By Times Chronicle Staff
The Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) held its Annual Meeting recently in Kelowna, bringing together local government leaders, First Nations, and community partners to reflect on the complex challenges and achievements of the past year.
Presentations and discussions centred around this year’s theme of “Flowing Forward” as the Okanagan Basin faces complex and mounting water challenges from climate change and population growth to ecosystem degradation, water scarcity and the persistent threat of invasive species.
In response, the OBWB says it 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.
Delivering a keynote presentation, retired Executive Director Dr. Anna Warwick Sears highlighted her insights from nearly two decades of leadership with the OBWB.
“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.”
Incoming Executive Director Melissa Tesche thanked 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.
A copy of the OBWB’s 2025 annual report, “Flowing Forward,” is available on OBWB’s website.
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.
