Harvesty McHarvestface is available, but we think you can do better 🌿

💭Help name the Okanagan's newest milfoil-munching machine!

Submit your best idea by May 21 — winner gets a ride on the harvester. Yes, really. 🙌

Check out the contest details here ➡️https://conta.cc/4sNmVz8

💧 Great news for Okanagan water stewardship!

The Okanagan Basin Water Board is investing $380,000 this year across 19 projects.

Click here to learn about the projects protecting our water for generations to come. 👇
conta.cc/4cdGhs1

Stinking piles of rotting shells pile up on beaches with invasive mussels. “It’s absolutely atrocious, it’s dead fish multiplied by 2,500,” said MB local C. Corrie.
🛑 But this doesn’t have to happen in the Okanagan.
We can keep invasive mussels out.
👉 DontMoveAMussel.ca

🚀 The next generation of Okanagan Lake stewardship just showed up — and they came with receipts.

OBWB Director and City of Kelowna Councillor Ron Cannan visited the UBC Engineering - Okanagan Capstone Showcase at The KF Centre for Excellence.
Check it out ⬇️
www.facebook.com/share/p/1BRQ...

A win for watersheds.💧

Bill M 216 is being withdrawn, and the OBWB is proud to have stood alongside local governments, First Nations, professional associations, and the UBCM in opposition of this bill.

Read our full news release here: conta.cc/4snFhGo

Read the April OBWB Board Report⬇️
⏩ Early melt = summer water risk
📣 Drought messaging is regional challenge
🚫 Invasive mussel treatments fall short → prevention critical
💧 WCQI grants approved
Read the full April Board Report 👉 conta.cc/4t1Miht

🪚Razor-sharp shells from invasive mussels cover beaches, cutting bare feet and injuring pets. That’s what happens at Beaconia Beach, Lake Winnipeg.
🛑 But this doesn’t have to happen in the Okanagan.
We can keep invasive mussels out.
👉 DontMoveAMussel.ca
Source: CBC, tinyurl.com/54ppxk2t

The Great Lakes are a warning. The Okanagan is listening.

Thank you to everyone who came out Sunday for our World Water Day screening of All Too Clear Film at UBCO — an engaged room united around one goal: keeping invasive mussels out of B.C.🚫

dontmoveamussel.ca

🏊‍♀️To see if the plant you see in the water is invasive milfoil, or a native aquatic species, click here: obwb.ca/wp-content/u...

🌿💥 We've been busy underwater this winter!

This video shows our rototiller removing milfoil roots across 244.7 km of Osoyoos Lake — from late September through mid-November 2025. That's a lot of weeds meeting their match. 🚤⚙️

ℹ️To learn more about the program click here: obwb.ca/milfoil/

🌊 This Sunday! Don't miss the free screening of All Too Clear — an award-winning documentary about how invasive mussels are transforming the Great Lakes, and what that could mean for the Okanagan.

Register now 👉https://WWD2026AllTooClear.eventbrite.ca

That yellow stuff on the lake in the spring? Probably not algae—just pollen doing its seasonal thing. 🌼💧
Floating pollen is usually yellow, scentless, and might feel greasy to the touch. 🗓️ Big pollen events are natural and seasonal. Stay informed—be #WaterWise! 💧🌍

🦪 Invasive mussels are closer than ever before, so Rotarians across the Thompson Okanagan are racing to stop them BEFORE they arrive, helping fund research into a first-of-its-kind "suitcase lab" that aims to detect microscopic mussel eDNA directly off incoming boats. 🧬🚤

conta.cc/3P5KJA3

💧 Recharge is the process of surface water entering the ground to replenish aquifers.
In the Okanagan, recharge zones help keep groundwater flowing for drinking and irrigation. Protecting them means protecting our future water supply.
#WaterWordWednesday: Get Informed.

🌿 New field session !

UBC's Wetland Delineation & Assessment micro-credential is heading to Ucluelet — and spots are filling fast!

Grab your spot for the June 1–2 field session while you can. 🐸💧

👉 Register now: cpe.ok.ubc.ca/programs/wet...

Don't wait — wetlands won't delineate themselves! 😄

A full house for a more resilient Osoyoos! 🌵💧
Thank you to everyone who attended the weekend's Principles of Xeriscape Workshop in Osoyoos, hosted by Sigrie Kendrick from the Okanagan Xeriscape Association.
Learn more about the fundamentals of beautiful, low-water landscaping at makewaterwork.ca

☣️Invasive mussels trigger toxic algae blooms that can kill fish, threaten wildlife & make drinking water unsafe.
🛑 But this doesn’t have to happen in the Okanagan.
We can keep invasive mussels out.
👉DontMoveAMussel.ca

💧 A riparian zone is the edges of a water body that serves as a transition between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
These areas help filter runoff, prevent erosion, and provide habitat. Healthy riparian zones = healthy water.
#WaterWordWednesday: Get Informed.

🌟 FREE World Water Day event!
Grab a seat, grab a snack, and get clarity on the invasive species changing lakes across North America.

🎬 Register now — spots are limited ➡️https://WWD2026AllTooClear.eventbrite.ca

@alltooclearfilm.bsky.social
@ubcokanagan.bsky.social

☠️ Invasive mussels strip nutrients from lakes, starving organisms that feed salmon and other fish.
🛑 But this doesn’t have to happen in the Okanagan.
We can keep invasive mussels out.
👉DontMoveAMussel.ca

World Water Day -All too Clear Documentary screening and Panel Free World Water Day screening of All Too Clear on Mar 22, 2026, with expert panel, Q&A, and refreshments. Registration required.

In recognition of World Water Day, the OBWB and UBCO invite the community to a free screening of the award‑winning freshwater documentary: "All Too Clear" on Sunday, March 22, 2026.

R𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝.

➡️Register here: wwd2026alltooclear.eventbrite.ca

@alltooclearfilm.bsky.social

🌪️ What’s that swirling vortex? It’s a waterspout!
Formed when warm air over cold water creates lake fog, and winds and pressure changes initiate the swirling motion. 🌬️ + 💧 + gravity = 🌪️
Harmless, temporary, and totally fascinating! 🌊
Photo credit: Shannon Chubb

Show your Lake Love! 💘💧

Making WaterWise choices is the best way to show your love for Okanagan water all year round.

😍 Learn more about how you can Make Water Work for our Valley at MakeWaterWork.ca

📘 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬:
When attempts to eradicate invasive milfoil failed, the OBWB took over in 1981! 🛡️
This long-running, centralized program ensures our lakes remain swimmable, navigable, and ecologically balanced,
📚 Learn more obwb.ca/milfoil/

Our hearts are heavy today as we process the news of the tragedy in Tumbler Ridge.

On behalf of our Board and staff, we offer our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of those who lost their lives.

What happened at the February Water Board meeting?
🏛️Chair and Vice-Chair Elections for 2026.
❓73% of Okanagan boat launch users know this...
😨Half of mussel-fouled boats on their way to the Okanagan in 2025.
conta.cc/3M58ze5

💧 Surface water includes standing & flowing water, e.g.: lakes, rivers & wetlands.
The OBWB works with community and local government partners to help measure, monitor, & protect Okanagan surface water. The OBWB works toward safe, reliable water for food, farmers, fish & firefighting. For all time.

Rusty slime in the water? It could be iron-oxidizing bacteria like picutred. 🌊

🦠 These bacteria live in iron-rich waters and can coat stream beds, lake shores, and even puddles 💧. It might look alarming, but it’s a natural process!

Congrats to our Chief Operating Officer James Littley! 👏🎉
James has been awarded a 2026 UBC Alumni Builder Award, recognizing his contributions to UBC, water stewardship, and student mentorship.

𝙁𝙪𝙣 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙩: 𝙅𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙠 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙐𝘽𝘾𝙊 𝙀𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜!🎓

📚𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀:
The OBWB launched the WCQI Grant in 2006 to tackle complex, local water challenges.
$6.55M in grant funding has supported 358 projects, delivering over $43MIL to Canada's most water-stressed region!
The WCQI is open now, with 1 month left to apply.
➡️Learn more: shorturl.at/VYgLN