About this project

Creek Lands Conservation is a nonprofit organization that unites diverse interests to restore and safeguard the biodiversity of the Central Coast through conservation science, habitat restoration, and community-driven education.

With funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, California Dept of Fish and Wildlife, and County of San Luis Obispo, Creek Lands Conservation led efforts to lower the stream gauge on Arroyo Creek to facilitate passage for federally threatened South-Central California Coast (SCCC) steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

History of the Project Site

Built in 1939 by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the stream gauge has been used for decades to gather water level and streamflow data on Arroyo Grande Creek to manage flood risks and inform the delicate balance of releases from upstream Lopez Dam. Over time the creek changed, and the concrete structure became a major hindrance to migrating steelhead trout venturing upstream in search of suitable breeding and rearing habitat. Juveniles especially had a difficult time surmounting the artificial waterfall. Barriers like this prevent steelhead from migrating freely between the ocean and their freshwater spawning grounds, stranding them in mere fragments of their historic habitat. Listed as federally threatened in 1997, removing barriers to steelhead migration is crucial for species recovery.

The Fish Passage Task Force, part of the Steelhead Recovery Coalition of the South-Central Coast, ranked the Arroyo Grande Creek stream gauge among the top ten steelhead barriers in San Luis Obispo County.

Project Activities and Benefits

This project upgraded the existing weir and bubbler system to allow for fish passage while maintaining its data collection function, showcasing a unique solution that addresses both community resilience through environmental monitoring and species restoration.

The project involved the modification of the stream gauge platform, in-channel grading and demolition, and construction of a new concrete weir to lower the jump height so migrating steelhead/rainbow trout could once again access 8 miles of critical habitat that exists upstream of the stream gauge. By lowering the jump height of the weir, the project now provides passage for both adult and juvenile life stages at both low and high flows.

Creek Lands Conservation and its partners developed designs for the new structure, conducted biological surveys of species in the area, and collected hydrologic data in preparation for the project’s construction, acquired the necessary permits, and implemented the project.

Project Collaborators

County of San Luis Obispo, the City of Arroyo Grande, Lucia Mar Unified School District, the California Conservation Corps, and several private landowners. Stillwater Sciences conducted fish relocation efforts during the project, with support from Creek Lands Conservation. Papich Construction was contracted to implement the project in the fall of 2024, and Creek Lands Conservation and California Conservation Corps revegetated the site.

“Every level of government was engaged in permitting and permissions for the project including a Homeowner’s Association! Teamwork really is dream work. We had a great local construction company and subcontractors that understand implementing permitting conditions and a dynamite board member with construction experience. Our small but mighty staff connected all the dots, leveraging relationships that have become even stronger.” – Steph Wald, previous Watershed Program Manager

Lessons Learned

Permitting for this project was complex due to multi-agency communications, and further streamlining to reduce federal redundancy would be beneficial in the future. The CLC team initially pursued CEQA compliance through the Statutory Exemption for Restoration Projects (SERP), but ultimately the City of Arroyo Grande took the lead on CEQA, which proved advantageous both politically and in strengthening relationships and understanding with city planners. Beginning the permitting process with the Water Board helped clarify the project description, which was then used consistently across other permit applications, with necessary additions for ESA compliance to address wildlife considerations in state and federal permitting.