March 3, 2005 - Steel-Ed Trout

A long time ago, when the rivers ran cool and clear, rainbow trout jumped and played in the creeks and streams of Santa Barbara County.  Every year, they migrated down the rivers and tributaries to the ocean in order to mature. After a couple of years, they would make their way back up their original home to spawn.  But as the population of people grew, the need to collect water behind dams caused the water flow to become more sporadic, roads and culverts were constructed, and pretty soon the fish’s passage was impeded.

Over time, trout populations grew sparse and they found themselves where no self-respecting animal wants to be found – in Edhat’s Endangered Species of the Month article (and on the Federal and State Endangered Species lists). But it’s really not their fault. It’s the dams, dammit. You see, ONCORHYNCHUS MYKISS (steelhead or rainbow trout as they are also known) need moving water in order to thrive. And unfortunately, the number of free-flowing creeks and streams in the State has diminished significantly.

If you take a hike up beautiful Rattlesnake Canyon these days, you’ll find that all of the rain has been good for the plant life that grows there.  The creek is full and the canyon is positively verdant.  This week, the dedicated staff of edhat.com took one of our favorite hikes to take a picture for our WWII.  The sign in the picture is located at the first stream crossing near the beginning of the trail. Normally an easy hop across the rocks, the crossing that day was a bit more treacherous. The water is much deeper than normal, and is moving a bit faster.  The trout are probably happy.

Trout? There are trout in Mission Creek?  Yep, on a regular day, you can actually look into the pool right there near the sign and see a small group of trout swimming around.  But on this day, they were well hidden by the water movement.

So what’s the trouble with trout in Mission Creek? Well, like most of the coastal creeks in California, the trout’s migration to their spawning grounds is blocked by manmade obstacles. In the case of Mission Creek, there is a concrete channel along highway 101 that blocks the way. In addition, water coming from the Santa Ynez River upstream is diverted, in order to be used as drinking water. The City of Santa Barbara releases water into the creek during the summer to keep the fish going in good condition during the dry months.  But, local environmental groups are trying to have the concrete channel modified so that the fish can pass through and resume their natural migrations.

In the mean time, the low levels of water in the creeks are a problem for the fish.  It has to do with the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water – little tiny air bubbles in the water, make fish happy, make them feel fine. Water temperature is an important factor in maintaining oxygen levels. Warm water contains lower oxygen concentrations than cold water.  So, warmer water might make the fish feel warm all over, but it also causes oxygen concentrations to increase.  When they get too high, the dissolved oxygen can become toxic to the fish. Shallow, slow moving water, as we all know, warms up more quickly. Thus, it’s bad for the fish.

It seems that a lot of people really like trout – and not just for dinner. More and more, people seem to be recognizing the importance of a healthy eco-system – in this case, one that includes the trout that are native to this area.  Projects are being undertaken to develop strategies for restoring habitat to accommodate the steelhead. Projects like the one in Mission Creek, and others.

Many of our subscribers knew that the sign referred to the trout.  A couple of subscribers pointed out that it could have been taken in one of many locations. Ah, but it wasn’t. Many people picked Mission Creek; a few picked Rattlesnake.  The best description of the exact location was from Tees-Riot who said, “This one is up the trail a piece as you cross the creek and head up a short climb.“ So, Tees-Riot gets an Edhat Tee-Shirt.

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