By Chuck Graham   |   February 17, 2026

It might only happen once every several years. A steelhead trout Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus leaves its ocean realm, forges an aquatic path up a river mouth, navigates a flood plain, and eventually swims up a boulder-choked creek to lay its eggs in a pool of loose, sandy soil – the gentle ebb and flow of the creek inviting for this endangered anadromous fish.

For steelhead trout, this nuanced terrain is increasingly difficult to come by. The aquatic passage is daunting to say the least. For the roughly 187 steelhead trout left in the wild in Southern California – a true trout species that swims against the grain from the ocean to their spawning grounds in creeks of coastal ranges and forests – the ideal habitat is at a premium.

Much of the steelhead trout’s historic habitat has been wiped out by agriculture and urban sprawl. Harbors, break walls, culverts and dredging also contribute to a list of impediments that go on and on. However, the partnering of nonprofits – like South Coast Habitat Restoration and Ojai Valley Land Conservancy – with the U.S. Forest Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife and others, provides hope of steering a different course. It’s a passage requiring a lot of years of heavy lifting, requiring the removal of barriers, rerouting creek flows, and native plant restoration to enhance the steelhead’s survival.

Just above Ojai, along Highway 33, 13 miles of the North Fork Matilija Creek and adjacent Bear Creek in the Los Padres National Forest have just received an aquatic facelift. It took 18 long years from the early development stages to habitat restoration in the boulder-strewn runnels to the last native flora planted in the project area, but the Wheeler Gorge Aquatic Organism Passage Project is complete. It now offers a sliver of hope to one tough fish.

“This is a watershed moment how this project came together, the partners and passion that carried this project through,” said Kim Winter, supervisor for the Los Padres National Forest. “This will be a lasting result that people will appreciate for years to come.”

Of course, conservation isn’t free. The project cost $6 million, and was funded by Wildlife Conservation Board, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Los Padres National Forest, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Patagonia.

“We’ve been working on steelhead projects for two decades,” said Mauricio Gomez, director of South Coast Habitat Restoration. “We’re thankful for our partners, and happy to complete this restoration to improve habitat for steelhead.” 

One Steely Fish

What a switch hitter means to a Major League baseball team, also applies to steelhead trout within their aquatic realm. An anadromous fish such as salmon, lamprey, sturgeon and steelhead trout are migratory species where its life cycle commits most of its time to the ocean but returns to freshwater streams to spawn. Although steelheads and salmon share many traits, steelheads can spawn many times, whereas salmon only spawn once.

Steelhead trout is a subspecies of Oncorhynchus mykiss, which encompasses all rainbow trout species. This biological relationship allows steelhead and rainbow trout to spawn together. Once their offspring are swimming, each fish makes that life choice to remain in shaded freshwater creeks as a rainbow trout or venturing out into the ocean as a steelhead trout. Fortunes favor the bold.

Equipped with their torpedo-shaped, streamlined bodies, steelheads are strong swimmers and are gifted with specialized kidneys allowing them to make a seamless transition between saltwater and freshwater creeks. Their sleek frames reduce drag during their migrations. Adults typically measure 24-36 inches and weigh 6-20 pounds, though some exceptional steelheads have exceeded 40 pounds.

“They are the cockroaches of aquatic systems,” said Kristie Klose, fisheries biologist for Los Padres National Forest. “They are tough fish, real badasses, going back and forth, to and from the ocean.”

Consider that steelhead trout within the Los Padres National Forest have also endured many recent wildfires followed by heavy rains and debris flows. Combine that with a lot of manmade hindrances, and steelheads are certainly up against it.

“We can preserve habitat above, in the forest,” continued Klose, “but not down below in urban areas. There’s so much agriculture and urbanization.”

The project was finished in December 2025, two weeks before significant rain arrived. During those heavy downpours the region received 35 inches. It was a great test to see how the newly restored site stood up against the elements.

Following those storms, Klose did stream surveys in both the North Fork Matilija and Bear creeks searching for steelheads in the project area. There were no fish found, but in a nearby side stream she discovered steelheads.

Recreating Riparian Habitat

Reconstructing stream channels posed the biggest challenges to the project. Four barriers, which was also the old road that crossed over several vital channels of North Fork Matilija Creek, were entirely removed.

“We removed the whole road in
Site 2,” said Gomez. “When you have road crossings in creeks it doesn’t allow fish to swim upslope. Riparian habitats are like kidneys. They have higher oxygen content.”

A new sturdy bridge was built over Bear Creek to accommodate steelheads and other aquatic species such as rough-skinned newts and Pacific green tree frogs. Federally and State-listed species like Bell’s Vireo, California red-legged frog, and southwestern pond turtle could also benefit from restoration efforts. The bridge was built to withstand a 100-year flood, and it also enhances recreational usage in the Wheeler Gorge Campground.

Seed collecting was also vital to the project. Over 1,000 native plants were planted while recreating habitat. In all, 30 different species of native flora are found throughout the 13 stream miles of restored habitat. Some of those include white and black sage, mugwort, alder berry, willows, oak and sycamore trees. 

“Plants were already established when planted,” said Sophie McLean, a native plant specialist with Ojai Valley Land Conservancy. “It’s so important to plant natives in a project like this. It helps with erosion, but it takes time to collect seeds and to recreate a canopy.”

Conservation takes many years to complete. When one project ends, another begins. Matilija Dam anyone?  

https://www.montecitojournal.net/2026/02/17/a-watershed-moment