California urgently needs ecological restoration to reconnect fragmented habitats, improve water supply and quality, and build resilience to climate change. These efforts are essential — not just for protecting wildlife, but for supporting healthy, thriving communities.
For over 20 years, Sustainable Conservation has partnered with government agencies and restoration practitioners to accelerate the pace and scale of ecological restoration by developing and advancing expedited permitting tools. These tools create a more efficient regulatory path for habitat restoration, distinct from traditional development permitting, and ensure that vital environmental safeguards remain in place. Expedited restoration permits, including the ones Sustainable Conservation’s Accelerating Restoration program helped to establish, have proven to be effective levers in achieving the state’s ambitious restoration goals.
Investing in faster, more cost-effective regulatory processes for restoration pays dividends for both ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. This blog series will spotlight recent and upcoming restoration projects that leverage these efficient permitting pathways, showcasing how scaling up restoration is possible — and how improved permitting, Sustainable Conservation, and its partners are helping to make it happen.
About this Project
In San Luis Obispo County, Arroyo Grande Creek winds from Lopez Lake to the Pacific Ocean, supporting aquatic and riparian ecosystems, agricultural lands, and local communities along the way. However, like many California waterways, it has been significantly altered for flood control and water supply. One remnant of these historic modifications — a concrete stream gage built in 1939 by the U.S. Geological Survey — had become a serious impediment to steelhead trout.
Thanks to a coalition of local partners led by Creek Lands Conservation (CLC), this barrier has now been modified to allow federally threatened South-Central California Coast (SCCC) steelhead to once again access eight miles of upstream spawning and rearing habitat. According to CLC, barriers like the one on Arroyo Grande prevent the free migration of steelhead between the ocean and their freshwater spawning waters, consequently stranding them in isolated fragments of habitat. The organization saw this project as an opportunity to take a step towards a future where Central Coast streams provide uninterrupted, ancestral habitat for steelhead.
Before (left) and after (right) stream gage removal on Arroyo Grande Creek (Creek Lands Conservation)
The 80-year-old stream gage had been ranked as one the top ten barriers to steelhead in San Luis Obispo County, according to the Fish Passage Task Force. Steelhead trout, particularly juveniles, struggled to ascend the concrete weir — effectively cutting them off from high-quality upstream habitat. In-channel grading, demolition, and construction of a new concrete weir lowered the fish jump height, enabling passage for both adult and juvenile steelhead year-round — while preserving the infrastructure’s ability to supply crucial water level and flow data for informing releases from the Lopez Dam.
Whether large or small, all these efforts significantly benefit local populations of wild fish. Arroyo Grande Creek once supported substantial runs of steelhead, and fixing the stream gauge is a strategically important addition to the actions being taken to restore California’s legacy of abundant salmonids! Don Chartrand, Creek Lands Conservation Executive Director
Leveraging New Permitting Possibilities
This project utilized restoration-specific permits, most of which were developed with support from Sustainable Conservation:
Simplified permitting pathways are designed to make the permitting process for environmentally beneficial restoration more efficient, and save costs for project proponents, consultants, and agency staff while still providing robust environmental protection.
Photos of the stream gage removal site during various stages of project implementation (Creek Lands Conservation)
Pre-project biological assessments, hydrological monitoring, and input from diverse partners and groups from the get-go helped to balance ecological goals with community needs. Throughout the project, CLC worked closely with the County of San Luis Obispo, the City of Arroyo Grande, Lucia Mar Unified School District, California Conservation Corps, and multiple private landowners. Stillwater Sciences led the fish relocation during construction, while Papich Construction oversaw physical implementation. Post-construction revegetation was conducted by CLC and the California Conservation Corps.
The stream gage removal project also exemplifies how restoration projects often create meaningful local jobs and boosts the immediate area’s economy.
Every level of government was engaged in permitting and permissions for the project — including a Homeowner’s Association! Teamwork really is dream work. We had a great local construction company and subcontractors that understand implementing permitting conditions and a dynamite board member with construction experience. Our small but mighty staff connected all the dots, leveraging relationships that have become even stronger. Steph Wald, previous Watershed Program Manager at Creek Lands Conservation
Looking Ahead
Reconnecting 8 miles of upstream habitat is a major step forward for steelhead recovery in Arroyo Grande Creek. However, it’s just one small part of the Arroyo Grande Creek Watershed Management Plan, which aims to restore the watershed’s ecological integrity and enhance its capacity to support native species like steelhead. Through strategic partnerships, scientific monitoring, and community engagement, projects like the stream gage modification demonstrate how habitat restoration can coexist with — and even enhance — the infrastructure on which communities rely.
Signage posted at Arroyo Grande Creek about the project (Creek Lands Conservation)
Monitoring steelhead spawning activity by conducting redd surveys is a key way to evaluate the success of fish passage restoration efforts. Redds are gravel nests that female steelhead dig in streambed gravel to lay their eggs. CLC conducted multiple years of redd surveys on Arroyo Grande Creek prior to construction to assess whether any adult steelhead were successfully passing the stream gage to spawn upstream. CLC will continue conducting redd surveys following the stream gage modification to see if steelhead spawning activity has increased upstream of the gage, suggesting improved access to upstream locations. To stay updated on ongoing project efforts and monitoring results, please visit the project page.
By focusing on ecological function, equitable collaboration, and smart permitting, California restoration efforts like the one on Arroyo Grande Creek help bring salmonids back to streams where they belong — and create more resilient watersheds for generations to come. To see another example of how restoration-specific accelerated permitting can increase the impact and scale of habitat enhancement, check out our most recent Restoration Round-Up.
