When Pelton Dam was put in nearly 50 years ago, no provision was made for a fish ladder. This eliminated steelhead, sockeye, and chinook from the reaches above the dam.

In recent years, experiments have begun to return these fish. Chinook smoult were released in the Metolius River in an attempt to get them to use the Lake Billy Chinook Reservoir as their ocean. There is a small population of chinook that have continued to exist running up the Deschutes arm. However, it has been rather unsuccessful in the Metolius as the Metolius bull trout have feasted upon these smoult. Plans are in the works for returning steelhead to Crooked River and McKay Creek upper reaches.

The dam is being modified but not to provide a fish ladder. A device is being built at the dam to provide a current to attract downstream fish and capture them in a cage. They will then be trucked below the dam. Upstream fish will be trucked to the reservoir or rivers directly.

Should be interesting.