BEND, Ore. — A fish ladder set to be built at a Bend dam is expected to unite populations of redband trout that have lived separately for more than a century.
The Bend Bulletin reports Upper Deschutes Watershed Council Executive Director, Ryan Houston, says the fish populations that can be found upstream and downstream of the North Canal Dam need to intermix to maintain healthy populations.
The 6-foot-wide and 5-foot-high fish ladder will be made out of stainless steel and will be on the east side of the canyon.
Houston says the project will cost more than $1.6 million. It is being funded by a grant from the state Watershed Enhancement Board, funds from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and three irrigation districts that use the dam.
