For the first time in over a century, sockeye salmon are able to return to Okanagan Lake

Sockeye salmon are making a triumphant return to their historic spawning grounds in B.C.’s Okanagan region after over a century, thanks to the construction of a new fish passageway. The project, a collaborative effort between the Syilx Nation, the City of Penticton, the province, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), has resulted in the creation of the Okanagan Dam Fish Passage.

This passageway bypasses a dam in Okanagan Lake, allowing steelhead, rainbow trout, sockeye, chinook, and kokanee salmon to migrate back into the lake and its tributaries through the Columbia River. The funding for this project was provided under the Habitat Conservation Plan, which is part of a broader strategy tied to the Priest Rapids hydroelectric project in Washington State.

According to the Pacific Salmon Commission, sockeye salmon typically spawn from August to late October, and members of the Sylix Nation are eagerly anticipating the first migration of salmon into the territory within weeks. The salmon will travel from the Pacific Ocean to Okanagan Lake through the Columbia River, passing through nine different hydroelectric dams on their journey to Sylix territory.

The Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA), a First Nations tribal council in B.C., has been leading fish restoration projects since its establishment in 1981. The organization is dedicated to restoring Sylix traditions, culture, and governance, and the construction of the fish passageway is a significant step towards achieving this goal.

During the opening ceremony for the passageway, Penticton Indian Band Chief Greg Gabriel emphasized the importance of the salmon’s return to their ancestral waters. Zoe Eyjolfson, ONA salmon passage project lead, highlighted the habitat loss caused by dams built in the Okanagan watershed starting in 1914, which pushed salmon to the brink of extinction.

The cool waters of the Okanagan will now serve as a refuge for salmon to rebuild their populations. Salmon, known as ntytyix to the Syilx people, are considered sacred relatives rather than mere resources, marking a powerful act of environmental and cultural healing.

Elders from the Lower Similkameen Indian Band expressed the significance of salmon’s return to the Okanagan, emphasizing that the fish will provide sustenance for all people. The sight of the passageway opening was described as a proud and rewarding moment, with Eyjolfson expressing hope for future generations to witness the return of salmon to their historic waters. The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation

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