The county Resource Conservation District has released a management plan designed to improve our understanding of steelhead populations and recommend ways to reduce our consumption of water and remove barriers to fish migration.

Gilbert Gossett remembers watching the hundreds of silvery steelhead trout traveling up Apanolio Creek in the early 1970s, passing through a culvert near his home.

"You couldn’t walk 20 or 30 feet in the creek without running into a school of fingerlings," he recalls.

In those days, Apanolio Creek ran strongly. Fishermen downstream caught healthy, 8- to-10-inch steelhead, and Gossett’s culvert sat flush against the stream bed, with plenty of room for thefish to jump up and follow the creek to their primordial spawning grounds.

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Whether in the form of dams — some of which date back to the 1800s — or culverts, fish barriers are common on the San Mateo County coast. Apanolio Creek contains three culverts alone. Although they each pose problems for fish, the third and final one — near Gossett’s home — is the definitive barrier.

Julia Scott has a must-read story in the County Times on the district’s work to help salmon populations.  The two remaining culverts on Apanolio Creek are at the top of the list for removal.

The Humboldt Squid, a large, pugnacious predator, has shown up in local waters, reports the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

A mysterious sea creature, up to 7 feet long, weighing up to 100 pounds, with thousands of sharp barbs on its arms. It hunts in packs of hundreds, flying through the water at 25 mph, changing color.

With a parrot-like beak and strong arms, it attacks and tries to eat nearly anything it sees, including fish, scuba divers, even its own kind.

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Tom Mattusch, of El Granada, runs recreational fishing trips on his 53-foot charter boat, the Huli Cat, based in Half Moon Bay.

"This is like the creature from the black lagoon. They are very strange looking," he said with a chuckle. "Nobody here has ever caught anything like this.

The story suggests that the appearance of the squid, which are native to the ocean off South America, is an indication that their natural predators (such as large tuna, marlins and swordfish) have been reduced by fishing.

A man thrown out of his kayak three times by a great white shark that was gnawing on the boat’s prow Saturday morning off Bean Hollow State Beach, according to an AP story in the Merc.

"When he came up, he thought he had been hit by a boat, but when he looked the shark was still on the front of his kayak, latched on, gnawing on the kayak. He thought about it for a second and decided he better get back onto the kayak, even though it was still on the nose."

Prather scrambled back into his kayak, but the force of the attack had knocked his seat loose and he fell out two more times. The shark swam away, leaving Prather’s kayak with multiple scratches and punctures in its bottom.

The Coastside Land Trust is looking for volunteers for a morning of native habitat restoration at their Francis Beach properties in Half Moon Bay on Saturday, July 21 from 9 to noon. 

California State Parks will start the day with a brief presentation on the art and science of native habitat restoration.  The volunteers will then spend the rest of the morning removing non-natives (hemlock, radish and mustard) and exploring this beautiful area.

Gloves, tools and refreshments will be provided.  Please check in at the Francis Beach parking lot kiosk (at the end of Kelly Ave. in Half Moon Bay) for directions to the restoration site.  Parking fees will be waived.

More information at 650.284.5056.

When the air is reasonably free of mist and fog we can see them out there, marking the horizon. The Farallon Islands [Wikipedia] rise up enigmatic on the edge of the continental shelf, familiar and yet mysterious. The islands themselves are protected and off-limits. Few Coastsiders, though they often see them in the distance, have ventured the twenty-six miles out to visit with them.

Kenny Howell, in this third installment of his video series Messing Around In Boats takes us there on a scientific research vessel, NOAA’s Fulmar.

If you haven’t been to the Farallones this is a must-see fourteen minutes. (It took us over seven hours on the water.)

Kenny’s trip to the Farallon Islands was generously sponsored by the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.

Farallon Islands visit [14 mins] | Quicktime | Flash |

Courtesy of Montara Fog.

The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District will host a volunteer project to remove invasive, non-native yellow star thistle. The event will take place Saturday, July 14, from 8:30am to 1:30pm.

Volunteers and District rangers will be hand-pulling invasive, non-native yellow star thistle. Hand-pulling is an effective technique to use on this invasive weed at this time of year.

Location and directions will be provided when you sign up, but the release promises "incredible views from the Santa Cruz Mountains". Refreshments, instruction, and all of the necessary project tools will be provided. No experience is necessary. Individuals, families, and friends are all welcome. To sign up, or for more information, contact [email protected] or call 650.691.1200.