Endangered Species Act Enforcement - Santa Paula Creek Steelhead

Southern California steelhead—an iconic, ocean-going rainbow trout that returns to freshwater streams to spawn—are facing extinction. Once numbering in the tens of thousands, these fish now persist in only a handful of fragmented watersheds, struggling against barriers, degraded habitat, and decades of mismanaged infrastructure.

Steelhead are more than a single species. They are a keystone indicator of watershed health. When steelhead disappear, it signals deeper failures in how we manage rivers, flood control, and public trust resources.

Why Santa Paula Creek Matters

One important remaining stronghold for Southern California steelhead is Santa Paula Creek, a major tributary of the Santa Clara River. This creek historically provided high-quality spawning, rearing, and refuge habitat—critical for the survival of steelhead throughout the watershed.

But for decades, steelhead in Santa Paula Creek have been blocked, injured, and displaced by a federally authorized flood-control project that was designed, built, and maintained without adequate protections for endangered fish. Sediment buildup, vegetation removal, structural defects, and a poorly functioning fish ladder have repeatedly impeded migration and degraded habitat—preventing steelhead from reaching the areas they need to survive and recover.

The Legal Crisis

Southern California steelhead are listed as endangered under both the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and California law. Despite this, government agencies have continued operating and maintaining the Santa Paula Creek Flood-Risk Management Project in ways that harm and “take” endangered steelhead, destroy critical habitat, and violate multiple environmental laws.

The lawsuit challenges, among other things:

• Ongoing unauthorized “take” of endangered Southern California steelhead
• Failure to reinitiate required ESA consultation despite new information and worsening impacts
• Continued operation of infrastructure that blocks fish passage and degrades habitat

Federal scientists have repeatedly warned—over more than two decades—that the project is harming steelhead and jeopardizing their recovery. Yet required fixes and protective measures have not been implemented.

What EcoRights Is Fighting For

EcoRights is not opposed to flood protection. We are fighting for lawful, science-based solutions that protect both communities and endangered species.

This case seeks court orders requiring agencies to:

• Repair or replace project features that block steelhead migration
• Implement long-overdue protections required by federal biological opinions
• Reinitiate ESA consultation and halt harmful actions while that process occurs
• Restore Santa Paula Creek as a functioning, living river—not just a flood channel

At its core, this case is about accountability. Public agencies cannot ignore endangered species, sidestep science, or sacrifice rivers behind closed doors.

Why This Matters to Everyone

Steelhead belong to all of us. They are a public trust resource, held for present and future generations. Their survival supports clean water, healthy ecosystems, cultural traditions, and sustainable recreation.

EcoRights is standing up to ensure that Southern California steelhead have a future—and that our rivers are managed with care, transparency, and respect for life.