What's New
Quiota Creek Crossing 2 Fish Passage Enhancement Project (Press Release)
2008 Migration Season -
More steelhead were captured during the 2008 steelhead migration season than all of the previous years combined. In fact, adults were captured in two new locations (Hilton Creek and the Lower Santa Ynez River mainstem) where they had not previously been observed. The largest steelhead ever captured on the project was also observed in 2008, measuring 27.6 inches.
Favorable hydrologic conditions and sound fisheries management actions in the Santa Ynez River likely led to the increase in adult steelhead migrating in the river in 2008. There were significant rains at the beginning of the year, which caused Lake Cachuma to spill, for a period of nearly 60 days. This allowed the sandbar at the mouth of the lagoon to remain open to the Pacific Ocean, for a longer period of time, and provided steady flows in the mainstem. These combined conditions allowed fish passage throughout the Lower Santa Ynez River basin.
Although 2007 was the driest year on record in the Santa Ynez area, the previous two seasons (2005-2006) saw above-average rainfall and smolt were observed migrating downstream during those seasons. As a result of those successful smolt migrations, it is likely that the large ocean fish observed in 2008 were generated from those two years.
In addition to the favorable hydrologic conditions in 2008, the increase in adult migrant captures could be a result of the various management actions occurring within the Lower Santa Ynez River. Many miles of additional habitat have been opened by fixing passage barriers, allowing fish to migrate further upstream and enabling their progeny to successfully oversummer. Also, supplemental flow releases and increased target flows during the critical oversummering period has allowed juvenile steelhead to persist and grow in locations that would have typically dried under normal hydrologic conditions.
The first adult steelhead in 2008 was captured in Salsipuedes Creek on February 4th and measured 25.2 inches in length. The next day, the largest steelhead ever captured on the river (27.6 inches) was found in the same drainage. Soon after, adults were observed on Salsipuedes Creek, in the mainstem Santa Ynez River (at river mile 7.3 below Bradbury Dam) and within Hilton Creek (a tributary directly below Bradbury Dam). This was the first time that large ocean-run adults had been observed in these two locations, making 2008 one for the record books.