When we complete a project, we get that feeling of accomplishment. We are aware that there’s so much more to do, but every project represents a small victory toward the goal of restoring habitat for critical species. We are thrilled to share the successful completion of a monumental effort representing how we can succeed in our mission: the Wheeler Gorge Fish Passage Project.

The project, which reached completion in December 2025, was a multi-year effort that opened 13 miles of upstream habitat. We partnered with the U.S. Forest Service/Los Padres National Forest to remove four fish passage barriers on the North Fork Matilija and Bear creeks. These barriers, known as “Arizona crossings,” were rudimentary concrete structures that had long prevented the federally endangered Southern Steelhead Trout from navigating upstream to their spawning grounds.

Beyond the structures, we restored riparian habitat at all four sites, collaborating with the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy to plant over 1,000 native plants, with assistance from the California Conservation Corps.

This kind of work is not possible without a broad, dedicated network. We extend our deepest thanks to our partners, Los Padres National Forest, and our generous funders: the Wildlife Conservation Board, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and Patagonia. This partnership and collaboration is a great example of how we can work together to maintain and improve these watersheds and Forest resources for current and future generations.

Our work is an act of “putting things back where they belong”. The story of this effort has even been captured in a micro-short film, Trout Camp Fish Passage Restoration in Wheeler Gorge CA.

We invite you to read more about this and other projects on our updated website, https://schabitatrestoration.org/. Your continued support inspires us to create a more balanced world, where wildlife, wilderness, and waterways get the focus they deserve.

Warmly,
Mauricio Gomez
Founder and Director
South Coast Habitat Restoration