In a major step forward for freshwater conservation, the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB), in partnership with the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA), Foresight Canada, and regional collaborators, has launched a cutting-edge tool to monitor water levels across the region.
The Environmental Flow Shiny App provides real-time stream data, empowering fishery professionals and water managers to make rapid, informed decisions that protect ecosystems and support species such as sockeye salmon.
The app—updated every 15 minutes—delivers essential data for maintaining healthy stream flows, a critical factor for the historic return of sockeye salmon to Okanagan Lake after more than 70 years. It is already being hailed as a game-changer in a region grappling with hotter summers and increased water demand.
“Access to real-time environmental flow information is critical to fisheries management,” said Dr. Zhaozhi (George) Wang, a hydrologist with the Okanagan Nation Alliance. “It allows for timely, informed decisions that balance environmental sustainability with essential water uses like irrigation and municipal supply.”
The tool will be showcased this week at the Canadian Water Resources Association’s national conference in Penticton (May 26–28), where OBWB Water Stewardship Director Dr. Nelson Jatel will present it to water professionals from across Canada.
“With rising temperatures and growing water pressure, the Okanagan needs responsive tools like this,” said Dr. Jatel. “It’s also a powerful example of Indigenous-led water knowledge informing climate-resilient decisions.”
The initiative aligns with the 2024 Canada Water Agency’s Freshwater Action Plan, but OBWB officials expressed disappointment that the Okanagan was excluded from the Agency’s recent list of nationally significant freshwater bodies.
“The Okanagan is one of Canada’s most water-stressed regions, and necessity has driven decades of innovation here,” said OBWB Chair Blair Ireland. “Our exclusion from the national list is a missed opportunity and risks sidelining a legacy of groundbreaking freshwater research.”
Ireland pointed to the 1974 Okanagan Basin Study—once one of Canada’s largest federally funded water research projects—as evidence of the valley’s leadership. He warned that lack of national recognition could undermine the region’s ability to access critical funding for watershed protection and climate resilience.
The Environmental Flow Shiny App stands as a beacon of what regional collaboration, Indigenous stewardship, and technological innovation can achieve. It signals a new era in watershed management—one driven by data, community, and urgency.
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