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Stream and Fish Habitat Restoration Projects

On behalf of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), COMB is responsible for implementing the 2000 Cachuma Project Biological Opinion (BO) which requires monitoring of the southern California steelhead population downstream of Lake Cachuma, monitoring water quality conditions in the lower river and its tributaries, and implementing stream and fish habitat restoration projects. These stream enhancement projects are mostly funded by state and federal grants and are implemented by COMB. The first project was successfully completed in 2000 with 17 additional projects completed since then (the most recent in December of 2019).

Fish Passage Project

A list of completed projects with their completion date is as follows:

  • Hilton Creek Watering System Project (2000)
  • Salsipuedes Creek at Highway 1 Bridge Fish Passage Enhancement Project (2002)
  • El Jaro Creek Streambed Enhancements Project (2003)
  • Salsipuedes Creek at Jalama Road Bridge Fish Passage Enhancement Project (2004)
  • Lake Cachuma Surcharge Project (2004)
  • Hilton Creek Cascade Chute Fish Passage Enhancement Project (2005)
  • Quiota Creek Crossing 6 Fish Passage Project (2008)
  • El Jaro Creek at Rancho San Julian Fish Ladder Project (2008)
  • El Jaro Creek at Cross Creek Ranch Fish Passage Improvement Project (2009)
  • Quiota Creek Crossing 2 Fish Passage Project (2011)
  • Quiota Creek Crossing 7 Fish Passage Project (2012)
  • Quiota Creek Crossing 1 Fish Passage Project (2013)
  • Quiota Creek Crossing 3 Fish Passage Project (2015)
  • Quiota Creek Crossing 0A Fish Passage Project (2015)
  • Quiota Creek Crossing 4 Fish Passage Project (2016)
  • Quiota Creek Crossing 5 Fish Passage Project (2018)
  • Quiota Creek Crossing 9 Fish Passage Project (2018)
  • Quiota Creek Crossing 8 Fish Passage Project (2019)

A summary of the effort and brief description of each of these projects can be seen through a Story Map that allows interactive browsing from a complete watershed view to specific projects including designs, construction details, funding, etc.

The link to the Story Map can be found here, or by scanning the QR code below with your smartphone.

Link to Story Map