OBWB Annual Report Highlights Progress and Future of Okanagan Water

Sept. 5, 2025

Syilx Territory, Kelowna, B.C. – The Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) held its Annual Meeting today in Kelowna, with presentations and discussions centered around this year’s theme of “Flowing Forward.” The event, held at the Mary Irwin Theatre, brought together local government leaders, First Nations, and community partners to reflect on the complex challenges and remarkable achievements of the past year.

The Okanagan Basin faces mounting water challenges, from a changing climate to population growth and the persistent threat of invasive species. In response, the OBWB continues to advance its mission, providing leadership and fostering collaboration to strengthen data collection, improve educational outreach, and implement innovative solutions that build resilience throughout the basin.

“The progress we've made is a testament to our communities’ dedication and the strength of our partnerships,” said OBWB Chair Blair Ireland. “This meeting highlighted the role of collaboration in our achievements so far and our commitment to continue working together to face the long list of challenges ahead. Water is everything in the Okanagan.”

The meeting began with a welcome and opening remarks from Okanagan Nation Alliance Council Member and OBWB Director Tim Lezard who stepped in when Westbank First Nation Elder Corinne Derickson was unable to attend due to illness. He emphasized the deep connection of the Okanagan Nation to the region’s waterways. A keynote presentation by retired Executive Director Dr. Anna Warwick Sears highlighted her insights from nearly two decades of leadership with the OBWB. Dr. Sears described the milestones achieved through the OBWB’s water management program during her 19 years at the helm.

“I am so grateful for the two decades of OBWB Board of Directors that I had the honour to work alongside. Their confidence, support and shared vision is why the OBWB is where it is today,” said Sears.

“The future is collaborative, and the Okanagan Basin Water Board will be there. This board and this staff are bold, creative and curious and I look forward to seeing what they will achieve next.”

Dr. Anna Warwick Sears delivers her keynote at the OBWB's 2025 Annual Meeting on Sept. 5, 2025.

Incoming Executive Director Melissa Tesche thanked Dr. Sears for her leadership, noting that Dr. Sears showed that “the Okanagan needed a basin-wide perspective, that partnerships were the key to progress, that decisions need to be grounded in the best available science, and that local efforts, when coordinated, could attract the support of the provincial and federal governments.”

OBWB Water Stewardship Director Dr. Nelson Jatel followed with a presentation that highlighted one such project, the Okanagan Hydrometric Program—a partnership between OBWB and the Okanagan Nation Alliance—and explained that measuring hydrometric data is like taking a stream’s pulse.

The event concluded with the announcement that the Town of Osoyoos was named the “Make Water Work 2025 Champion Community”. A title recognizing their residents for taking the most per-capita pledges in the outdoor water conservation campaign.

“Osoyoos is proud to have taken the title for the first time this year, it shows our community’s commitment to protecting the waters of the Okanagan. Armstrong and Oliver certainly made it an exciting competition this year, but we’re glad to be the new reigning champion,” said Osoyoos Mayor Sue McKortoff.

“While I will enjoy drinking the wine I bought in case we lost, and drinking it with the cheese Armstrong will now send, I am absolutely delighted to accept this on behalf of Osoyoos. Quite frankly, Make Water Work is one of those things we must continue to do in this valley. We value water and I think having this campaign shows we are all thinking about it. How can we use water wisely? Please continue to Make Water Work for the good of our Okanagan Valley.”

(L-R) OBWB Directors Bob Fleming, Tim Lezard, Victor Cumming and Kevin Kraft, OBWB Executive Director Melissa Tesche, Alt-Director Shirley Fowler, OBWB Chair Blair Ireland presents the Make Water Work 2025 Community Champion certificate to Osoyoos Mayor and OBWB Director Sue McKortoff, OBWB Director Wayne Carson, OBWB Vice Chair Doug Holmes, OBWB Directors Subrina Monteith and Bob Hrasko, and Okanagan Xeriscape Association Executive Director Sigrie Kendrick.

Campaign and Report Background

The Make Water Work, Plant FireSmart™ campaign, led by the OBWB, helps residents adopt simple practices that conserve water and strengthen the region’s resilience to climate-related challenges. Each year, the OBWB awards a Champion Community title, which Armstrong has won six times in the last decade.

Although the champion has been announced, the Take the Pledge campaign continues until Oct. 20, 2025. Residents who pledge by this date will be entered to win one of two $500 gift cards to help WaterWise their yard.

A copy of the OBWB’s 2025 annual report, "Flowing Forward," is available on our website now at www.obwb.ca/overview/annual-reports/.

About the OBWB

The OBWB is a local government agency established in 1970 to address the region’s most pressing water issues. It represents a collaborative partnership between the three Okanagan regional districts, the Okanagan Nation Alliance, the Water Supply Association of BC, and the Okanagan Water Stewardship Council.

The OBWB’s mandate is to protect and enhance water resources in the Okanagan Basin — a transboundary (Canada and US) watershed nearly 200 km long and covering 8,000 km². This unique watershed includes the headwaters of the Columbia River and six major valley-bottom lakes: Wood, Kalamalka, Okanagan, Skaha, Vaseux, and Osoyoos. Surrounded by mountains and growing communities, the region faces complex and mounting water challenges, from climate change and population growth to ecosystem degradation and water scarcity.

(L-R) OBWB Director Kevin Kraft, Alt-Director Shirley Fowler, OBWB Chair Blair Ireland and OBWB Executive Director Melissa Tesche present the Make Water Work 2025 Community Champion certificate to Osoyoos Mayor and OBWB Director Sue McKortoff, OBWB Director Wayne Carson, OBWB Vice Chair Doug Holmes, OBWB Director Bob Hrasko, and Okanagan Xeriscape Association Executive Director Sigrie Kendrick.