Title: The Raya Fish Passage Restoration Project

Cost: $700,000
Goals: Improve fish passage
Funders: California Department of Fish and Game, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Earth Island Institute, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Partners: California Department of Fish and Game, California Conservation Corps, VJS Biological Consulting, Peter Lapidus Construction, Carpinteria Creek Watershed Coalition, Winzler and Kelly, Michael Love and Associates, Stoecker Ecological, Santa Barbara County Flood Control District

The Raya steelhead restoration project involved the removal of two low flow crossings on Gobernador Creek, the major tributary to Carpinteria Creek. SCHR secured permits and construction funding for the project and managed the construction of the project. As part the Raya project two redundant crossings on a single property were removed and replaced with a single bridge. The construction phase of the project was also completed in 2008. Re-vegetation occurred shortly thereafter with native riparian trees and shrubs.

In conjunction with other completed and planned projects, the community goal of opening up passage to the upstream natural barrier to steelhead in the head waters of Gobernador Creek is now complete since the removal of the Upper Gobernador crossing in 2011.