Southern Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are thought to represent about 1% of the historic population and most of the Santa Maria River run is thought to have continued up the Sisquoc River to spawn. Major dams on the Santa Ynez, Ventura, and Santa Clara Rivers prevent steelhead from accessing hundreds of miles of habitat and have drastically reduced the steelhead runs.
Southern Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are thought to represent a small percentage of the historical population. The majority of the Santa Maria River run is believed to have continued up the Sisquoc River to spawn. Major dams on the Santa Ynez, Ventura, and Santa Clara Rivers prevent Steelhead from accessing hundreds of miles of habitat, thereby drastically reducing their runs.