North Okanagan Valley

The North Okanagan region is in the northernmost part of the Okanagan Valley, which is located within the Great Basin lowland that extends from Washington, USA up into the forests of South Central British Columbia, Canada. The Okanagan Valley has one of the warmest and driest climates in British Columbia due to the rain shadow effect of the Coast and Cascade Mountains to the west.

"The Okanagan is considered as one of the three most endangered ecological regions in Canada."

Communities

The largest community in the North Okanagan is Vernon, located at the confluence of the Okanagan and Coldstream valleys between 3 lakes - Lakes Okanagan, Kalamalka and Swan. Smaller communities in the region are Armstrong in the Spallmucheen Valley north of Vernon and Enderby just beyond at the start of the Shuswap Valley. The Coldstream, Lavington, Lumby and Cherryville are located to the east, heading towards the Monashee Mountains. The main industry in the region is forestry, farming and tourism, with a growing diversity within the manufacturing sector. The annual population growth rate for the region has averaged a steady 3.3%. Projected increase in population approaching 100,000 over the next 20 years.

Natural Landscape

Landscape features in the region were largely formed by the gouging action of ice during the last period of continental glaciation approximately 10,000 years ago. The distinctive cliffs and terraces seen in the south Okanagan were formed by sand, silt and gravel deposition and shaped, to some extent, by meltwater from the receding glacier (Peachey, 1984).

The combination of the warm/dry climate and the varied landscape elevations has promoted a diversity of natural habitats here, ranging from dry, valley bottom ecosystems to forested subalpine ecosystems. North Okanagan ecosystems provide important habitat for several sensitive grassland and wetland species (some of these are not found anywhere else in Canada). Wild species use the valley as a travel corridor between the arid lowlands of the Great Basin to the south, and the grassland valleys and interior forests to the north. Unfortunately, many of these animal and plant species are threatened or endangered

Vegetation density increases higher up the sides of the valley, ponderosa pine is replaced by cedars, Douglas Fir, spruce or lodgepole pine. In high alpine areas, trees are replaced by heathers, dwarf willows, and wild flowers (Peachey, 1984).

Rare or endangered wildlife residing in the North Okanagan include; Great Basin Spadefoot toad, Northern Pacific Rattlesnake, Gopher Snake, Swainson's Hawk, Long-billed Curlew, Interior Western Screech-owl, Yellow-breasted Chat, Brewer's Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Badger.

Competing Interests & Ecosystem Integrity

Much of the critical low elevation habitats in the Okanagan are, or will be developed for cities, farmland, and highways. The population of Vernon is forecast to double within the next 30 to 40 years, and much of this growth will be directed to grassland hillsides like the Bella Vista - Goose Lake Range above Vernon. Areas such as the Goose Lake Range contribute to the watershed of Okanagan Lake, provide a visual backdrop to the City of Vernon (important to the tourism industry), support range use, provide for traditional use activities of the Okanagan Indian Band, and have value for future urban growth, agricultural and recreation use.