Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Struggling for trout while ponds dry to puddles

Conservation efforts in San Diego streams

“Rainbow trout numbers dwindling in remote locations where they were once plentiful.”
“Rainbow trout numbers dwindling in remote locations where they were once plentiful.”

San Diego Trout is an ad-hoc consortium of outdoor enthusiasts, scientists, conservationists, and consultants who share the common goal of improving and maintaining San Diego's wild trout fisheries in as many as possible of the 58 historic trout or steelhead streams in San Diego County”. On June 24, 1999, the organization performed several plants of trout in small waterways throughout the region, hoping to reintroduce lost populations and bolster other dwindling numbers in remote locations where trout were once plentiful.

Headwaters Habitat Restoration

The plants centered on Kitchen Creek, the San Luis Rey River, Pine Valley Creek, and Boulder Creek – the latter being the most difficult as it entailed a half-mile hike with five-gallon buckets, modified with taped-on aerators while “watching out for rattlesnakes”. Approximately 450 rainbow trout were planted in Boulder Creek, just above and below a small pool - named the Mine Pool for its proximity to an old 19th century gold mine. Within fifteen minutes, the three-to-eight inch ‘sub-catchables’ were feeding on insects, obviously taking to their new home.

Sponsored
Sponsored
"Rainbow trout were planted in Boulder Creek, near the Mine Pool."

In 2012, the San Diego River Park Foundation was contacted by a local group of fly fishing conservationists, San Diego Fly Fishers, about a small population of rainbow trout barely hanging on in Boulder Creek near Descanso. There, in the upper San Diego River watershed, the small population of trout was threatened by drought, fire (and subsequent erosion), and a call for action was answered by several donors, resulting in the purchase of a total of just over thirteen acres bordering the creek and Gold Mine Pond. By 2014, the pond had dried to a puddle and most of the fish had disappeared.

"They continued their struggle to return the creek to its natural state."

Still, the conservationists continued their struggle to return the creek to its natural state and save the native species that would normally thrive there. Their efforts include removing non-native and diseased plants and planting new ones, adding interpretive signs, creating a small plant nursery, and adding a real-time water monitoring station and new wildlife cameras. A recent survey of the area and project showed progress, but there is still a call for volunteers to help restore the habitat. As for the anglers that brought the declining situation of the area to light, their conservation effort has earned the San Diego Fly Fishers a United States Department of Agriculture Certificate of Appreciation for “outstanding volunteer performance and leadership in support of fisheries and wilderness”.

"Their effort has earned the San Diego Fly Fishers a US Department of Agriculture Certificate of Appreciation."

Monthly, on the first, fourth, and fifth Saturday, volunteers can help the San Diego River Park Foundation. This week, they are working to restore an oak woodland along Boulder Creek. Though volunteers need to dress appropriately and bring at least 32 ounces of drinking water, all other supplies will be provided. Community service hours may be verified. For full location information and to RSVP please contact volunteer at sandiegoriver.org or call (619) 297-7380.

"A recent survey of the area and project showed progress, but there is still a call for volunteers"

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Mary Catherine Swanson wants every San Diego student going to college

Where busing from Southeast San Diego to University City has led
“Rainbow trout numbers dwindling in remote locations where they were once plentiful.”
“Rainbow trout numbers dwindling in remote locations where they were once plentiful.”

San Diego Trout is an ad-hoc consortium of outdoor enthusiasts, scientists, conservationists, and consultants who share the common goal of improving and maintaining San Diego's wild trout fisheries in as many as possible of the 58 historic trout or steelhead streams in San Diego County”. On June 24, 1999, the organization performed several plants of trout in small waterways throughout the region, hoping to reintroduce lost populations and bolster other dwindling numbers in remote locations where trout were once plentiful.

Headwaters Habitat Restoration

The plants centered on Kitchen Creek, the San Luis Rey River, Pine Valley Creek, and Boulder Creek – the latter being the most difficult as it entailed a half-mile hike with five-gallon buckets, modified with taped-on aerators while “watching out for rattlesnakes”. Approximately 450 rainbow trout were planted in Boulder Creek, just above and below a small pool - named the Mine Pool for its proximity to an old 19th century gold mine. Within fifteen minutes, the three-to-eight inch ‘sub-catchables’ were feeding on insects, obviously taking to their new home.

Sponsored
Sponsored
"Rainbow trout were planted in Boulder Creek, near the Mine Pool."

In 2012, the San Diego River Park Foundation was contacted by a local group of fly fishing conservationists, San Diego Fly Fishers, about a small population of rainbow trout barely hanging on in Boulder Creek near Descanso. There, in the upper San Diego River watershed, the small population of trout was threatened by drought, fire (and subsequent erosion), and a call for action was answered by several donors, resulting in the purchase of a total of just over thirteen acres bordering the creek and Gold Mine Pond. By 2014, the pond had dried to a puddle and most of the fish had disappeared.

"They continued their struggle to return the creek to its natural state."

Still, the conservationists continued their struggle to return the creek to its natural state and save the native species that would normally thrive there. Their efforts include removing non-native and diseased plants and planting new ones, adding interpretive signs, creating a small plant nursery, and adding a real-time water monitoring station and new wildlife cameras. A recent survey of the area and project showed progress, but there is still a call for volunteers to help restore the habitat. As for the anglers that brought the declining situation of the area to light, their conservation effort has earned the San Diego Fly Fishers a United States Department of Agriculture Certificate of Appreciation for “outstanding volunteer performance and leadership in support of fisheries and wilderness”.

"Their effort has earned the San Diego Fly Fishers a US Department of Agriculture Certificate of Appreciation."

Monthly, on the first, fourth, and fifth Saturday, volunteers can help the San Diego River Park Foundation. This week, they are working to restore an oak woodland along Boulder Creek. Though volunteers need to dress appropriately and bring at least 32 ounces of drinking water, all other supplies will be provided. Community service hours may be verified. For full location information and to RSVP please contact volunteer at sandiegoriver.org or call (619) 297-7380.

"A recent survey of the area and project showed progress, but there is still a call for volunteers"
Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Born & Raised offers a less decadent Holiday Punch

Cognac serves to lighten the mood
Next Article

Too $hort & DJ Symphony, Peppermint Beach Club, Holidays at the Zoo

Events December 19-December 21, 2024
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader