10/30/09 Bend

In this ‘You ask; We answer' Alissa asks, "When walking by the canal, I have noticed fish. How do fish get in the canal?? What will happen to these fish when the canal is all piped?"

Some of the fish may have been put in the canal by people who want to fish. A few years ago fish screens were installed in the canal to keep them from getting through.

"The fish screens are all certified by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife so they are state of the art. All the canals in the Bend area have proper fish screens on them. So if someone does see a fish, it's just going to be by happenstance," says Steve Johnson with Central Oregon Irrigation District.

Despite the screens, there are reports of fish getting through. During the winter, there is no water in the canals so the fish won't survive.