1. Watershed Stewardship Program
City of Kelowna Environment Division
Danielle Drieschner, BSc, Dipl.Tech

2. Watershed Stewardship Program
Introduced in 1996
Consists of three main components:
Restoration and Enhancement
Stewardship
Education.
In 1996, The City of Kelowna’s Environment Division introduced the Watershed Stewardship Program to address watershed health in the urban environment and help mitigate impacts to local creeks. The program includes three components:
1) Education
2) Stewardship
3) Restoration and Enhancement.
These three components have been successfully used for several years and were applied towards the Fire rehabilitation areas in 2004.

3. Restoration and Enhancement
Eroding bank
The Environment Division has initiated many stream restoration and enhancement projects since 1997 to improve:
fish and wildlife habitat
riparian area condition
hydraulic function
overall stream health.
The Environment Division has initiated many stream restoration and enhancement projects since 1997 to improve:
Fish and wildlife habitat
Riparian area condition
Hydraulic function
Overall stream health
Restoration efforts have included restoring, enhancing and maintaining over 7,000 meters of local streams, 40,000 square meters of wetland, and planting nearly 41,000 native plants.
Restoring eroding bank and improving fish habitat

4. Restoration and Enhancement Initiatives
bank stabilization
instream habitat complexing
park naturalization
spawning channel construction
spawning gravel addition
urban instream enhancement
Central Okanagan Post Fire Rehabilitation/Weed Management Plan.

5. # trees/shrubs planted
Restoration and Enhancement Summary (since 1997) (Does not include other projects by Parks Division, Development or Volunteers)
Stream
Area Restored
# trees/shrubs planted
Bellevue Creek
385 m
601
Bertram Creek
350 m
3,575
Blaskovitch Ponds -
13,755
Fascieux Creek
10 m 21
Jack Smith Lake
40,000 m2
10,815
Joe Rich Creek*
700 m
700
Lebanon Creek
800 m
3,830
McDougall Creek*
175 m
325
Mill Creek
4,045 m
6,412
Okanagan Shoreline
30 m
Thomson Creek
100 m 68
Whelan Creek*
120 m
200
Wilson Creek
320 m
416
TOTALS
7,035 m + 40,000 m2
40,718
*in partnership with Regional District of Central Okanagan

6. Watershed Summer Crews
6-12 employees each summer since 1999
Implement creek restoration projects, maintenance, and public education.

7. Stewardship
City provides funding, equipment, expertise and administration to encourage groups to partake in environmental initiatives
From , Kelowna residents have volunteered over 8300 hours on watershed stewardship projects for an in-kind value of $80 000!
The City’s Watershed Stewardship Program provides funding, equipment, expertise and administration to encourage groups and individuals to partake in environmental initiatives.
From , Kelowna residents have volunteered over 8300 hours on watershed stewardship projects for an in-kind value of $80 000!
Watershed stewardship opportunities include:
garbage clean-up
Adopt-A-Stream Program
invasive weed removal
planting native vegetation
wildlife and fish habitat enhancement
Streamkeepers training
events and education
Yellow-Fish-Road Program

8. Adopt-A-Stream Program
As of 2006, 23 groups are active in the program.
10,500 meters of Mill, Brandt’s, Fascieux, Wilson, and Mission Creeks have been adopted within City of Kelowna boundaries .
The Maude Roxby Bird Sanctuary, a square meter section of wetland, has also been adopted.
Groups include schools, non-profit organizations, businesses, families and naturalists clubs.

9. Additional Volunteer Opportunities
garbage clean-up
invasive weed removal
planting native vegetation
wildlife and fish habitat enhancement
events and education
Yellow-Fish-Road Program.
For those groups who want to make a difference in their community, but cannot commit a lot of time, the City of Kelowna will assist in finding short-term projects.

10. Education Classroom presentations School Assemblies Public Events
Targeted educational campaigns (ex. Living By Water Dessert Evening, Be Pesticide Free).
The City’s environmental education program encourages students to foster respect for the environment through interactive learning and hands-on adventures in watershed and airshed health. In the school year alone, 7,400 students were educated by the Environment Division!
In addition, the Environment Division organizes several environmental events each year including Family Environment Day, the Mayor’s Environmental Expo and the BC Rivers and Fisheries Awareness Festival.

11. Schools 7400 students educated in 04/05! Fear Factor
Environmental Mind Grind
School Eco-Challenge
Environmental Survivor
Kokanee in the Classroom
7400 students educated in 04/05!

12. Public Events Family Environment Day Mayor’s Environmental Expo
BC Rivers and Fisheries Awareness Festival
Kelowna Farmer’s and Crafter’s Market.

13. Be Pesticide Free Campaign
Commercial Pesticide Notification Registry Program since 2004
Reduce pesticide and fertilizer runoff into our waterways
Pesticide alternative recipe carabiner keychain
Be Pesticide Free lawn sign.

14. www.kelowna.ca residents\environment
residents\environment