C. Bull

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Restoration of Okanagan River

• C. Bull Glenfir Resources
• M. GABOURY LGL
• R. Newbury Newbury Hydraulics

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Acknowledgements (alphabetical)

• BC Water Land Air Protection
• Canadian Wildlife Service
• Ducks Unlimited
• Fisheries Oceans
• LGL Limited
• Newbury Hydraulics
• Ok. Nation Alliance
• Ok. Region Wildlife Heritage Fund Society
• South Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Program
• The Land Conservancy

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Contents

• Why Okanagan River needs restoration
• Ways to restore the river (contingent on
  approvals)
• How to take an ecosystem based approach

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1938
1996
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Historic River
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Channellized River
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Losses due to channelization

• ½ channel length
• 88 of wetland area
• 87 of water birch / dogwood plant community
• Habitat diversity
• Biodiversity

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Species at Risk (COSEWIC)

• Primary habitat for 3 COSEWIC species
• Secondary habitat for 9 COSEWIC species
• Spawning ground for 1 of 2 remaining Columbia
  River sockeye populations
• Home of Rocky Mtn Ridged Mussel
• Water birch / cottonwood plant community

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Contents

• Why Okanagan River needs restoration
• Ways to restore the river
• How to take an ecosystem based approach

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Restoration Methods

• Restoring the channel
• Replacing Vertical Drop Structures with riffles
• Re-meandering portions of the river
• Habitat complexing
• Restoring floodplains and riparian areas
• Dyke breaching or removal
• Setting back dykes
• Recharging some of the original oxbows

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Replacing Drop Structures with rock riffles

• Improved Fish
• Passage
• Spawning
• Reduced maintenance liability

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Remeandering channel
1938
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Breach dyke
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Recharge Oxbow
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Setting back the dykes
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• Benefits
• Habitat diversity pools, riffles, hydraulics,
  cover, shade
• Migration corridors (fish wildlife)
• Bedload sediment capture
• Filtration/ purification of runoff
• Flood retention groundwater recharge
• Streambank stabilization (rootwads)
• Improved spawning habitat
• Increased food sources

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Contents

• Why Okanagan River needs restoration
• Ways to restore the river
• How to take an ecosystem based approach

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Okanagan River Long Profile
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Ecosystem Based Restoration

• Opportunistic
• Species specific
• Site specific
• Isolated (Ad Hoc)
• Term oriented
• Hard wired
• Operational

• Eco-based
• Holistic
• Watershed based (landscape)
• Connective
• Sustainable
• Soft technology
• Conceptual (guided by long term plan)