Okanagan Basin Water Board - Powers

Powers

The OBWB does not have regulatory authority, but has taxation powers to support its activities, there is only one other example of this in the province- The Municipal Finance Authority. The OBWB operates primarily as regional service delivery body focusing on incentive-based programs, which provide support in different ways for projects promoting good water management. As the OBWB assesses funds from all Basin residents, initiatives are focused on activities that have valley-wide benefits. Nine of the twelve Directors are elected officials appointed by the three Okanagan regional districts, and (since 2006) the Okanagan Nation Alliance, the Water Supply Association of BC, and the Okanagan Water Stewardship Council each appoint an additional Director.

At the time of the OBWB’s inception, algal blooms and other signs of deteriorating lake water quality and the explosive invasion of Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) were the most serious water issues in the Basin. For many years the OBWB’s activities focused almost exclusively on these areas, bringing significant improvements to water quality and the aesthetics of Okanagan beaches. Several factors over the past thirty years, including rapid population growth, increased awareness of climate change, and the forest fires and drout, reinforced calls to refresh the OBWB’s mandate. In 2006, the OBWB took on a new Water Management Initiative and a more active leadership role in the valley.

The new Water Management Initiative brought the OBWB closer to its original mandate from 1969-1970. The OBWB’s purpose is now stated as: “Providing leadership to protect and enhance quality of life in the Okanagan Basin through sustainable water resource management”.