Wildlife in Santa Monica Mountains expected to see positive impact from rainy season

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (KABC) -- The benefits of this year's rain is on full display in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Rosi Dagit, senior conservation biologist for the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains, said all the rainwater has rejuvenated the landscape and Topanga creek.

"These rains have completely reset the whole system," Dagit said. "They give this pulse of new growth and new life to everything. And, after the ten years of drought it's really a pleasure to see that because it was starting to get kind of dire."

Dagit said the rain had allowed for the creek to be connected to the ocean for over 100 days this year.

"Most years this creek is connected to the ocean for less than five days in a year," she said.

Also, Dagit said that now allows for the potential recovery of the Southern California steelhead trout.

"They can connect from the ocean into the creek or the baby fish can get from the creek into the ocean to go out to get big and strong," she said.

Dagit said the drought had shrunk the creek into almost nothing so having water flow out to sea will help out the wildlife that call the canyon home for years to come.

"It's wasted if you think of it only in human terms. It's not wasted if you think about how the ecosystem needs it," she said.

She said the rain will help us see a population growth in animals like rabbits, hawks and owls.