#104: Okanagan basin

The Okanagan basin has the only desert-like climate in Canada. It is over-allocated, and all levels of government have taken little action to comprehensively address water planning and use at an appropriate scale. At the same time, aboriginal rights to water, which burden Crown "ownership" and management, are not acknowledged, and fisheries values are compromised by low flows. There is innovative research and planning happening at a local scale, but management at a jurisdictional scale that would make a difference is lacking.