White Lake Grasslands Protected Area is a conservation site located in the

Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) is in southern British Columbia, adjacent to the U.S. state of Washington. It is bounded by Fraser Valley Regional District to the west, Thompson-Nicola Regional District and Regional District ...

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 ...

. It was established on April 18, 2001 by

order-in-council An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council (''Kin ...

under the ''Environment and Land Use Act'' to protect the semi-arid grassland and pine forest ecosystem west of

Vaseux Lake Vaseux Lake is a shallow freshwater lake located along the course of the Okanagan River in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. Name origin The name "'' vaseux''" is French, meaning muddy or murky, which is descriptive of the lake' ...

. The region spans from shoreline to mountain top, providing essential living areas for various red and blue-listed species, plants, and plant groups in

. The first aim of the protected area is to provide protection to red and blue-listed wildlife species (especially the

white-headed woodpecker The white-headed woodpecker (''Leuconotopicus albolarvatus'') is a non-migratory woodpecker that resides in pine forests of the mountains of western North America. Description It has a black body (approximately long) and white head. It has whit ...

) and the habitat inside the area. The second aim is to protect the archaeological sites and First Nations’ traditional land. The area has a diverse ecology with generally hot and dry weather. It was a farmyard and home for the First Nation; now it offers tourism activities.

History and past use of the area

White Lake Grasslands Protected Area was recommended for protection by Okanagan-Shuswap Land & Resource Management Plan in 2000, and was established on April 18, 2001 under the Environment and Land Use Act. It was established as a Class A provincial park of the Areas of British Columbia Act. The aim was to protected the ecosystems and rare or

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

located in the Southern Okanagan Basin Eco section.

First Nations

Historically, the White Lake Grasslands Protected Area has encompassed parts of the traditional territory and ancestral homelands of a number of

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

, including the Syilx Okanagan Nation and the

Nlaka'pamux Nation Tribal Council The Nlaka'pamux or Nlakapamuk ( ; ), also previously known as the ''Thompson'', ''Thompson River Salish'', ''Thompson Salish'', ''Thompson River Indians'' or ''Thompson River people'', and historically as the ''Klackarpun'', ''Haukamaugh'', ''Kni ...

Territories have existed and have been inhabited for approximately ten thousand years. The White Lake Grasslands Protected Area was drew significant interest from settlers during the 1850s gold rush, leading to the displacement of the Syilx/Okanagan people and the lose of their essential resources and territory. During the period, intense cattle grazing caused damage to the grasslands, resulting in the replacement of native grasses with low-growing, grazing- resistant shrubs, leafy

forb A forb or phorb is an herbaceous flowering plant that is not a graminoid (grass, sedge, or rush). The term is used in biology and in vegetation ecology, especially in relation to grasslands and understory. Typically these are dicots without woo ...

s and

invasive plants An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

. One of the aims of the White Lake Grasslands Protected Area is to preserve and protect traditional lands of the First Nations. Therefore, after the colonialism and European settlement, the Nation Park located in

South Okanagan South Okanagan was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia beginning with the 1916 British Columbia general election, election of 1916. Following the 1975 British Columbia general election, 1975 election bound ...

is co-managed by the Syilx/Okanagan Nation. The Nation will provide leadership on conservation and economic goals, and also participating in traditional land use and spiritual activities. To support the Okanagan Nation Alliance in co-managing the nation park reserve.

Geography

White Lake Grasslands Protected Area is divided into five sites with a total area of 37.64 km². It is located west 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 ...

to the

McIntyre Bluff McIntyre Bluff, officially called nʕaylintn since 7 August 2015, is a large ridge of rock, made of gneiss, located south of Vaseux Lake between Okanagan Falls and Oliver, British Columbia, Oliver in British Columbia, Canada. The bluff rises promi ...

and includes Mt. McLellan, Mount Hawthorne, and Mt. Keogan. The St. Andrews Golf Course on the east side of Mt. Parker is also protected. Surrounding communities include White Lake, Green Lake, and

Okanagan Falls Okanagan Falls (also known as OK Falls) is a community located on the south end of Skaha Lake in British Columbia. History The community was founded in 1893 as Dogtown, which was derived from the name Dog Lake ("skaha" means "dog" in the Okanagan ...

, and provincial parks are not being protected. People can access the protected area through Green Lake Road and Fairview-White Lake Road.

Climate and the effects of climate change

The Area is located within the South Okanagan Basin Ecosection (SOB) which features extremely hot, xeric climate originating from the Ponderosa Pine biogeoclimatic zone (PPxhl). The forest zone is sited in the narrow band, which is known for the driest and warmest valleys of the Southern Interior. During the growing season, there are significant moisture shortages due to the hot and dry summers. Winter are mild with a light snow cover.Hope, G.D.; Lloyd, D.A.; Mitchell, W.R.; Erickson, W.R.; Harper, W.L.; Wikeem, B.M. (1991)
"Chapter 9: Ponderosa Pine Zone"
(PDF). ''Ecosystems of British Columbia''. The zone has a mean

annual precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hai ...

of 280–500 mm, and 15-40% as snowfall.

Heatwaves A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...

wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire ...

s, and

drought A drought is defined as drier than normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, an ...

s brought on by

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...

pose a threat to

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...

s.Dawe, Charlottle (2019)
"South Okanagan - Similkameen Nation Park Reserve"
(PDF). ''Report''. Wilderness Committee (4): 1. Climate change could lead to longer periods of droughts and extreme weathers, such as intense storms. Thus, the soil moisture level could impact vegetation growth, which is important for the survival of species. This region has an overflowing amount of

species at risk The List of Wildlife Species at Risk currently has more than 800 entries for Canadian wild life species considered vulnerable; including 363 classified as endangered species, —190 threatened species, —235 special concern, and 22 extirpated ( ...

that inhabit mid-elevation grasslands and old-growth

ponderosa pines ''Pinus ponderosa'', commonly known as the ponderosa pine, bull pine, blackjack pine, western yellow-pine, or filipinus pine is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America. It is th ...

. To mitigate the impacts of climate change on the ecosystem, natural vegetation and water bodies throughout the region should be protected to increase the capacity of the soil to hold more water, which prevents droughts and floods, decreases debris and soil run-off, and naturally filters water.

Management

The protected area is classified as

IUCN Management Category IUCN protected area categories, or IUCN protected area management categories, are categories used to classify protected areas in a system developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The enlisting of such areas is par ...

II under the national designation. It is designated as a protected area for terrestrial and inland waters. Its management authority is under the oversight of the

Government of British Columbia The Government of British Columbia (french: Gouvernement de la Colombie-Britannique) is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian province of British Columbia. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assumi ...

, which operates within the jurisdiction of a sub-national ministry or agency. Framework from the Protected Area Strategy (PAS) recognizes the province's ecologically representative sites. With the guidance of the Okanagan-Shuswap Land and Resource Management Plan (OSLRMP), areas that need to be protected are identified. The Management Direction Statement (MDS), which gathers opinions from stakeholders and interested parties, was also created to lead the management strategy in this protected area. All development related to these statements is in line with BC Parks' Impact Assessment Policy.

Conservation goals

The Okanagan Valley, known for its warm winters and hot summers, is one of Canada's four most threatened ecosystems. However, excessive human activity, including cattle grazing, automobiles, vineyards, human settlements, invasive species, and the ban on grassland burns, is causing rapid habitat loss and destruction. A national park reserve was established to safeguard the remaining habitats, including the White Lake Grasslands Protected Area, which is crucial for the survival of

White-headed woodpecker The white-headed woodpecker (''Leuconotopicus albolarvatus'') is a non-migratory woodpecker that resides in pine forests of the mountains of western North America. Description It has a black body (approximately long) and white head. It has whit ...

s and also includes alkali ponds, riparian zones, and rock outcroppings. The goals cover: * Restrict Urban expansion and hunting (not limited to First Nation's traditional, spiritual and cultural uses on land) * Grasslands are used as carbon storage to offset carbon emissions. * Protecting natural vegetation and water bodies allows soil to hold more water, which prevents floods and droughts, decreases soil and debris run-off, and naturally filters water. * Diversify the economies of local communities through investments, job opportunities, and expenditures from tourists. * Maintain ecosystem sustainability. * Potential benefits to the Syilx/Okanagan Nation's culture, include increased access to resources, research funding, and increased employment opportunities. For the other protection goal, it also includes protecting the archaeological sites—the eight known sites, including rock shelters, pictographs, quarry/workshops, cache pits, and house pits.

Challenges

There are many obstacles to managing the White Lake Grasslands Protected Area, including: * uneven distribution and shape of the protected land * Insufficient public knowledge in protecting the land * Over-access by tourists * Ineffective fire management * Off-road vehicle use poses significant challenges, damaging ecosystems and putting pressure on endangered species, some of which may even result in roadkill With staff to oversee and enact rules, the national park reserve would guarantee the safety of places that are vulnerable to danger. In consultations with the Syilx/Okanagan Nation, the Wilderness Committee suggests expanding the park limits to include Vaseux Lake, White Lake, and the adjacent territories in the national park reserve

Ecology

Trees, shrubs, forbs and grasses

This table lists the plant species that can be found during the drier and wetter phases:

Birds

There are 183 bird species in the area, including one globally threatened species, seven introduced species, and two rare/accidental species."White Lake Grasslands Protected Area bird checklist - Avibase - Bird Checklists of the World"
''avibase.bsc-eoc.org''. Retrieved 2023-10-12. White-headed_Woodpecker_-_Sisters_-_Oregon

White-headed_Woodpecker_-_Sisters_-_Oregon

Rare/accidental species: ''Himantopus mexicanus'' (black-necked stilt), ''spinus psaltria'' (lesser goldfinch)

Endangered species

Red and blue-listed endangered wildlife are inhabited in the protected area. These species include two amphibian species, five reptile species, fifteen bird species, eight mammal species, two insect species and three plant species in the park.

Mammals

Amphibians

Reptiles

Insects

Plants

*Observation within 500m of Protected Area, but not recorded within the boundary **Species of special concern ***Includes both * & **

Tourism

The White Lake Grasslands Protected Area is located in

Kelowna Kelowna ( ) is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the head office of the Regional District of Central Okanagan. The name Kelowna derives from the Okanagan word ''ki� ...

, the capital of the

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 part ...

. It is situated on the eastern shore of

Okanagan Lake Okanagan Lake ( oka, kɬúsx̌nítkw) is a lake in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. The lake is long, between wide, and has a surface area of 348 km2 (135 sq. mi.). Hydrography Okanagan Lake is called a fjord lake as i ...

, and provides a range of outdoor recreation activities. There are several wilderness trails, including the White Lake Trail which starts from the Nature Trust property south of the lake and two routes to the summit of Mount Keogan, which is near the Mahoney Ecological Reserve. Additionally,

wildlife viewing Wildlife observation is the practice of noting the occurrence or abundance of animal species at a specific location and time, either for research purposes or recreation. Common examples of this type of activity are bird watching and whale watching ...

, particularly

bird watching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, ...

, is a key part of activity in the protected area. Valued sites are Kearns Creek,

Mahoney Lake Mahoney Lake is a meromictic saline lake located near Okanagan Falls in British Columbia, Canada. It was established as an ecological reserve to preserve a southern interior saline lake, possessing unique limnological features in 1972. It has a un ...

, Rattlesnake Lake, Mclntyre Bluff and Myers Flats. Several existing nature appreciation activities, such as cycling, horseback riding, and

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreation ...

. Hunting is accessible but is limited to BC Hunting & Trapping Regulations Synopsis.

Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park is a provincial park within the Okanagan-Similkameen Regional District of British Columbia, Canada, focused on the mountain of the same name and located on the east side of Okanagan Lake, opposite Peachland and ...

and

Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located in the Okanagan Highland east of Kelowna. It was established to protect the full elevational range of the North Okanagan Basin and North Okanagan Highlands eco ...

are located near

, and Fintry Provincial Park is near the White Lake Grasslands Protected Area. These parks provide high-value rare species and outdoor recreation activities, similar to what The White Lake Grasslands Protected Area provides.

References

External links

White Lake Grasslands Protected Area Map, BC Parks
* {{British Columbia parks Provincial parks of British Columbia Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen Protected areas established in 2001 2001 establishments in British Columbia