Water Stewardship Information Sources
| ID | 1894 |
|---|---|
| Citation | Walsh, M and Long, K. 2006. Okanagan Basin Monitoring and Evaluation Program (OBMEP), 2005 Annual Report for Sites in Canada. Okanagan Nation Alliance. |
| Organization | ONA Fisheries |
| URL | http://www.colvilletribes.com/media/files/Canada%20OBMEP%202005%20Habitat%20Report.pdf |
| Abstract/Description or Keywords | The purpose of the Okanagan Basin Monitoring and Evaluation Program (OBMEP) is to monitor over 20 years the status and trends of components such as physical habitat condition, water quality and quantity, and juvenile and adult fish production in the Okanagan sub basin (CCTFWD 2005). The Colville Confederated Tribes (CCT) initiated the OBMEP program in 20041. In 2005, the CCT coordinated with the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) to begin collecting data in the Canadian Okanagan sub basin. The OBMEP study structure and methods were adapted from the Monitoring Strategy for the Upper Columbia Basin (Hillman 2004). Monitoring the status and trends of fish and their habitat involves, - Documenting existing conditions i.e. current status of populations and/or environmental conditions and, - Quantifying changes over time i.e. is there a statistically significant difference over time in abundance, survival, timing, and life history characteristics of summer/fall, spring chinook, sockeye and steelhead or a statistically significant difference over time in the selected physical habitat parameters and characteristics? Status and trend data will, - Help identify issues that require further experimental research to understand cause and effect relationships, - Aid in effectiveness monitoring of management actions performed on streams i.e. did the stream restoration project result in a change in abundance of juvenile salmon? Thus OBMEP will help to guide restoration and adaptive management with the long-term collection of data. The Canadian Okanagan sub basin study area was determined based on the current presence of anadromous salmon species, which traditionally occupied the entire Okanagan valley (Ernst 2000). Dams exist at the outlet of all main stem lakes in the Okanagan basin including Okanagan, Skaha, Vaseux and Osoyoos lakes. The Vaseux Lake Outlet Dam, herein referred to as McIntyre dam, is considered the upper migration limit for chinook (O. tshawytscha), steelhead (O. mykiss) and sockeye (O. nerka) salmon. Two other dams - the Skaha Lake Outlet Dam and the Okanagan Lake Outlet Dam - exist further upstream on the Okanagan River. With the experimental reintroduction of sockeye salmon into Skaha Lake2 their range has been extended to below the Okanagan Lake Outlet Dam in Penticton, BC. Therefore, under the mandate of OBMEP, the study area in Canada extends from the Okanagan Lake Outlet Dam, south to the US border (Fig. |
| Information Type | report |
| Regional Watershed | Okanagan |
| Sub-watershed if known | |
| Aquifer # | |
| Comments | |
| Project status | complete |
| Contact Name | Karilyn Alex |
| Contact Email | [email protected] |