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Contact: John Dell'Osso, 415-464-5135
The National Park Service's Coho and Steelhead Restoration project has completed a fish passage structure for steelhead and coho salmon on Blue Line Creek in Point Reyes National Seashore. This project is part of an on-going effort by the National Park Service to improve habitat for these endangered species. During the early 1930s, a culvert was placed on Blue Line Creek during the construction of Highway 1. This culvert effectively isolated the upper watershed from use by coho salmon and steelhead as they were unable to swim up the culvert during the relatively low flow periods of early winter. Completion of this project will once again allow coho salmon to access the upper 2.5 miles of the watershed. Coho or silver salmon were listed as federally-threatened species in 1996 along with steelhead trout. There has been a 94% decline in coho salmon statewide since the 1940s and the watersheds around Point Reyes National Seashore contain approximately 10% of the coho salmon in central California. The Blue Line Creek watershed has also been used by steelhead trout as a spawning and rearing area. This stream is very productive and should be capable of producing large numbers of both coho and steelhead fry. With the completion of this project it is hoped that coho salmon and steelhead trout will reestablish a viable spawning and rearing population in the Olema Valley watershed. -NPS- |
Last updated: February 28, 2015