Okanagan Falls Provincial Park, now officially named sx̌ʷəx̌ʷnitkʷ Provincial Park, is a

provincial park Ischigualasto Provincial Park A provincial park (or territorial park) is a park administered by one of the provinces of a country, as opposed to a national park. They are similar to state parks in other countries. They are typically open to t ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, located within the traditional territory of the

Osoyoos Indian Band The Osoyoos Indian Band is a First Nations government in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located in the town of Oliver and Osoyoos in the Okanagan valley, approximately four kilometres (2½ miles) north of the Canada–United Sta ...

. Since time immemorial, the Osoyoos Indian Band's

Okanagan The Okanagan ( ), also known as the Okanagan Valley and sometimes as the Okanagan Country, is a region in the Canadian province of British Columbia defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River. It is par ...

ancestors have inhabited and cared for the lands and waters in their traditional territory. The park is also located within the town of Okanagan Falls, protecting the area around the waterfall of the same name, which lies below the outlet of

Skaha Lake Skaha Lake is a freshwater lake, through which the Okanagan River flows, in the Okanagan region of south central British Columbia. Along the shoreline are Penticton (north), Kaleden (west), and Okanagan Falls (south). Name origin The lake was l ...

in the course of the

Okanagan River The Okanogan River (known as the Okanagan River in Canada) is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately 115 mi (185 km) long, in southern British Columbia and north central Washington. It drains a scenic plateau region called th ...

History

Okanagan Falls Provincial Park was created in 1956. In 2015, the park was renamed to reflect the traditional Okanagan place name for the area. sx̌ʷəx̌ʷnitkʷ means “little falls.” This place name signifies a connection to the historic Kettle Falls in Washington state. The step-like rapids of the outlet of the Skaha Lake were lost in 1950 when a flood control dam was built over them.

Flora

The park occupies an area of two hectares. The park has deciduous trees and is an important site for the conservation of riparian vegetation. In the 1950s, non-native tree species like

Chinese elm ''Ulmus parvifolia'', commonly known as the Chinese elm or lacebark elm, is a species native to eastern Asia, including China, India, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Fu, L., Xin, Y. & Whittemore, A. (2002)Ulmaceae in Wu, Z. & Raven, P. (eds) ''Flora of ...

Norway maple ''Acer platanoides'', commonly known as the Norway maple, is a species of maple native to eastern and central Europe and western Asia, from Spain east to Russia, north to southern Scandinavia and southeast to northern Iran. It was introduced to ...

, red ash and Lombardy poplar were planted in the park.

Fauna

There is superb bird watching in the park. Rare species such as

western wood pewee The western wood pewee (''Contopus sordidulus'') is a small tyrant flycatcher. Adults are gray-olive on the upperparts with light underparts, washed with olive on the breast. They have two wing bars and a dark bill with yellow at the base of the ...

American yellow warbler The yellow warbler (''Setophaga petechia'') is a New World warbler species. Yellow warblers are the most widespread species in the diverse genus ''Setophaga'', breeding in almost the whole of North America, the Caribbean, and down to northern ...

northern oriole The northern oriole (''Icterus galbula''), considered a species of North American bird from 1973 to 1995, brought together the eastern Baltimore oriole The Baltimore oriole (''Icterus galbula'') is a small icterid blackbird common in eastern ...

s and least flycatchers are often spotted in the park. The park offers numerous nature-related activities such as wildlife viewing, nature study, and photography. The park also supports an astounding 18 species of bats, one of the highest concentrations in Canada.

Activities

The park offers several activities, such as cycling and fishing, though for the latter permits are required. There are many trails in the park for hiking. There are also camping sites within the park.

Events

sx̌ʷəx̌ʷnitkʷ park closes annually the third weekend of September for the Okanagan Nation Alliance's Salmon Feast. The event raises awareness of Okanagan history and culture, as well as the Nation's efforts to revitalise and restore sockeye salmon numbers in the

. Everyone is welcome to attend the celebration, but the campsites are closed to the general public on this weekend.

References

External links

* Former Provincial Parks of British Columbia Provincial parks in the Okanagan 1956 establishments in British Columbia Protected areas established in 1956 {{British Columbia parks