Community Environmental Council |

Events > Steelhead Festival Main

The 2007 Steelhead Festival

The 2007 festival was held Sunday, May 20th on Stearns Wharf, and included: educational booths from local organizations promoting watershed awareness and steelhead recovery efforts; an interactive art component by Paint Jam Parties; and served as a public unveiling of all eight 2007 steelhead sculptures. The day was kicked-off with a 5K Fun Run along the beautiful Santa Barbara waterfront--the trophies for qualifying finishers were cute gold trout! Following the run, the festival began and ran through the afternoon sharing materials and information with over 1,000 visitors. Early Monday morning after the event, the large steelhead sculptures 'migrated' up State Street to their display positions on the corners of many of the main insections. On August 17th the sculptures found their homes as various individuals and organizations bought them at the second annual Steelhead Auction. Held at the Watershed Resource Center at Arroyo Burro beach park, the auction raised funds to support future programs and projects designed to benefit the steelhead trout and their habitat!

This project was funded in part by the Community Events and Festivals Grant Program using funds provided by the City of Santa Barbara in partnership with the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission. Please click on our other 2007 sponsor's logos to visit their websites......

If you would like information about commissioning a sculpture contact Suzanne Feldman at 963-0583 x116 or email HERE


				l x

Steelhead Festival Background

This event brings attention to the Southern California steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Although once prevalent in our local creeks and ocean, this fish is now designated as a federally endangered species, due to the population’s dramatic decline to less than 1% of its historical population size in Southern California. But we’re working to change that! Visit CEC’s Watershed Restoration Program for more information. Current projects that are managed by the CEC to help remove migration barriers (such as culverts and low-flow road crossings) can be seen at the Carpinteria Creek Watershed Coalition website www.carpinteriacreek.org

These migration barriers and the destruction of streambank and aquatic habitat have eliminated many steelhead populations in Southern California, leading to the near extinction of this unique species. The Watershed Restoration Program works with landowners, nonprofit organizations, and local, state and federal agencies to improve conditions for steelhead through barrier removal and restoring streambank and aquatic habitat in local watersheds.

Working with other local organizations, the Watershed Restoration Program organized this unique, multidimensional event to draw attention to our fragile watersheds and the creatures that depend on them, such as the Southern California steelhead trout. We believe that by raising public awareness, we can gain support for protecting our watersheds, and improving creek habitat so that steelhead can return.

The 2006 Steelhead Festival

The Watershed Restoration Program of the CEC worked with numerous agencies and organizations to organize the first Santa Barbara Steelhead Festival in February of 2006.

On February 26, we kicked off the day with a 5K Run/Walk at 9 a.m. and then an all-day festival at the SB Zoo's hilltop site with live music by the Soledadeez and Antara and Delilah, educational activities, and information about how you can help the federally endangered Southern California steelhead trout.

The 2006 festival capped off a week of steelhead related events including the 24th annual statewide conference by California Salmonid Restoration Federation, which was held at the Veterans Memorial Building from Feb. 22 - 25, 2006.

Thank you to all of our 2006 Steelhead Festival Sponsors!