Department of Commerce

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) administers grant funds through the Restoration Center (RC), which invests funding and technical expertise in high-priority projects that restore the nation's coastal, marine, and migratory fish habitat. Through the RC, NOAA has provided grant funds to California State Parks (the project sponsor) to complete the Arroyo Sequit Creek Steelhead Barrier Removal in Leo Carrillo State Park in northern Los Angeles County, California. This project will remove structural barriers associated with the current road crossings which currently prevent endangered Southern California steelhead trout (Oncorhyncus mykiss) from reaching important upstream spawning and rearing habitat. To date, NOAA has provided approximately $75,000 to support engineering and design for the replacement of two dry weather crossings with full span bridges and the removal of one check dam. Together, with an anticipated $1.7 million in cost share from the State of California and non-profit partners, NOAA grant funding will restore steelhead access to the entire watershed (an estimated 4.5 miles), improve public safety and decrease maintenance costs associated with the current road crossings.

Because the Arroyo Sequit project involves the discharge of fill (i.e. soil) in wetlands that are protected by the Clean Water Act, the project sponsor will need to obtain permission in the form of a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit from the Army Corps of Engineers to proceed. Furthermore, since providing funding for this project is a federal action, NOAA must ensure that potential impacts to threatened and endangered species are appropriately considered and minimized. If any adverse affects are expected, NOAA will consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), as appropriate. Although no species are likely to be impacted that would require USFWS consultation, there may be species impacted that would require consultation with NMFS (i.e. endangered Southern California steelhead trout). Any impacts are likely to be minimal, as steelhead are not currently able to fully utilize the stream due to the existing barriers which are the focus of this project, and because all work will be completed during the construction season, when the creek is naturally dry and therefore no steelhead are present.