The Importance and Value of an Unchannelized Section of the Okanagan River
The Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) and the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) have partnered in an effort to demonstrate the importance of a natural section of the Okanagan River north of the City of Oliver. To conduct the analysis, OBWB contracted with ECONorthwest and Summit Environmental Consultants.
Much of the Okanagan River was channelized during the 20th century for agricultural and hydroelectric development, and to protect local residents from flooding. In the course of this development, very few sections of the Okanagan River remain in their natural states.
This study focuses on the only remaining natural section of the Okanagan River in British Columbia, north of the City of Oliver. The objective of this analysis is to describe the ecosystem services this natural section of river supports, from an economic perspective.