Projects and initiatives

Agricultural planning

Regional agricultural strategy

A process to develop a regional agricultural strategy was launched in 2022. The first phase resulted in the completion of the Central Okanagan Agricultural Background Report. It contains an agricultural profile for the region, findings of a policy review and information gathered from engagement activities with the agricultural community, partners and stakeholders. It serves as a foundation to support knowledge sharing, data collection, joint investments and developing regionally consistent policies to help the larger agricultural food system through a regional agricultural strategy to be developed in the final phase of the process.

Phase 1

• Background Report
• Public engagement and consultation on yoursay.rdco.com

• Final strategy (coming 2024)

Agricultural plan 2005

Our Planning Services department has completed the development of an agricultural plan involving the public, advisory committees and staff.   

• Final Agricultural Plan 
• Final Agricultural Plan Maps
• Background Report

Central Okanagan Poverty and Wellness Strategy

• Central Okanagan Poverty and Wellness Strategy

Regional growth strategy monitoring program

The development on an Regional Growth Strategy Monitoring Program was identified in the 2017 Priority Projects Plan. The purpose of the program is to provide the foundation for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the RGS through the development of a set of measures that can be used to monitor progress.

The RDCO RGS Monitoring Program was endorsed by the Regional Board on October 10, 2019, and consists of two components:

1. A framework for monitoring impact on RGS goals consisting of 22 measures across the 10 RGS Issue Areas; and
2. A process for tracking Implementation, both of actionable policies identified in the RGS, as well as other regional and local initiatives that may contribute to the achievement of RGS goals.

Regional Housing Strategy

•  Regional Housing Strategy

Regional housing needs assessment

One of the projects identified in the Regional Growth Strategy Priority Projects Plan is development of a Regional Housing Needs Assessment. Access to affordable housing is a growing concern regionally as it is in much of the Province. The provision of affordable housing can come through a wide range of mechanisms and solutions. Given the proximity of Central Okanagan communities and their integration through the transportation network, the supply and demand of the housing market is best considered at the regional level. With the larger regional situation defined, each community's role in the contribution to the solution can be better understood, supporting a coordinated and consistent response toward regional housing goals

The Regional Housing Needs Assessment was received and endorsed by the Regional Board on October 28, 2019. The Assessment provides a descriptive analysis of the current housing needs and issues for the entire Central Okanagan, as well as housing highlights for each jurisdiction: 

• Two electoral areas
• Six First Nation reserve lands (including Westbank First Nation) and Okanagan Indian Band
• District of Peachland 
• City of West Kelowna 
• City of Kelowna 
• District of Lake Country 

A resource for Okanagan lakeshore living

A best management practices guide has been developed to offer practical solutions for Central Okanagan property owners along the shoreline of Okanagan Lake.

The guide

• Provides information for property owners on how they can help protect natural areas and enhance regional resiliency to climate change.
• Promotes and encourages stewardship actions that improve and effectively manage the Okanagan Lake shoreline while supporting flood preparedness.

The project was initiated by the Regional District of Central Okanagan in partnership with the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program (OCCP) and the South Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program (SOSCP). Funding was provided by Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) Water Conservation and Quality Improvement Grant Program, and the Real Estate Foundation of BC. Access A Resource for Okanagan Lakeshore Living

Aggregate supply and demand update and analysis, 2013

• Full Report
• Executive Summary
• Map Figure 1 - Study Area
• Map Figure 2 - Natural Sand and Gravel
• Map Figure 3 - Overburden Classification within Study Area
• Map Figure 4 - Bedrock Geology
• Map Figure 5 - Aggregate Potential Bedrock Polygons
• Map Figure 6 - Aggregate Potential Bedrock with Overburden
• Map Figure 7 - Land Use Based on 2012 Regional Growth Strategy
• Map Figure 8 - Natural Sand and Gravel Potential with Constraints
• Map Figure 9 - Ground Water
• Map Figure 10 - Natural Environmental and Hazardous Conditions Development Permit Areas
• Map Figure 11 - Rare Species Occurrences
• Map Figure 12 - Agricultural Land Reserve within RDCO

Okanagan Lake foreshore inventory and mapping (FIM)

Foreshore Inventory and Mapping (FIM) is a method of collecting information on the current state of the foreshore and shoreline of a lake. It is relevant data to have from the past and present to help make informed decisions for the future. FIM provides agencies with an easily accessible inventory of land use, shore type and existing riparian conditions to implement better shoreline management.

Why update FIM?

We update FIM to…

• Understand where and how extensive changes are along the shoreline
• Understand the specific effects of different land use types
• Update maps to reflect aquatic vegetation, including updates to milfoil mapping for long term aquatic invasive management
• Provide a framework for managing the shoreline areas to ensure sustainability, ecosystem functions, and future growth
• Use data to understand if current policy is achieving necessary objectives
• Use the data to establish and identify new policy and objectives

Who's been involved?

The original 2005 project was made possible through contributions from the Real Estate Foundation, Ministry of Environment, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the District of Lake Country, the City of Kelowna, the Community Mapping Network and the Regional District of Central Okanagan. The 2016 FIM Update Report for all of Okanagan Lake was initiated by the Regional District of Central Okanagan, and facilitated through a partnership with the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program (OCCP) through the support of Environment and Climate Change Canada, the South Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program (SOSCP), the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB), and the City of Vernon.

History of FIM in the Okanagan

• FIM methods were first used to obtain data around the shoreline of Okanagan Lake that were specifically within the Central Okanagan
• The first FIM report available for this survey area was released in 2005
• In 2011, Foreshore Inventory & Mapping/Aquatic Habitat Index for Okanagan Lake including the North, South and Central Okanagan was released
• The 2016 FIM Report for Okanagan Lake is an update to the data collected from the 2011 report along with other relevant survey data. Supporting documentation for the 2016 FIM Update is available through the RDCO GIS mapping website.

Central Okanagan Lake Foreshore Plan

The Central Okanagan is one of the most rapidly growing areas in Western Canada, and much of the growth is occurring near the shores of Okanagan Lake. The RDCO has been involved in foreshore planning since the late 1980s and is a pioneer in the task of foreshore management. Central Okanagan Lake Foreshore Plan (2007 update).

The Okanagan Lake:  A Compilation of the North, South and Central Okanagan Lake (2011)

• Part 1 - Executive Summary
• Part 2 - Introduction and Project Overview
• Part 3 - Methodology
• Part 4 - Data Analysis and Results
• Part 5 - Recommendations and Conclusions
• Part 6 - Segment Photo Plates
• Part 7 - Foreshore Inventory and Mapping Figure Binder
• Part 8 - Appendix

Central Okanagan Foreshore Inventory and Mapping (2005)

• Part 1 - State of the Foreshore
• Part 2 - Case Study: Kokanee Shore Spawning in Central Okanagan Lake
• Part 3 - Technical Addendum
• Appendix A - Key to Foreshore Database
• Appendix B - Database Hardcopy
• Appendix C - Video Documentation (not available online)
• Appendix D - Photo Documentation, ArcView Shapefiles and Field Survey Forms (not available online)
• Appendix E - Summary Map 1
• Appendix E - Summary Map 2
• Appendix E - Summary Map 3
• Appendix E - Summary Map 4
• Appendix F - Summary Map of Kokanee Spawning Locations
• Appendix G - Data Tables Corresponding to Figures 2 -28 in Parts 1 and 2

Okanagan Lake protection strategy

A substantial grant will help with the multi-year collaborative planning effort to protect the environmental and cultural values of Okanagan Lake and its watershed. The Vancouver Foundation is providing $300,000 to the partnership that is developing the Okanagan Lake Responsibility Strategy:

• Okanagan Nation Alliance
• Regional District of Central Okanagan
• Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program
• South Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Program

The Okanagan Lake Responsibility Planning Initiative will enhance the ways of caring for, protecting, and restoring the values and interests of the Okanagan Lake shoreline and watershed tributaries. When complete, the strategy will provide the knowledge and expertise to assist with new land-use planning decisions that support common, consistent, and collaborative approaches to protect shoreline natural areas, prepare for and mitigate climate impacts, and promote sustainable development.

The partnership is key to the projects' success and holds the greatest potential for finding solutions to complex land use issues. This initiative plans to shift the existing planning processes and outcomes through the support of project partners that include differing perspectives, a collective understanding, and a shared approach to the issues in the watershed.

It's envisioned that communities across the Okanagan region and all levels of government will benefit from this unique, unified - Syilx led framework that aims to:

• Address cumulative impacts of shoreline and upland development
• Promote Best Management Practices and leadership in watershed governance
• Provide learning and knowledge sharing opportunities

The initiative has received support from the Syilx Okanagan Nation, three Okanagan Regional Districts, and seven local governments. Other active partners include the Province of BC, the Okanagan Basin Water Board, the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, UBC Okanagan, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Environment and Climate Change Canada. 

Planning for ecosystem connectivity in the Central Okanagan

This project involves identifying locations of ecosystem connectivity corridors that, if conserved or restored, will contribute to maintaining ecosystem connectivity in the Central Okanagan, and to connect the plans made here throughout the Okanagan (from south of the US border to North Okanagan).

Regional Floodplain Management Plan

The completion of the Regional Floodplain Management Plan was the #1 project identified within the Regional Growth Strategy Priority Projects Plan. Flooding is a serious concern for the Central Okanagan and its developed areas and will only become more with the effects of climate change. In response to this risk, the three-phase Regional Floodplain Management Plan has been initiated with the purpose of reducing flood risk, improving emergency response, and increasing resiliency to climate change.

Phase 1

Phase 1 of the Regional Floodplain Management Plan was completed in 2016 to identify potential flood hazards within the Regional District of Central Okanagan and establish the scope and priorities of Phase 2 and 3.

Phase 2

Phase 2 is ongoing and focused on delineation and confirmation of the flood-prone streams and floodplains identified in Phase 1. Through funding from RDCO, OBWB, UBCM and NDMP, plus partnerships with local government agencies, the following projects have been completed or are underway:

• Trepanier and Bellevue Creek dike maintenance assessments;
• Dam failure inundation mapping; and
• Major floodplains, alluvial fans and flood-prone sections of watercourses, including:

Peachland and Trepanier Creeks

Mission Creek Flood and Hazard Mapping and Dike Breach Analysis

Mill Creek Flood and Hazard Mapping 

Okanagan Lake flood level Mapping

Wood and Kalamalka Lakes Flood Level Mapping

Phase 3

Phase 3 seeks to use the information collected through Phases 1 and 2 to create mitigation strategies. The project will include an extensive outreach component to gain input from member local governments, Syilx communities in the region, stakeholders and the public to ensure that the proposed mitigation options are acceptable and supported. More information is available on the Central Okanagan Flood Mitigation Planning project (Phase 3).

Sensitive ecosystem inventory

The Central Okanagan Sensitive Ecosystems Inventory (SEI) identifies rare and fragile terrestrial ecosystems along low to mid-elevations in the Central Okanagan valley. The purpose of SEI mapping is to develop an inventory information base to support sound land management decisions, and promote effective stewardship of remnant rare and fragile ecosystems. Data and information is used by all levels of government for addressing a variety of resource management issues as well as by the general public, landowners, developers, professional biologists, planning staff, non-government organizations, and others that need scientific information to support conservation efforts.

Why is SEI important?

The Central Okanagan basin of British Columbia is an area of great ecological significance within the province of British Columbia and Canada as a whole. It has high biodiversity values, many rare and endangered ecosystems, and plant and animal species.

The Okanagan Valley also has the highest human population densities in the interior of British Columbia and a rapidly growing population. This area has been subject to extensive agricultural conversion, significant changes to ecosystem structure and function through fire exclusion, and intense urban and rural development pressure. This rapid development is resulting in the fragmentation and degradation of these terrestrial ecosystems. The SEI identifies sensitive ecosystems and provides scientific information and support to local governments and others who are working to maintain biodiversity.

Central Okanagan Sensitive Ecosystems Inventory reports and maps

• Volume 1 - Methodology, Ecological Descriptions, Results and Conversion Manual
• Volume 2 - Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping, Surface Erosion and Slope Stability and Expanded Legend
• Volume 3 - Wildlife Habitat Mapping
• Map 82E 073
• Map 82E 074
• Map 82E 082
• Map 82E 083
• Map 82E 084
• Map 82E 093
• Map 82E 094
• Map 82L 003
• Map 82L 013

For more information please visit the Sensitive Ecosystem Inventories in BC website.

Sensitive habitat inventory and mapping

Sensitive Habitat Inventory and Mapping (SHIM) is a method of collecting information that aims at mapping aquatic habitats and their associated riparian areas and terrestrial habitats.

Its methods set the standard for fish and aquatic habitat mapping in urban and rural watersheds in residential, commercial, agricultural, industrial and recreational land use areas in British Columbia. SHIM seeks to identify, inventory, and map all watercourses, their associated riparian habitats and important fisheries habitat features through the use of field inventory and mapping techniques detailed in the Sensitive Habitat Inventory and Mapping Methods & Standards document.

SHIM presents community stewardship groups, individuals, regional districts and municipalities with an effective low cost approach to map and inventory local watercourses. The objective is to provide the basis for accurately mapping baseline data that can be integrated into local mapping and planning initiatives. Data collected is intended to enhance local land use planning maps and/or specific site or detailed planning surveys. 

SHIM has been adopted and used since 2001 by the Regional District of the Central Okanagan as an ecosystem-based tool for identifying, inventorying and mapping regional watercourses.

Use of SHIM data:

• Allow more informed planning decisions and provide inventory information to inform Development Permit Areas;
• Assist in determining setbacks and fish/wildlife-sensitive zones;
• Help guide management decisions and priorities with respect to habitat restoration and enhancement projects;
• Assist in the design of stormwater/runoff management plans;
• Map and identify the extent of riparian vegetation available and used by wildlife and fisheries resources; and
• Assist in understanding urban water runoff patterns and help determine areas of impervious surfaces in urban watersheds.

State of the basin report

The State of the Basin Report is the product of an inter-regional initiative to develop a monitoring and evaluation framework intended to track progress on matters which are important to the Okanagan Valley as a whole. Partners in this initiative include the Regional Districts of North Okanagan (RDNO), Central Okanagan (RDCO), and Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS).

The monitoring and evaluation framework addresses the following policy areas:

• Urban containment and rural protection
• Agriculture
• Water stewardship
• Environment and natural lands
• Economic development
• Transportation and infrastructure
• Housing
• Climate change and greenhouse gas emissions
• Community health and wellbeing
• Governance and shared services

Preparation of the State of the Basin Report was made possible with funding assistance provided by the Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia and the Okanagan Basin Water Board. The partners also acknowledge and appreciate the professional consulting services provided by EcoPlan International Inc. and assistance provided by the South Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Program, the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program, the Interior Health Authority, and numerous other agencies and individuals who contributed their time and expertise to the project.