A qualified biologist and the best available science should determine buffer distances.
Action Water 1.1.8
Preserve and protect intact aquatic and riparian resources where protection is lacking.
Objective Water 1.2
Improve appropriate hydrology and hydrological functions to support sensitive species and habitats. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the improvement of hydrological indicators such as water depth, stream flow, water temperature and chemical composition.Action Water 1.2.1
Moderate extreme water temperature fluctuations by controlling water flow regimes downstream of impoundments, water diversions, and residential or industrial developments.
Action Water 1.2.2
Ensure releases from water storage and diversion facilities maintain surface flows necessary for all life history stages of sensitive species (NMFS 2013).
Action Water 1.2.3
Maintain appropriate management of flood-control activities (both routine and emergency) to be compatible with sensitive species (NMFS 2013).
Action Water 1.2.4
Restore hydrological functions of waterways to mimic natural flow, temperature regimes, and sediment loads where feasible (Hayes et al. 2016).
Action Water 1.2.5
Develop and implement operating criteria to ensure the pattern and magnitude of groundwater extractions and water releases provide essential ecological functions.
Objective Water 1.3
Improve estuarine and marine aquatic conditions in areas with sensitive species and habitats. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the improvement of aquatic conditions (water chemical composition, habitat structure, native species diversity) water quality, and connectivity of water resources.Action Water 1.3.1
Minimize impacts to estuary water quality and tidal regimes from coastal transportation, military activities, and agricultural practices upstream, and other development projects.
Action Water 1.3.2
Enhance water quality in occupied and suitable estuary and lagoon habitats.
Action Water 1.3.3
Manage negative impacts of upstream and estuarine channelization and water quality (USFWS 2005a).
Action Water 1.3.4
Develop and implement strategies for managing freshwater inflow to estuary and lagoon habitats (USFWS 2005a).