Atascadero and Maria Ygnacio Steelhead Restoration Design

The Goleta Slough Complex is in coastal Santa Barbara County, about six miles northwest of the City of Santa Barbara. The eastern subwatershed of the complex is made up of the Atascadero watershed with Maria Ygnacio as the major tributary. Atascadero and Maria Ygnacio Creeks have consistent records of resident trout observed throughout the watershed and a few adult steelhead have been documented in the lower/mid sections of the watersheds. The Goleta Slough Complex is rated as a Core 2 watershed in the Southern California Steelhead Recovery Plan (NOAA, 2012).

There are multiple barriers to steelhead migration in this watershed, and this project addresses six major barriers within the Goleta Slough Complex beginning along Atascadero Creek and continuing upstream on Maria Ygnacio Creek. The six sites include four Santa Barbara County Public Works-owned concrete grade control channels, the Union Pacific Railroad crossing, and one concrete grade control structure owned by the Cachuma Operations and Maintenance Board. The goal of this project is to develop engineering designs for these six major creek barriers with the focus of restoring steelhead passage and enhancing riparian habitat.