BEND, OR -- A new fish ladder will be dedicated on the Deschutes River, Wednesday. Experts say it’ll help native trout move freely between both sides of the North Canal Dam in Bend for the first time in more than 100 years.

Upper Deschutes Watershed Council Executive Director Ryan Houston says the $1.6-million dollar project is the result of about seven years of collaboration between three groups. "State Fish and Wildlife Department says, ‘we care about the fish and the health of that population;' the irrigators say, ‘we care about the river and the fish; we also care about our business operations;' and then we as a nonprofit, we say, ‘we care about the river; we also care about the community and the health of the community, which includes the farming community.’ And we ask, ‘How do we put it all together?’ So, these are projects that are fundamentally trying to be win/win."  He tells KBND News, "The irrigators put money in the bucket, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife put money in the bucket; then my organization went to the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, which is the state agency that issues grants for restoration projects, and we were able to secure a grant. So together, those three sources of funding made up the $1.6 million that was necessary."

Until now, fish from the Upper Deschutes, like Redband Trout, were blocked by the dam from mingling with those in the Middle Deschutes, which Houston says put some species at risk. He believes allowing the fish to co-mingle will strengthen their populations.