The Mission Creek Restoration Initiative (MCRI) is proud to release its second video, which highlights the creek’s historical significance as well as the pioneering work being done to restore its functionality and optimize multiple community benefits.
Project partners are also busy collaborating to develop a comprehensive Conservation & Restoration Plan for lower Mission Creek that will outline area-specific strategies to restore the creek’s self-stabilizing capacity, improve fish and wildlife habitat, enhance social and recreational values, and increase economic outcomes for local communities.
“Given the broad-based nature of our project team, the plan will support and enhance the creek-specific objectives, policies, and programs of affected governments, conservation organizations, and community groups,” says project coordinator Steve Matthews. “This collaboration is not only the right thing to do; it also guarantees innovative solutions as multiple perspectives are shared around the planning table.”
Other MCRI successes of note include yearly monitoring of fish and fish habitat and ongoing assessments of restoration works to ensure proper function and long-term stability.
“Fish and fish habitat assessments have been conducted yearly since 2015 to reveal the effectiveness of the Phase 1 dike setback, and to guide future restoration project design,” explains Matthews.
“Recent assessments indicate stream channel instability is continuing and is expected to increase with climate change,” says Okanagan Nation Alliance fisheries biologist Karilyn Alex. “Experts predict that without a substantial focus on conservation and restoration, there will be ongoing loss of habitat over time, which could jeopardize future sustainability of some fish and wildlife populations.”
Grants for these projects have been awarded by the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, Okanagan Basin Water Board, and Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC. Additional funding and in-kind support come from a wide range of government, First Nations, and community organizations. These include BC’s Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, City of Kelowna, Regional District of Central Okanagan, Okanagan Nation Alliance, Central Okanagan Land Trust, and Friends of Mission Creek.
To learn more about this and other creek restoration work, contact:
Joanne de Vries, MCRI Outreach Coordinator
250-300-8797 / jo@freshoutlookfoundation.org
Steve Matthews, MCRI Project Coordinator
250-809-9840 / matthewsenvconsulting@gmail.com