Coteay Creek Beaver Dam Analogue Project

Okanagan Nation Alliance

Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) formed in 1981 as the inaugural First Nations government in the Okanagan and among other functions, works to provide technical fisheries assistance for the Nation and its eight member communities, including the Penticton Indian Band, and acting as a liaison between federal and provincial fisheries agencies and other non-government organizations.

The South Okanagan has recently faced record-setting heat and drought conditions as a result of climate change, challenges which may be partly mitigated by the construction of beaver dam analogues (BDAs): small, temporary, hand-built structures that mimic the form and function of natural beaver dams. They slow the flow of water downstream, moderating floods and droughts; they trap sediment, halting stream incision; they raise the water table, reversing wetland and riparian decline; and they are associated with enhanced aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity. Installation of 10-35 BDAs in the Coteay Creek watershed will mitigate impacts of climate change, wildfires, logging, and historic over-hunting of beavers, and will restore wetland and riparian habitat with the hope of attracting beavers who will then maintain the dam complexes on a longer-term basis. This project is in cooperation with the British Columbia Wildlife Federation

This project is the first year of a 3-year request. Approved by Regional District Okanagan Similkameen Board and $70,122.99 was allocated from the South Okanagan Conservation Fund in 2025. The project is expected to complete by January 31, 2026.