Okanagan Large Lakes Foreshore Protocol

Foreshore and riparian areas are important for biodiversity and provide valuable habitat for many species. During the planning and evaluation of works affecting the foreshore, consideration needs to be given to applicable legislation and to ensuring that any works do not impose direct or long term cumulative impacts to the environmental values at the site.

This Protocol document applies to all works below the high water mark on the following “large lakes”: Mabel, Sugar, Okanagan, Kalamalka, Wood, Skaha, Osoyoos. It will be used as guidance for all other lakes in the Okanagan area of the Thompson Okanagan Region (e.g., Vaseux Lake). This document may also be utilized by provincial and federal agencies, and local governments in planning and decision making processes.  

The environmental values focused on in this document include shore spawning kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka), freshwater mussels, and foreshore plants, all of which are a priority for management direction. 

Protocol Updates

In January of 2018 the Ecosystems Section updated the Okanagan Large Lakes Foreshore Protocol and developed additional accompanying guidance documents. These new documents replace the Okanagan Large Lakes Foreshore Protocol dated May 2009. 

• Okanagan Large Lakes Foreshore Protocol - 2018 (PDF)
• Guidance for Freshwater Mussels in the Okanagan - 2018 (PDF)
• Guidance for Foreshore Plants in the Okanagan - 2018 (PDF)
• Dock Design Criteria for Okanagan Large Lakes - 2020 (PDF)
• Shore Spawning Kokanee - 2018 (KML)
• Freshwater Mussels - 2018 (KML)
• Foreshore Plants - 2018 (KML)
• Design Criteria for Batter Board Panels on Okanagan Lake - 2020 (PDF)