Increasing environmental pressures in the Okanagan region have led to the development of a new tool designed to provide real-time and science-driven insights.
On May 26, the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB), in collaboration with the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA), Foresight Canada and regional partners, launched the innovative Environmental Flow Shiny App which will provide live information about stream water levels across the Okanagan. The app represents a significant advancement in proactive water management and will help protect vital aquatic ecosystems.
ONA fishery and other water professionals will be able to access the up-to-minute information, which is updated every 15 minutes, to access stream health. They will also be able to ensure conditions are suitable for fish populations, including sockeye salmon, which have returned to Okanagan Lake for the first time in more than 70 years.
鈥淎ccess to real-time environmental flow information is critical to fisheries management, enabling timely, informed decisions that support the sustainability of aquatic ecosystems," ONA hydrologist Dr. Zhaozhi (George) Wang said. "Tools such as the Environmental Flow App are instrumental in balancing environmental needs with societal demands, including irrigation, municipal supply, and other essential water uses."
The new app will be showcased by OBWB Water Stewardship Director Dr. Nelson Jatel at the Canadian Water Resources Association's national conference in Penticton from May 26 to 28, where water professionals from across Canada will be in attendance. Jatel is proud to share the innovative app with her colleagues around the country.
鈥淲ith hotter, drier summers and rising water demand, Okanagan decision-makers need real-time tools to act quickly and responsibly,鈥� Jatel said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a powerful example of how real-time data and Indigenous-led water knowledge development can support smarter, more sustainable water decisions in watersheds nationwide.鈥�
The app is part of OBWB's commitment to advancing sustainable water management and building climate resilience in the Okanagan, and it supports objectives outlined in the 2024 Canada Water Agency's Freshwater Action Plan.
OBWB chair Blair Ireland expressed concern that the Okanagan was not included in the initial list of eight freshwater bodies of significance that were part of the agency's list. He added that the Okanagan Valley is "one of Canada's most water-stressed regions" where "necessity continues to drive innovation."
鈥淭he Okanagan Nation Alliance鈥檚 work to restore sockeye salmon is inspiring, and the OBWB is proud to be a long-standing partner in science-based water management," he said. "It鈥檚 deeply disappointing that the federal government failed to include the Okanagan in its list of nationally significant watersheds.鈥�
