The Okanagan Basin Water Board is doing what it can to raise awareness and stop an infestation of invasive zebra and quagga mussels from reaching the Okanagan, in part through its Don’t Move a Mussel campaign.

But it is now calling on the province and federal government to step up efforts and fast.
‘If the mussels get into Okanagan waters they have potential to do significant damage to our beaches, fish, people’s boats, tourism, and municipal water systems,” warned Doug Findlater, OBWB’s Board Chair and Mayor of West Kelowna. ‘All levels of government need to work together to take action. It looks to me like provincial and federal officials are interested, but a comprehensive strategy is needed and we’re running out of time. Every year that goes by is another year our lakes could get infected.”

Directors asked staff to meet with the Okanagan MLA and MP caucus with recommendations; to send new letters to the province and federal government, urging ministers responsible to pass the pending federal legislation, as well as ensure appropriate funding is in place to do an effective job.

The OBWB’s Executive Director Anna Warwick Sears agreed, adding, ‘It only takes one boat infested with the mussels, launching in our waters, to cause serious harm to our lakes.” With spring – and boating season – around the corner, the Water Board is concerned, knowing large numbers of boats from outside the valley will be heading for our waters, from other parts of Canada and the U.S. ‘We are extremely eager to address this issue, but we can’t truly protect the Okanagan without the right laws in place and participation from other levels of government,” added Warwick Sears.
The board has been pushing for a stronger provincial and federal response to the threat of the invasive mussels since 2011. The issue was raised again at this week’s monthly board meeting.