Topanga Creek’s Rescued Southern California Steelhead Trout Find New Home in Arroyo Hondo Creek After Palisades Fire

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Gaviota, CA – [March 7,2025] – In a significant conservation effort, over 200 critically endangered Southern California steelhead trout, rescued from Topanga Creek following the devastating Palisades Fire in January 2025, have been successfully relocated to The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County’s Arroyo Hondo Preserve. This release made possible through a partnership between The Land Trust, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains (RCDSMM) marks an important step in the preservation of the region’s native fish populations and their habitats.

“We’ve been holding our breath for weeks to see if this delicate transfer would be successful. We are so pleased to be able to share that the fish appear to have survived and are engaged in normal activities,” said Meredith Hendricks, Executive Director of the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County.