snpintktn (Penticton): After years of hard work, advocacy, planning, and now successful implementation while overcoming challenges, the new Okanagan Dam Fish Passage is about to open! The water will be released and permanently flowing, providing salmon unimpeded access from Okanagan River into their Okanagan Lake historical spawning habitat. The Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) invites you to join us and celebrate the opening of the fish passage:
Date: August 18, 2025 Time: 10:00 am
Location: East side of Okanagan Lake Dam, Riverside Drive Penticton, BC
For close to 100 years, salmon, a keystone species inextricably linked to the health of Okanagan Lake and its ecosystem, have had no or limited access to the lake and its tributaries.
This innovative project led by the Syilx Nation, has extremely important cultural significance. The unique design and complex build in addition to the extensive collaboration and partnerships has been a huge accomplishment. The fish passage bypasses Okanagan Lake dam, allowing Steelhead, Rainbow Trout, Sockeye, Chinook, and Kokanee to ascend into 350 square kilometres of Okanagan Lake, and access 13 tributaries, through differing migration times and during drought conditions, while invasive species are deterred by an adjustable barrier.
For the Syilx Okanagan people, this project is much more than infrastructure; it is a cultural reconnection of siwɬkʷ, water and the tmixʷ all living things. To have salmon be able to freely make their way into kłusxnitkʷ a reflection of deep responsibilities and relationships. Salmon, or ntytyix, are sacred to the Syilx people. They are considered relatives, not resources, and their return marks a powerful act of environmental and cultural healing.
ONA expresses immense gratitude and appreciation to everyone involved. Years of advocacy, partnership development, public education and a tremendous amount of hard work have led to one of the greatest success stories in history – the salmon are back! Project partners include the Penticton Indian Band, City of Penticton, Province of BC and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Okanagan Dam Fish Passage construction was funded by the Habitat Conservation Plan and the Habitat Subcommittee of the Priest Rapids Coordinating Committee, and a fall planting of indigenous species is funded by the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. Educational signage and planting will be completed this fall.
kł cp̓əlk̓ stim̓, cause to come back is an initiative to return salmon back to their waters, that were near the brink of extirpation. This has required tremendous effort. During 1996 ONA, with foresight, determination and resiliency, began years of advocacy, gathering partners and finding support, the end goal being to return the salmon to their historical territory. Over the last 20 + years, ONA has completed a 12-year Sockeye reintroduction program into Skaha Lake, which saw little impact on other species and completed about 50 habitat restoration and fish passage projects including building spawning beds, reconnecting the river with oxbows and side channels, modifications to McIntyre Dam (Oliver) and Skaha Dam (Okanagan Falls), increasing river bed diversity, and reconnecting former floodplains, all mitigating habitat lost during river channelization. To further assist rebuilding Okanagan salmonid populations, the ONA built a sockeye salmon conservation hatchery, kł cp̓əlk̓ stim̓, for release of fry into historical spawning areas.
For More Information Contact:
Tara Montgomery, ONA Communication Lead
Email: tmontgomery@syilx.org Phone: 250-862-6866