The Okanagan Water Board has announced the recipients of its annual $350,000 in grant funding.
The funds will go towards 16 local projects that will address water challenges across the Okanagan Valley.
In total, the board received 22 applications with a total request of more than $587,000.
“There was a very good response to the call for applications,” says Carolina Restrepo-Tamayo, obwb’s operations and grants manager, adding application numbers were back to pre-COVID levels.
Each year, the grant funding stream has a different theme that helps guide applications. This year’s theme was “from data to action for community resilience.”
One of the successful applications is the City of Kelowna’s project which will assess the potential effects of a proposed marina in Sutherland Bay by the Poplar Point intake.
“It is a very relevant topic,” explained Restrepo-Tamayo.
“Development is going to happen and there will likely be more boating on Okanagan Lake. What is the impact of this on water quality? The more aware we are of the issues, the more communities will be able to address concerns.”
She adds that the results of the study could also help other Okanagan municipalities when considering marina applications on the lake.
Another project funded this year is a Lower Chute Creek Restoration and Reconstruction project led by the recently-formed Chute Creek Stewardship Society.
The project will address flood protection and will work the the Penticton Indian Band and Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) to include traditional ecological knowledge to support salmon population restoration.
Including grants and in-kind donations from others, this year’s projects have combined budgets of over $3.37 million going toward water improvements in the Okanagan.
ONA – nluxʷluxʷɬcwix (lower Trout Creek) Restoration Year 2 – $ 10,000.00
ONA – Stream exchange on alluvial fans of the Okanagan Valley, Phase 3 – $29,000.00
ONA – Okanagan Reservoir Operation - Optimization Guidance – $30,000
City of Kelowna – Marinas and drinking water intakes on Okanagan Lake: A data-guided assessment of potential effects of a proposed marina in Sutherland Bay on the Poplar Point Intake – $24,000
Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship Society – Wetland & Riparian Stewardship in Kelowna – $20,000
Mission Creek Restoration Initiative (MCRI) – MCRI Restoration and Effectiveness Monitoring – $25,000
District of Lake Country – Wood Lake: What’s at Stake and What We Can do About It? – $25,000
Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program – Establishing the framework for a siwɬkʷ (Water) Responsibility Plan – $30,000
Chute Creek Stewardship Society – Lower Chute Creek Restoration and Reconstruction – $30,000
Town of Spallumcheen – Source Water Quality Sampling in Deep Creek – $20,000
Regional District of Central Okanagan – Understanding Groundwater Levels in Woodhaven Nature Conservancy Regional Park – $20,000
Armstrong Wetlands Association – Okanagan Street Wetland Enhancement & Education Project – $12,000
Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen – An Agricultural Purveyed Water Education Series – $15,000
District of Peachland – Sediment Transport Monitoring Program for Foreshore Flood Mitigation – $25,000
Westbank First Nation – Water Conservation – $20,000
Town of Oliver – Water Smart Ambassador - Building sustainable futures for community water use in the Town of Oliver and Oliver Irrigation District – $15,000
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