Rescue and Recovery of Aquatic Species

Trout rescued from Topanga Creek before the rains last January. Photo credit: Matthew Benton.

The last known population of southern California steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the Santa Monica Mountains survived the Palisades fires as it swept through Topanga Canyon. But the atmospheric river that was to follow just weeks after the fire brought an equal threat of localized extinction to the species.

The destructive wildfire had stripped the slopes of stabilizing vegetation through the canyon. A heavy downpour could send suffocating amounts of sediment into Topanga Creek which would flush into Topanga Lagoon, creating a death trap for all fish downstream. This enormous flow of ash, sediment and debris flowing into the creek could wipe out the southern steelhead population.

Several agencies formed the rescue team to save southern California steelhead. Photo credit: Matthew Benton

 As part of statewide efforts to help fire victims and wildlife recover from the Southern California fires, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) quickly coordinated a rescue mission of southern steelhead in Topanga Creek before the rains.  With the help of teams from the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains, California Conservation Corps, Watershed Stewards Program, Cachuma Operation and Maintenance Board, and California State Parks, the crew went fishing in the early morning on January 23.

Working in groups along two miles of the creek equipped with backpack electrofishers (guns that briefly stun the fish for capture), nets and buckets, they successfully caught and removed 271 endangered trout. Most of the netted fish were no bigger than 12 inches in length. The snorkel survey conducted by the RCDSMM in November documented over 500 trout. This effort rescued over 50% of the remaining estimated population.

Rescue team at work in Topanga Creek. Photo credit: Matthew Benton

The 271 captured trout were first relocated to CDFW’s nearby Fillmore Fish Hatchery and then transported to Arroyo Hondo Creek on the Central Coast. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported that there’s already about a hundred newly hatched trout after they started to spawn the next generation at the new location. “Topanga Creek was heavily impacted by sediment flows during the storms and any fish remaining were lost. It will take several years and some good rains to restore habitat, but we are hopeful that in a few years we can return the trout to Topanga,” noted Rosi Dagit, Principal Conservation Biologist for the RCDSMM.

“These fish are incredible. They are adapted to drier summers and warmer water temperatures; they have a really complex life where they can either stay in the creek their whole life or go to the ocean and come back,” said CDFW Environmental Program Manager Kyle Evans. “They're a very adaptable, important, iconic species whose success represents a healthy watershed, and healthy watersheds mean better water quality for us all. Protecting this population and their home habitats isn’t just good for the trout, it benefits the Californians of this community and beyond.”

Tidewater goby rescue. Photo courtesy of RCDSMM 

Earlier in January, the RCDSMM team, in collaboration with USFWS, Dr. Brenton Spies and others also captured and transferred the federally endangered tidewater gobies from Topanga Lagoon. Despite it being the time of year when the camouflaged-color tiny fish reside under rocks and vegetation, the rescue team caught 760 healthy gobies, well exceeding an anticipated goal of 400 - 500. They are being held at the Aquarium of the Pacific and Heal the Bay aquariums until they can return to their home.

Previous to the Palisades in December 2024, the Franklin Fire caused significant habitat damage in the lower part of Malibu Canyon from Rindge Dam three miles down into Malibu. As critical habitat in Malibu Creek also burned, baseline habitat mapping to document post-fire conditions and recovery over time is currently being performed.

Watch the Topanga Creek rescue effort in a short video directed by Matthew Benton and edited by Zach Edwards:

Fish for the Future | Rescuing an endangered species following the LA wildfires on Vimeo