Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.
The Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) has approved a $700,000 expenditure for a new milfoil harvester. Following an RFP process, the milfoil contract was awarded to Berky GMBH of Germany. The new machine is expected to be delivered in June 2024. The new equipment will be able to remove invasive milfoil 1.5 metres deeper than the current machines and hold 5.5 cubic metres compared to the current 2-3 cubic metres.
The Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) is accepting applications for its 2023 Water Conservation and Quality Improvement (WCQI) grant program. With a funding pool of $350,000, eligible applicants, including local governments and First Nations, irrigation districts and non-profit organizations, can receive grants ranging from $3,000 to $30,000 for water projects within the Okanagan Basin.
The Okanagan Basin Water Board is asking the province to invest millions in three water stewardship projects for the 2023-24 budget. And Anna Warwick Sears, executive director of the OBWB, says to not make that investment now will only cost millions of dollars more in the future. Warwick Sears recently presented a submission to the BC Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services for Budget 2023 calling for: Funding for a review of the Okanagan Lake regulation system and operating plan at a cost of $1 million annually for the next four years;
