Carmel River Steelhead Association

08/21/2026

Esselen Tribe of Monterey County is allowing the firefighters to use a landing area for staging Helicopters and other resources to fiight the Timber fire in Big Sur.

08/12/2026

✨In Memory Of✨
Tom Little Bear
Chairman of the Esselen Tribe
May 29, 1960-August 1, 2026

Little Bear was a partner and close friend of the Carmel River Steelhead Association. But most importantly was his devotion to the land, the forest, the river and the steelhead. Tom had amazing energy throughout his life. The better part being spent honoring, preserving and
emerging with Mother Nature. His love and connection with spiritual world was powerful. Little Bear’s passing leaves a huge hole for the tribe to fill but his decades of work leave behind a well established trail to be followed.
-Steve Park, CRSA President

08/03/2026

Tom Little Bear Nason was a great force for restoration of the Carmel River Steelhead, instrumental in the removal of San Clemente Dam and other significant land conservation successes in our beautiful Carmel Valley. Our Condolences to Tom's Family and the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County.

07/20/2026

The Carmel River Steelhead Association would like to express our Gratitude to CA State Coastal Conservancy. Due to a grant from CSCC we have been able to replace 30 year old electro fishing units with new digital Smith Root APEX machines. Plus a new supply of PIT tags, a tag storage tablet, scalpels and other supplies. This has brought us up to the most current standards and streamlined our processes.

Also we greatly appreciate the dozens of volunteers who have attended Steelhead rescue and relocation events this summer. So far this summer CRSA volunteers have succeeded in saving over 5000 juvenile Carmel River Steelhead, a federally listed species. See CarmelRiverSteelhead.org for more information!

We Thank You 😊

06/26/2026

🌊 Discover the Carmel River’s iconic steelhead trout!

Join CRSA President Steve Park for an engaging talk about the fascinating life of the steelhead trout and the importance of protecting the Carmel River watershed.
After the presentation, enjoy a guided walk down to the Carmel River to experience this beautiful ecosystem firsthand.

📍 Palo Corona Regional Park Discovery Center
📅 Sunday, June 28
🕙 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Whether you’re a nature enthusiast, angler, or simply curious about one of California’s most remarkable native fish, this is a wonderful opportunity to learn from a local expert and explore the river together.

We hope to see you there!

06/10/2026

Andrew Molera Park is in Big Sur California and the incomparable Coast Highway! This Saturday, June 13th a great event to celebrate State Parks Week.

🪶Join the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County for California State Parks Week at Andrew Molera State Park!
🌿Come meet Tribal community members, explore cultural displays, enjoy traditional songs and stories, and participate in hands-on activities for youth and families.
🐝💫Learn about the enduring connection between the Esselen people and their ancestral homelands while celebrating the rich cultural heritage of Big Sur.
📍 Andrew Molera State Park, Big Sur
🗓 Saturday, June 13
⏰ 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
This event is free and open to the public. We hope to see you there! More details can be found in the link in our bio.

06/01/2026

CRSA will show a slide presentation on the health of Carmel River Steelhead tomorrow. FRIDAY. In PG at 6:30 in the PG Art Center!

"Hello Everyone,

I’m excited to invite you all to a fun evening on Friday, June 5th. I’ll be presenting a slideshow on the last 100 years of the Carmel River steelhead population’s health, including their historical abundance, current status, and the challenges they face today. You'll also learn about the work that the Carmel River Steelhead Association (CRSA) is doing to help restore and protect this iconic species. We’ll be gathering at the Pacific Grove Art Center, 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm, in the D**e Gallery.

Even better, the PG Art Center will have an exhibit that we, along with Big Sur Land Trust, Elkhorn Slough Foundation, and Surfrider Foundation, are part of! Each organization has artists showcasing their interpretations of environmental issues. A QR code will give admirers access to the artwork that shows them on their phone what is happening to the subject (Carmel River, for example) with plastics floating down the river. There will be complimentary hors d’oeuvres and a bar where you can purchase your favorite beverage while enjoying the artwork and visiting with fellow conservation supporters.

Come for the steelhead story, stay for the art.

Hope to see you all there,
Steve Park
CRSA President

05/01/2026

We are enjoying (for fish!) cool and showery Spring weather in Cachagua. There was significant spawning this season. However a very dry March threatened the health of all the eggs developing in the gravel nests (redds). The "March Parch" as its now being called was notable for record high temps and lack of rain. CRSA was very concerned that many of the redds could be dried up and destroyed. April brought some much cooler weather, 30 degrees cooler, and significant beneficial rain. I even spotted a "spring steelhead" on April 22nd. Right where the previous steelhead were seen as i shared here from April 2nd. This indicates a fish spawning on top of an existing nest. Not ideal. It is likely that fish are not finding enough available gravels of the right size and are forced to spawn on top of other redds.

04/18/2026

Follow up observations of the spawning site posted on last April 2 reveal progress of natural life history. Steelhead complete the nest building. Multiple males were present as well as females using this gravel zone. 9 days later the adult Steelhead have left. If they survive, unlike Pacific Salmon, the post spawn migration occurs. These spent fish, known as "kelts", make their way back downstream to the Carmel Lagoon. This transition habitat in the estuary is a salt and fresh water mix which allows them to again acclimate to the salry brine of the Pacific Ocean. Making the cycle complete again to a saltwater creature. Covering untold miles of the Pacific, gorging on wild food such as krill, squid and forage fish like anchovy.