Public asked to help reduce invasive mussel risk in the Okanagan

The body overseeing water in the Okanagan has asked the public to do their part to stop invasive species from entering the lakes.

At the February 4 meeting, the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) put out a call to the public to help prevent invasive mussels from coming into B.C. and the Okanagan.

Watercraft need to be be inspected for invasive species before entering the province, but the OBWB said there is no legal requirements and there’s a possibility a vessel enters B.C. without stoping at an inspection station.

The organization asked the public to email wildlifeactreview@gov.bc.ca and call for stricter regulations and more inspection staffing so watercraft carrying mussels or other invasive species do not enter the province.

The OBWB noted it, as well as other partner organizations, also wrote letters to the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship to call for increased inspection station funding, mandatory watercraft inspections, more federal support, and interprovincial cooperation.

Also at the meeting, the OBWB learned that the Okanagan and Similkameen Invasive Species Society ran an operation in 2024 that saw over 986 vessels checked at 15 boat launches. There were no invasive mussels discovered in those inspections.