Okanagan Basin

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The Okanagan Basin spreads in two countries and includes the catchment areas of Okanagan Lake , Okanogan River and the tributary valleys such as the Similkameen River and the Chelan River . In Canada , the basin forms two separate regions in British Columbia : the Similkameen Country (largely identical to the catchment area of ​​the river of the same name) in the west and the actual Okanagan region between Osoyoos in the south and Armstrongin the north, the latter comprising most of the Okanagan Regional Districts and commonly called "The Okanagan" or Okanagan Valley or Okanagan Country . In the United States , the Okanogan Country is located in the western, lower-lying center of Okanogan County , which, like its Canadian counterpart, has a history and economy based on cattle ranching, gold, and fruit and wine growing. The basin here also includes Lake Chelan and other flanking valleys. Communities in Washington's Okanogan Basin include: a. Brewster , Pateros , Omak , Okanogan and Oroville .

With nearly 200 kilometers in length and an area of ​​about 8,000 square kilometers, the Canadian part of the Okanagan Basin is about 2/3 the size of Vancouver Island . Okanagan Lake dominates the basin, which contains many small lakes and rivers. The Okanagan Valley was formed by glaciers. When the ice retreated about 10,000 years ago, the Canadian portion of the basin was filled by a single large lake, Lake Penticton. The valley was roughly restored to its present state when an ice dam at the southern end of Lake Penticton melted and most of the valley emptied.

The Canadian Environmental Grantmakers' Network considers the Okanagan Basin to be the driest catchment area in Canada with an urgent need for effective water management. The Okanagan Basin Water Board was founded in 1970 to take the lead on regional water issues, provide perspective for the entire basin, and seek collaborative solutions.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ What We Do - Overview | Okanagan Basin Water Board ( en-US )
  2. ^ Tim Morris: The Future of Freshwater Funding in Canada: Mobilizing Collective Resources for Healthy Watersheds . Canadian Environmental Grantmakers' Network. May 2014 .: "OKANAGAN BASIN: Canada's driest catchment area is exposed to a significantly increased water abstraction due to a population explosion, the expansion of agricultural land and climate change."
  3. ↑ One Valley, One Water on Okanagan Basin Water Board, accessed June 29, 2018.

Web links

Coordinates: 49 ° 32 ′ 0 ″  N , 119 ° 35 ′ 0 ″  W.