Sue McKortoff, candidate for mayor, Town of Osoyoos. (Richard McGuire photo)
Osoyoos Mayor Sue McKortoff is one of two new Canadian appointees to the International Osoyoos Lake Board of Control.
The International Joint Commission (IJC) announced the appointments last week, which expand the international body by four new members – two Canadian and two American.
The other Canadian appointee is Anna Warwick Sears, executive director of the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB), which is based in Kelowna.
“We are especially pleased to have four strong local members who bring a great deal of knowledge of the communities on Osoyoos Lake and the issues that affect them,” said U.S. Commissioner Rich Moy.
The U.S. appointees are John Arterburn and Ford Waterstrat.
Arterburn has worked for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Fish and Wildlife Department for 14 years. Waterstrat, of Oroville, Wash., has been resident of the Lake Osoyoos Association.
The International Osoyoos Lake Board of Control was established by the IJC in 1946 to ensure the implementation of provisions of the IJC regarding the operation of Zosel Dam in Oroville at the outlet of Osoyoos Lake.
The IJC was established by the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 to help governments of Canada and the U.S. to prevent and resolve disputes over the use of the waters they share.
Prior to the recent appointments, the board has been operating with six members. Until now, none of the board members lived in the watershed.
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