Global News – October 1, 2021
Climate change has sped up the need to replace the Okanagan dam, the organization that offers leadership on water management throughout the valley says.
“As a result of climate change, Okanagan Lake level fluctuates more significantly than in the past and the infrastructure and operating plan are no longer adequate,” the Okanagan Basin Water Board said in a report given to provincial finance officials Wednesday.
“In 2017, we had the worst flooding in living memory and in 2021 the lake was nearly the lowest level in its historical range.” Story continues below advertisement
The report goes on to say that both flooding and drought are projected to become much more prevalent in the years to come, causing damage to both infrastructure and the natural environment, also causing harm to the Okanagan Nation Alliance’s efforts to restore sockeye, chinook and kokanee salmon populations.