March 8th, 2017
The middle and upper portions of the Vernon Creek watershed have a long history of water supply challenges, and this has led to extreme low flow conditions for fall spawning Kokanee Salmon in Middle Vernon Creek. The Middle Vernon Creek Action Plan (MVCAP) aims to ensure sustainability of Wood Lake Kokanee by securing a consistent water supply for the primary spawning tributary, Middle Vernon Creek.
March 8th, 2017
McIntyre Dam was built in 1954 to divert irrigation water and to control water flows in the Okanagan River between Vaseux and Osoyoos lakes. McIntyre Dam had been the upstream migration barrier for Okanagan River salmon until it was refitted in 2009:
This provided an additional 11.5 km of spawning and rearing habitat in the Okanagan River and Vaseux Lake, which are historic habitats that were inaccessible for salmon in the last six decades.
The Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) in collaboration with the manager of the McIntyre Dam (Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources Operations-MoFLNRO) has being monitoring Sockeye salmon success to pass over new fish passage gates. The new gates allow passage for Sockeye of all sizes, but the jumping success can be improved through alteration spillway gate levels. ONA and MoFLNRO are working on ways to make it easier for the salmon to pass over the new gates.
Preliminary results have indicated more salmon jump attempts at the dam’s westernmost gate. This western gate has relatively lower Sockeye jump efficiency (number of successful jumps versus the total number of jumps) when compared to the eastern sections of the dam. In 2014, ONA experimental flow changes and gate closures at the McIntyre Dam have resulted in some diversion of the returning Sockeye to the eastern gates. Altering the spillway gates flow may allow for better management of Sockeye gate choice at the McIntyre Dam, which could ultimately increase Sockeye spawning success upstream of the dam.
February 28th, 2017
Prior to the Duncan Dam Water Use Plan project (DDM WUP), Duncan Reservoir operations were optimized for water storage to meet Columbia River Treaty (CRT) commitments, and to support downstream operations constrained by the CRT and fisheries requirements. In typical WUP processes, data collection during the project would help support assumptions around impacts of reservoir operations on key areas of interest. However, the project was limited in resources and time and was unable to collect much of the data required to support fisheries and aquatic objectives of defining operations that would improve ecological conditions in the reservoir. High level approximations of stranding risk and tributary access were considered but then eliminated from the process when they proved to be insufficient aids to decision making (see BC Hydro 2005).
At the conclusion of the DDM WUP project, the Consultative Committee (CC) recommended as part of the WUP monitoring program that the critical data gaps relating to fish use in the reservoir be addressed. This will ensure that future planning processes can integrate this knowledge to better accommodate fish requirements during future planning processes.
February 28th, 2017
In 2008, BC Hydro implemented a 10-year project designed to monitor the effectiveness of the Bull Trout transfer program at Duncan Dam (DDM) on the lower Duncan River. Fish transfer procedures – delaying the timing between the opening and closing of upstream (maintenance) and downstream (operating) gates respectively – are operated between the end of May and the end of September to allow the passage of adult Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus) from lower Duncan River into the Duncan Reservoir. The operations have been in effect (in varying degrees of extent and timing) since 1968, a year after impoundment. Bull Trout passing through the dam are known to spawn in at least three reservoir tributaries: Upper Duncan River main stem, Westfall River and Houston Creek (both are tributaries to Upper Duncan River) (O’Brien 1999). However, it is unknown if recruitment from those spawners contributes to the Bull Trout population below DDM, or if these recruits stay in the Duncan River watershed above the dam. The initial 2 years of the program were implemented in 2008 and 2009 (BC Hydro 2008).
February 24th, 2017
“The Syilx language, when it talks about the land and describing place names on our territory, it’s a verbal map. That verbal map is so descriptive you know exactly where that place is they’re talking about. Those kinds of words, using the descriptions in our territory, you can’t go wrong to where you’re going – there’s no mistaking where that is and what that is. So, to me, the Syilx language is that kind of language that is really descriptive, where it doesn’t have that in English.” Richard Armstrong
Syilx placenames speak to the history of the Syilx people on the land. Place names are more than just names for a particular location; they provide teachings in the nsyilxcən language and speak to the relationship of the Syilx people and their land.
Place name mapping often provides evidence of temporal depth, use and occupancy above and beyond other forms of Indigenous research. As such it is considered a distinct process with a distinct methodology which utilizes a tried and tested 4-phased approach to gathering defensible toponymical data (Tobias).
February 24th, 2017
The Penticton Indian Band, Okanagan Nation Alliance, and Transport Canada are working together to restore ʔarsikʷ (turtle) passage. In 2013, a chain-link fence on the airport’s eastern perimeter was replaced with a new fence constructed with a buried apron to prevent medium- to large-sized animals from entering the runway area. The apron closed a gap at the bottom of the original fence, unintentionally creating a barrier to Western Painted Turtle movement between their aquatic habitat on the Penticton Indian Reserve and turtle nesting sites in sandy soils between the airport fence and runway. The ONA wildlife technicians are working towards enhancing wetland and habitat restoration and monitoring turtle movement to inform effective habitat protection and improvement
February 24th, 2017
For the Syilx people, ki?lawna? (grizzly bear) is a significant part of our laws and protocols. ki?lawna?, as are other species, is an important part of our creation stories to our people reminding us of our responsibilities to our tmuxlawx (land). The decline of the population demonstrates that the health and security of the landscape is in dire need of protection. For generations, habitat fragmentation, ecosystem degradation and a number of other factors have contributed to the decline of ki?lawna?. As such, the ONA has been taking action to reduce pressures on ki?lawna? and recover threatened populations.
The ONA has hosted a number of meetings with neighboring First Nations and supporting agencies such as Conservation Northwest as part of a Joint Nation Grizzly Bear recovery initiative. The group’s main objective is to recover threatened populations of ki?lawna? within our Territories. ONA is excited to be seeing the results of positive working partnerships raising the importance of this work to ensure ki?lawna is recovered.
Most recently, in collaboration with ONA, Clayton Lamb at the University of Alberta Department of Biological Sciences, released the results of a new study that provides insight on the relationships between ki?lawna? and road density. The results of Lamb’s study provide a scientific foundation for access management and habitat securement for this iconic and culturally significant species in the Kettle Granby region. This information will support similar work in the North Cascades and other threatened populations in the BC Southern Interior.
February 24th, 2017
This wildlife project involves investigating sightings and reports of mortality and collecting hair and other samples from the declining population of badgers to understand the genetic relationships and habitat connectivity of this species-at-risk in the south Okanagan, Boundary and Similkameen areas.
February 24th, 2017
Use and occupancy mapping (UOM) demonstrates the direct sustenance of the Syilx and their uses of lands and resources within their territory. The UOM uses an interview with a questionnaire and a map to gather information and data relating to a number of use and occupancy categories. The information is used to promote high quality planning and management of resources on the territory, and to support Syilx title, rights, jurisdiction and interests.
February 21st, 2017
Working with the Derickson Family Trap line from Westbank First Nation and others we caught and radio collared three wápupxn, lynx, in an effort to understand how they use the Kettle River landscape and to determine genetic relationship to lynx within under-occupied habitat in Syilx territory in Washington State. The outlook is to continue to live capture lynx to re-establish a productive population on Colville lands in Washington State.
November 30th, 2016
Since 2011, migrating Sockeye Salmon have been able to enter Skaha Lake through the dam at Okanagan Falls. This was due to extended high spring flows and the Provincial Government’s water management regime. From 2011 to 2015, approximately 3 – 12,000 Sockeye have entered the lake each year. Questions have been raised regarding the impact of Sockeye-kokanee interactions, particularly for spawning adults in Penticton Channel. Starting in 2014 ONA has been monitoring the fish ladder at the base of Skaha Dam to evaluate adult Sockeye passage. This project’s focus is to capture and mark approximately 500 Sockeye with colour- coded tags, then retrieve tagged carcasses in the Channel to estimate the spawning Sockeye population. In addition, kokanee carcasses are recovered and bio-sampled to determine population dynamics of the Skaha Lake stock. Using a mathematical formula, the number of spawning Sockeye can be estimated.
ONA works in partnership with regulating agencies (MFLNRO and DFO) and they are aware of all our projects. The Okanagan Nation has never signed treaties, nor relinquished our right to harvest and manage the fishery. Ultimately, ONA is working to study and manage the fish community taking a holistic approach.
November 30th, 2016
Since 2004, ONA has stocked Skaha Lake with hatchery-reared Sockeye fry in an effort to re-introduce them to their former range. Questions have been raised regarding the impact of Sockeye-kokanee interactions, for both juveniles and adults. ONA surveys the kokanee spawning population in Penticton Channel and Shingle Creek each year to determine if Sockeye could be negatively impacting kokanee. From 2011 to 2014 high flows through Skaha Lake Outlet Dam allowed a large number of Sockeye to migrate into the lake. In addition, starting in 2014 ONA has been monitoring the fish ladder at the base of Skaha Dam to evaluate adult Sockeye passage. Biologists will estimate the Sockeye proportion spawning in the Channel.
ONA works in partnership with regulating agencies (MFLNRO and DFO) and they are aware of all our projects. The Okanagan Nation has never signed treaties, nor relinquished our right to harvest and manage the fishery. Ultimately, ONA is working to study and manage the fish community as a whole.
November 16th, 2016
Pass (Norms) Creek is the first major tributary to the Columbia River below Hugh Keenleyside Dam adjacent to the town of Castlegar, BC. Pass Creek provides approximately 2.2 km of important spawning habitat for Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka), and Mountain Whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni) migrating from the Columbia River. Previous habitat restoration and creation efforts on the creek included rip-rap armoring along the streambank and the installation of artificial log jam structures to provide cover for rearing fish. In 2012, high flows damaged and dislodged some of these structures resulting in broken/loose cables and exposed nails, presenting a concern for public safety. The high flows also undermined the streambank adjacent to the Pass Creek Regional Exhibition Grounds, resulting in an exposed, failed bank prone to erosion and sedimentation. From 2013 to 2015, the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) investigated the effects of the 2012 high flows and developed a number of projects aimed at addressing the failed bank, structures and lack of fish habitat along Pass Creek. In the summer of 2015, the ONA repaired the two eroded sections of rip-rap bank, removed damaged and hazardous log structures, and created additional fish habitat in Pass Creek. The ONA also completed a riparian planting project adjacent to the treatments areas within the stream.