Okanagan Sustainable Water Strategy

In October 2008, the Okanagan Water Stewardship Council released the Okanagan Sustainable Water Strategy, a comprehensive guide to water management practices that will help us adapt to changing climate and rising water demand and work toward long-term water sustainability in the Okanagan Basin. The Strategy was developed at the request of the OBWB Directors, who asked for a document that would bring together information about Okanagan water issues and make recommendations about how these issues should be addressed.

The Council and external reviewers devoted thousands of hours in preparation of the Strategy. Their findings, conclusions, and recommended actions are based on a remarkable degree of consensus among all participants.

The Strategy brings together extensive technical information about the Basin and highlights the most important water management issues and how they connect to one another. The Strategy includes recommended actions designed to protect water at its source, share water in times of shortages, manage water demand, and identify the best structure for valley-wide governance. Having all of this information laid out and explained in one document means that the Board can act on those recommendation that match their current priorities and capacity.

To achieve successful and timely implementation, the Strategy will need a coordinated effort from regulators, practitioners, and residents. We encourage you to become familiar with the Strategy and to be an advocate for the implementation of its actions.

For a Strategy backgrounder and the Executive Summary and Table of Contents from the Strategy please download the OSWS Information Package - 430Kb PDF

For a complete version of the Strategy please download the Action Plan 1.0 - 4.4MB PDF

Please contact Nelson Jatel at nelson.jatel@obwb.ca or 250-469-6295 to order a hard copy.