The Okanagan Basin Water Board
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The Okanagan Basin Water Board
@obwb.bsky.social
The Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) was instituted in 1970 as a collaboration of the three Okanagan regional districts to provide leadership on water issues spanning the valley.
https://linktr.ee/okanaganbasinwaterboard
❄️ 𝑺𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏’𝒔 𝑮𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑶𝒌𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒏 𝑩𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑩𝒐𝒂𝒓𝒅!
As we wrap up another year, we’re reminded that water connects us all—through every season and every drop.

We are grateful to all who protect water in the Okanagan.

🎄Hoping your Holidays flow smoothly and your New Years makes a splash!
December 24, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Jelly blob in the lake? It might be a moss animal. 🧫🌊
Also known as bryozoa, these blobs are not jelly fish, but they do form colonies and help filter water. Most live in oceans, but a few freshwater species show up in lakes—like this one spotted in Vaseux Lake in 2024!
December 15, 2025 at 6:04 PM
💧 Bathymetry describes the change in surface elevation, the underwater terrain, of lakes and rivers.
The above video by Larratt Aquatic Consulting is measuring Okanagan Lake. 🌊
December 10, 2025 at 5:32 PM
👏 Congrats to Sandra Schira, OBWB Water Science Specialist, on her new paper, co-written with Dr. Anna Warwick Sears & Jeremy Fyke: A Climate Indicator Dashboard for Communicating Climate Change in the Okanagan Valley of B.C.🌍
📃 Read the paper here shorturl.at/WCPsu
December 9, 2025 at 11:46 PM
CONGRATS to our first Make Water Work 2025 winner, Rebecca Muller of Spallumcheen! 🥳🎉

Rebecca is ready to get WaterWise with a $500 gift certificate to the amazing Swan Lake Market & Garden in Vernon!

📩Subscribe for OBWB updates: shorturl.at/gjISU
December 2, 2025 at 10:47 PM
❄ ️The snow is here, but the Okanagan is still running on low battery! 🔋 Since 2022, we've battled persistent drought conditions.

💧Every drop saved matters.

📈Read our last Drought Bulletin of 2025: conta.cc/43SQ4iI

📩Subscribe for OBWB updates: shorturl.at/gjISU
December 1, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Giving our rototillers a set of underwater eyes! 👀💧

This group of @ubcokanagan.bsky.social Engineering Capstone students spent time earlier this month with Pat Field, our milfoil team supervisor, to learn the ins and outs of our rototilling operations.

Learn more: www.facebook.com/share/p/1AYM...
November 28, 2025 at 9:35 PM
What are those bubbles?!🫧
Foam can form when organic matter like leaves and needles breaks down and mixes with air and water. It’s usually harmless and common near wooded lakeshores.
⚠️If the foam is sticky or persistent, it could be pollution🏭
Stay informed—be #WaterWise!💧🌍
November 24, 2025 at 6:04 PM
💧 A watershed is the area of land where all water drains into a common outlet.

🏞️ The #Okanagan Basin is one connected watershed, and everything we do affects the water downstream. It’s our living lab for understanding water—what we learn here helps protect water everywhere.
#OkanaganBasinWaterBoard
November 19, 2025 at 4:04 PM
🌊 Our Watersheds are at Risk!

🚨The Okanagan Basin Water Board is sounding the alarm with local governments & the UBCM over BILL M 216 – 2025 (Professional Reliance Act).

📰Read more here: conta.cc/3WZKcjN
Subscribe for OBWB updates: shorturl.at/gjISU
November 14, 2025 at 10:43 PM
$350,000 IN WATER GRANTS NOW OPEN! 🌊

➡️ Find the details and apply: conta.cc/4i6zLVh
November 12, 2025 at 7:28 PM
November Water Board Meeting:
🎉OBWB Celebrates $200K Federal Investment in Algal Bloom Monitoring
🌊2026 WCQI Grant Theme Prioritizes Innovation in Water Supply and Quality
⚠️Okanagan Ends 2025 Season in Drought
🏆Make Water Work Contest Closes
✅OBWB Approves Budget
conta.cc/3X9HWGD
November 6, 2025 at 6:42 PM
🌫️ What is that misty magic?! It’s not spooky – it’s lake steam!
When chilly air hits warmer water, vapor rises and condenses into visible steam. 🌬️ + 🌡️ = 🌫️
It’s a common in fall and winter and yet another fascinating way our lakes are impacted by the changing seasons!
October 31, 2025 at 5:06 PM
💧 An aquifer is an underground layer of rock, sand, or gravel that holds water—kind of like a natural sponge beneath the ground. In the Okanagan, people drill wells into aquifers to bring this groundwater up for drinking, irrigation, and other uses.
#WaterWordWednesday: Get Informed. #Okanagan
October 29, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Heard of the invasive mussel threat? It’s not just bad—it’s billions-of-dollars-in-damage bad. 🤯

But the Okanagan is fighting back with science! 💪

OBWB's James Littley was on AM1150 to explain a pioneering new project.

Check it out ➡️ youtu.be/SGiY-3VBV_g

Read more at www.obwb.ca/news
OBWB Invests in ‘Artificial Dog’s Nose’: UBCO eDNA Mussel-Detection Tool
YouTube video by Okanagan Basin Water Board
youtu.be
October 22, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Black streaks in the water? It could be charcoal. ⚫🌊
Charcoal from wildfires or erosion can show up as powder or chunks. It’s natural, odourless, and leaves black smudges when touched.
Being curious is being #WaterWise! 💧🌍
October 21, 2025 at 6:17 PM
🚨 What’s the latest on water in the Okanagan?

ℹ️Learn how we’re advocating for stronger protections, seeking funding partners, and planning for long-term resilience.

📘 Read the full report: conta.cc/48piOCF
📩Subscribe for OBWB updates: shorturl.at/gjISU
October 10, 2025 at 4:25 PM
🚨 𝐎𝐤𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐧𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝟒.🚨

That crisp fall air isn't fooling anyone. The Okanagan is now at an Drought Level 4, rare for this time of year.

💧Every drop saved matters.

📃Read the latest Drought Bulletin: conta.cc/3VTJT9L
📩Subscribe for OBWB updates: shorturl.at/gjISU
October 9, 2025 at 7:30 PM
🙏limləmt | Thank You to @ONA Fluvial Geomorphologist Zoe Eyjolfson for providing OBWB Directors and staff with an excellent tour of the 𝐎𝐤𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐦 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 this week.
October 9, 2025 at 4:08 PM
🌊 The Okanagan Basin Water Board is investing $200,000 to partially fund a potentially groundbreaking UBCO-led project.

📖Learn more here: conta.cc/4h8uITW
Subscribe for OBWB updates: shorturl.at/gjISU
October 7, 2025 at 10:20 PM
⚠️ Dead trees = danger.
Dry, neglected trees can fall, fuel fires, and threaten your home.

🌳 Keep trees healthy with deep watering especially in dry spells.
💧 Healthy trees are #WaterWise 👉 cool your yard, save water and resist disease.

Be #FireSmart. Protect your home by protecting your trees. 💚
October 3, 2025 at 10:45 PM
🚨Don't be fooled by the fall weather—the Okanagan is still in drought!

🐟With the Okanagan's drought level still at Level 3, our water is vital for farmers, firefighters, and fish migration.

📖Read the latest Drought Bulletin: conta.cc/3Iuzy0V
📩Subscribe for OBWB updates: shorturl.at/gjISU
October 3, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Fall tip: Leave the leaves! 🍂 They're great for the ecosystem, providing winter habitat & enriching soil. Plus, they help retain moisture for spring! 💧A #WaterWise win! Take the #MakeWaterWork Pledge & enter to WIN a $500 yard upgrade! 🎉 MakeWaterWork.ca/Pledge

#GardenTips
October 1, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Today, September 30, marks National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada — a day to honour the children who never returned home, the survivors of residential schools, and the families and communities affected by these institutions.

#TruthAndReconciliation #EveryChildMatters
September 30, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Adding mulch your garden every year is a win-win! 🌱 It insulates roots, retains moisture 💧, and enriches soil.

A simple by powerful #WaterWise step! Take the Pledge to #MakeWaterWork & enter to WIN! 🎉 MakeWaterWork.ca/Pledge

#OkanaganBasinWaterBoard
September 29, 2025 at 1:32 PM