It might only happen once every several years. A steelhead trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus, leaves its ocean realm, and forges an aquatic path up a river mouth, then 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 is difficult to come by. The aquatic passage is daunting to say the least. There are only about 187 steelhead trout left in the wild in Southern California. For this true trout species that swims against the grain from the ocean to its 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…