RDNO Agricultural Park restoration work supported by water group grant

Apr 15, 2026 | 11:07 AM

The group that promotes water conservation and protection in the region is supporting a local project.

The Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) has committed $5,000 in grant funding to the Regional District of North Okanagan for restoration work at Hog’s Gulch in the sncematqtn Agricultural Park.

The OBWB said the money, provided through its annual Water Conservation and Quality Improvement Grant Program, will be used to replace native riparian plants along a roughly 160 metre stretch of the gulch. The agency said this would strengthen vegetation cover, improve bank stability, and support long-term habitat health.

The money will mainly be used to purchase the plants, and volunteers will carry out the actual planting and follow-up monitoring work.

This project is the second phase of the gulch restoration work, the first phase was also supported by an OBWB grant.

emergency response

Two people injured in Highway 6 crash

May 23, 2026

Maintenance & Repairs

Infrastructure work to impact HWY 97 traffic in Vernon

May 22, 2026

Admission Prices

Vernon recreation fees could change with ALC opening

May 22, 2026

Other Projects in the Okanagan

The work at the sncematqtn Agricultural Park is one of 19 projects being supported through the OBWB’s grants.

Through the program, the OBWB will also provide $25,000 to help fund Kelowna’s Algae Monitoring Network, a pilot project providing real-time monitoring of harmful algal blooms in Okanagan Lake; $20,000 for West Bank First Nation’s update to its Sensitive Habitat Inventory Mapping; $30,000 for Okanagan Nation Alliance’s study of how the McDougall Creek Watershed’s summer low flows and snowpack behaviours have been altered by recent wildfires; and $30,000 for Penticton’s investigation into forever chemicals in the surface water and watersheds across the region.

A total of $380,000 will be distributed to the 19 projects through the grant program. The other projects being supported through the program are:

Okanagan Indian Band: $30,000 to conduct a groundwater connectivity assessment for source water protection at Equesis Creek
City of Kelowna: $30,000 for a review and expansion of the Okanagan Hydrometeorological Information Network
Vaseux Water User Community: $30,000 to create a Vaseux Creek Sustainable Agricultural Groundwater plan
Okanagan Nation Alliance: $27,500 for water quality assurance during construction of Okanagan River Restoration in Okanagan Falls
Westbank First Nation: $25,000 for a water system capacity, monitoring, and demand management initiative
District of Summerland: $25,000 for a source water investigation at the Trout Creek Perpetual Slide
University of British Columbia: $20,000 to remove microplastics and heavy metals using a novel reactive barrier technology
Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship Society: $20,000 for a project involving creating a community lens on wetland restoration
B.C. Wildlife Federation: $18,500 for restoring hydrologic function at Coteay Creek
City of Kelowna: $10,000 to pilot Climate Resilient Okanagan Green Infrastructure standards
Town of Oliver: $10,000 for an educational piece about FireSmart Xeriscape Gardens
Osoyoos Lake Water Quality Society: $9,000 for water quality monitoring at Osoyoos Lake
Kelowna Yacht Club: $5,000 for an Okanagan Lake marine spill risk reduction program