‘A Resource for Okanagan Lakeshore Living’ promotes and encourages stewardship actions that can be taken to improve and effectively manage the Okanagan Lake shoreline while supporting flood preparedness. This resource can be used by Okanagan residents, developers, Realtors, environmental professionals, governments, and other large lake communities. Funding to develop this resource was provided by Environment and Climate Change Canada, RDCO, the Okanagan Basin Water Board Water Conservation and Quality Improvement grant, and the Real Estate Foundation of BC.
‘A Resource for Okanagan Lakeshore Living’ was recently presented to the Central Okanagan and Okanagan-Similkameen Regional District Boards, and a printed summary of this resource is being mailed out to local lakeshore residents.
This resource was developed to offer practical solutions on how Okanagan residents can help to:
- protect natural lakeshore areas
- improve water quality
- conserve sensitive species
- and enhance our region's resilience to more frequent flood events expected with climate change
This outreach project was a collaborative effort between the OCCP, the South Okanagan-Similkameen Collaborative Conservation Program (SOSCP), the Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO), and other local governments.
‘A Resource for Okanagan Lakeshore Living’ promotes and encourages stewardship actions that can be taken to improve and effectively manage the Okanagan Lake shoreline while supporting flood preparedness.
This resource was developed in response to an update of the Okanagan Lake Foreshore Inventory and Mapping, which was completed in the fall of 2016, and revealed that only 41% of the shoreline of Okanagan Lake remains naturally vegetated. If the current rate of loss was maintained, the entire lakeshore would be developed within the next 1-2 generations. The pressure to develop the lakeshore has become much stronger since the subsequent spring flooding events of 2017 and 2018. Key actions and recommendations to help reverse this trend are identified in the report [PDF], including enhancing information resources for local lakeshore residents.
‘A Resource for Okanagan Lakeshore Living’ promotes and encourages stewardship actions that can be taken to improve and effectively manage the Okanagan Lake shoreline while supporting flood preparedness. This resource can be used by Okanagan residents, developers, Realtors, environmental professionals, governments, and other large lake communities. Funding to develop this resource was provided by Environment and Climate Change Canada, RDCO, the Okanagan Basin Water Board Water Conservation and Quality Improvement grant, and the Real Estate Foundation of BC.
There are ongoing efforts across the valley for flood planning including the Regional District’s preparation of a Regional Floodplain Management Plan to better understand the risks and what can be done to reduce potential damage from flooding and prepare for future flood events in the Central Okanagan. Urban and rural development has caused significant changes to the lakefront landscape. A collaborative effort by all Okanagan residents and communities is required to help slow the loss of natural areas along the lake by enhancing and restoring natural ecosystems.