Santa Margarita River Fish Passage Project

The proposed project will provide 90% design plans for remediation of two key steelhead passage barriers on Santa Margarita River, comprising an abandoned Sandia Creek ford river crossing and a currently active Sandia Creek bridge that cross the Santa Margarita River near the confluence with Sandia Creek. This project provides the biological, hydrologic, geomorphic, and structural analysis of the project site to inform selection of fish passage enhancement alternatives and results in the recommendation of a preferred alternative ready for on-the-ground implementation.

This project leverages earlier funding for the SMR Steelhead Assessment led by Trout Unlimited- South Coast Chapter, and furthers effective fish passage work in San Diego, Orange and Riverside Counties in Southern California. The project will fund work of an environmental consultant with fish passage design engineering expertise to further evaluate and address these barriers including a site plan, grade control structure plan and sections, ford removal, civil and roadway design if needed, streambed restoration, and engineer’s cost estimate for review and approval.