The West Fork of the San Gabriel River, within the National Monument, is a place like no other: close to a major metropolitan area; protected as part of a national monument; accessible to biking fly fishers along a seven-mile stretch of a beautiful Southern California canyon. It holds a state designation of a “wild and scenic river,” one of two in SoCal, and is home to four iconic fishing platforms meant to enhance the outdoor experience for disabled fishers. In the past, the Forest Service, which is tasked with its upkeep, offered a key for those disabled fishers who wished to drive past the locked gate up the canyon to use the ramps. In all, this was one of the most accessible areas in which to catch wild trout.

“I don’t know of any other place in the state of California where (people in wheelchairs) can go and fish on a wild-trout stream,” William Brown, a U.S. Forest Service biologist, told the Los Angeles Times in 1992. I know there are other facilities in Northern California where you can fish on a regular stream, but on a wild-trout stream, this is it.”

Built in the 1970s, before the Americans with Disabilities Act defined disability rights as civil rights, the platforms’ creation used public and private money to offer a unique experience open to everyone.

Yet as of this writing, each of the four fishing platforms is unusable. It’s a situation Dave Baumgartner, president of the volunteer group Fisheries Resources Volunteer Corps, finds both frustrating and untenable.

“FRVC and possibly other conservation volunteer groups routinely maintained these ramps through 2019 with no interference from the federal and state agencies,” Baumgartner said in an email. “After the Bobcat Fire in 2020 the West Fork was closed to the public until 2022 (my best recollection). Once the public was allowed access, FRVC inspected the ramps and informed the Forest Service of our plans to remove the sediment and vegetation from the ramps.”

But that renovation never happened, for several reasons, including the presence of Santa Ana sucker habitat, a threatened species. This small fish lives in only three Southern California river basins, San Gabriel, Los Angeles and Santa Ana.

“Lots of factors delayed potential removal and replacement of the fishing platforms along the West Fork of the San Gabriel River,” Forest Service Public Affairs Officer Dana Dierkes said. She cited several reasons including moving earmarked funds for the diabled ramps granted through The Great American Outdoors Act to other more expeditious projects, continued Bobcat Fire debris removal by Public Works and “additional consultation … needed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), due to threatened and endangered species that inhabit the project area.”

Jennifer Pareti, a senior environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, agreed, saying, “The Angeles National Forest is federal land, and typically CDFW is not involved with USFS maintenance actions.” But the Santa Ana Sucker, a federally threatened species, is protected by the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) through the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The Forest Service “is required to have a Biological Opinion through a Section 7 Consultation.” A Section 7 Consultation basically means that any action taken by the Forest Service can’t harm the Santa Ana Sucker.

Federal bureaucracy can make any restoration effort a challenge, including restoring the four disabled fishing platforms. This permitting process can take several months to several years.

Yet, as Bumgartner noted, “The real frustrating aspect to this whole scenario is that the Forest Service allows OHV stream crossings across SAS habitat. They allow, or have made little or no steps to mitigate recreational dam building on all San Gabriel River forks, which severely impacts SAS habitat and disrupts spawning success.”

Project Healing Waters is “a leading nonprofit in therapeutic outdoor recreation, using the sport of fly fishing as an intervention,” according to its website. When asked about the situation on the West Fork, local leader Cruz Orlenas replied,

“Anytime access to a fishing location is made available, it is always  welcomed by Veterans.

“Keep in mind that many Vets are not wheel chair bound but have difficulty in walking. Access ramps are always helpful for easy access to fishing spots. Many Vets use walkers or canes or have artificial arms or legs and benefit from ramp use. Anytime a Vet can have easy access, it makes that Vet feel that someone cares and wants them to continue to enjoy the sport of fly fishing and the comrades they fish with.”

Meanwhile, The Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office proposes to reestablish the Santa Ana sucker at Devil’s Canyon near Cogswell Dam in the Angeles National Forest.

“CDFW Region 5 is generally in support of Santa Ana sucker recovery actions that will benefit the recovery of Santa Ana sucker and move toward the species being removed from the endangered species list,” Pareti said. “The Santa Ana sucker co-evolved with our other native Southern California species, including rainbow trout. These two species are present together throughout the West, North and East forks of the San Gabriel River.”

See you on the river, Jim Burns