Celebrate our salmon open house in Oliver

The Okanagan Nation Alliance and the Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Alliance are co-hosting a “Celebrate Our Salmon” open house at the Okanagan River Restoration Initiative site.

The public is invited to celebrate the return of sockeye salmon coming home after a 6,000-kilometre journey to the ocean and back. Interpreters will be on hand to talk about the life cycle of the sockeye salmon, the challenges these fish face as they travel through different habitats and the efforts to restore spawning habitat in the South Okanagan.

“There should be lots of opportunity to view spawning sockeye salmon this year,” said Lee McFadyen, who works with the Okanagan River Restoration Initiative. “Over 151,028 sockeye have passed through the Fish Passage Center at Wells Dam in Washington State. Last year barely 41,000 sockeye were recorded at Wells Dam, which is the last dam on the Columbia River before fish turn up the Okanagan River.”

The event runs rain or shine on Oct. 13 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Okanagan River Restoration Site in Oliver. Parking is available at Oliver Visitors Centre, 6431 Station St. and the site is an easy one-kilometre walk north along the bike and hike path. Wheelchair accessible.

For more information, email oscaecostudies@gmail.com.