San Jose Fish Passage Project

Location: Santa Barbara County

Project Type: Restoration

Status: Current

Cost: $4,500,000

Funding Gap: $4,500,000

Area Affected: 1.03 acres

Project Footprint: 2.1 stream miles

Assembly District: 37

Senate District: 19

Congressional District: 24

Project Lead/Grantee:
Anne Coates, Executive Director, Cachuma Resource Conservation District: (805) 455-2820

San Jose Creek is the largest sub-watershed within the Goleta Slough watershed, which is designated a Core 1 watershed for southern California steelhead restoration in the Southern California Steelhead Recovery Plan (NMFS 2012). The creek has perennial flows and high-quality steelhead habitat in the upper watershed, but access to the upper creek is impeded by three fish passage barriers. South Coast Habitat Restoration (SCHR) and partners have completed 100% Administrative Engineering Designs.

The project will implement the 100% administrative engineering designs by removing an obsolete dam (Barrier #1), an Arizona road crossing (Barrier #2) and a culverted earthen road crossing (Impediment #1) on San Jose Creek. This project will allow steelhead to reach over two miles of currently inaccessible, high quality spawning and rearing habitat. SCHR is currently working with landowners and funders to move into project implementation.