Habitat

Okanagan Basin Habitat

The aquatic and riparian habitat of the Okanagan has been greatly altered in the last 100 years.
Okanagan Lake
The North Arm of Okanagan Lake is less populated than other parts of the watershed.
Trapnet North Arm of Okanagan Lake
Penticton Channel The location of the present day Penticton Channel and the City of Penticton was once a meandering natural river and grasslands.
Rowboat on Okanagan River
Motor Boat on Okanagan River
Today you will find the Penticton Channel with an outlet dam at the upstream end coming out of Okanagan Lake.
Aerial of Okanagan Outlet Dam
Skaha Lake
Skaha Lake is the location of a potential release of Okanagan Sockeye Fry.
Historic Aerial of Skaha Lake and Penticton River	Present Day Aerial of Skaha Lake and Penticton Channel
Okanagan Falls Okanagan Falls, a disputed barrier to fish passage, was once the location of a historic Okanagan Nation fishery second only to that of Kettle Falls in the Columbia system. Okanagan Falls 1909
Vaseux Lake Vaseux Lake is a small lake in the system. The focus of Vaseux Lake Park is the preservation of riparian and wetland breeding habitat necessary to support the local wildlife. The area around Vaseux Lake has been a migratory bird and waterfowl sanctuary since 1923.
Vaseux Lake
McIntyre Dam
McIntyre Dam has been an upstream fish migration barrier since the 1950’s, but the dam was modified for fish passage in 2009. Sockeye salmon can now routinely migrate past McIntyre Dam and access the Okanagan River up to Skaha Lake Dam (Okanagan Falls), which is currently impassable.
Salmon at face of McIntyre Dam
Natural section
Only seven kilometres of naturally meandering channel remains in the area available to Okanagan Sockeye salmon. It is proving to be the most productive portion of the river for spawning.
Okanagan river colours
Channelized
Okanagan River Drop Structure1 downstream to Osoyoos Lake
Channelized section
Drop Structure
Cropped Okanagan River
Similkameen
Enloe Dam Similkameen
A major tributary to the Okanagan, the Similkameen flows into Okanagan River south of Osoyoos Lake on the Okanagan River. Enloe Dam, on the US portion of the similkameen does not allow salmon passage. This is supported by Okanagan Nation traditional knowledge that indicates that fish could not get past a historic barrier at the same location.