Thomas Fire BAER Assessment January 2018 Los Padres

Thomas Fire BAER Assessment January 2018 Los Padres National Forest

Fisheries Assessment Values at Risk § Federally endangered Southern California steelhead (SCS; Oncorhynchus mykiss) DPS populations and designated critical habitat § SCS populations and critical habitat at risk on the LPNF occur on 21 streams, including: 1. Cold Springs Creek 12. Sisar Creek 2. Montecito Creek 13. Santa Paula Creek 3. San Ysidro Creek 14. Lion Canyon Creek 4. Romero Creek 15. Rose Valley Creek 5. Sutton Canyon Creek 16. Howard Creek 6. Carpinteria Creek 17. Tule Creek 7. Gobernador Creek 18. Ladybug Creek 8. Eldorado Creek 19. Abadi Creek 9. Steer Creek 20. Sespe Creek 10. Matilija Creek 21. Ventura River 11. North Fork Matilija Creek

Fisheries Assessment Potential Threats: § Debris flows § Sedimentation § Water quality (increased ammonium, nitrate, phosphate, potassium and alkalinity) § Example: El Capitan Creek (Sherpa Fire, June 2016) buried in sediment and debris flows after an intense thunderstorm on January 20, 2017 in the upper watershed. Refugio Pass rain gauge (#2540) measured >2” of rain in 1 hour. Risk Assessment: § Steelhead experience reduced survival and reproduction § Temporary loss of habitat due to altered physical, chemical, and biological parameters Probability of Damage or Loss: Very Likely. Magnitude of Consequences: High Overall Risk: High El Capitan Creek (before debris flows) El Capitan Creek (after debris flows)

Recommendations -- Treatments • No treatments recommended to protect steelhead populations and critical habitat – natural recovery recommended. • Post-fire treatments for fisheries are generally ineffective and have unintended consequences. Recommendations: • Post-fire monitoring of fish and critical habitat by local, state and federal agencies (e. g. , CDFW, NOAA) using non-BAER funding, including : 1. Steelhead in aforementioned streams designated as critical habitat should be monitored to evaluate post-fire effects. Snorkel surveys over several years will determine the status of populations and whether fish relocations are warranted. If this step is not taken, Step 2 should be considered. 2. Consider relocating fish to nearby streams unaffected by the fire with a common O. mykiss genome. 3. Water quality samples in above streams and rivers should be collected to elucidate chemical changes post-fire with potential consequences for all aquatic biota.