Space for salmon spawn

The Penticton Creek upgrades are right on schedule, aiming to be done in time to help the kokanee salmon run in early September. 

Penticton Creek used to be a robust waterway for spawning salmon, but the smooth concrete chute which has formed the bottom of the creek for decades is not conducive to hatching baby fish.

"The concrete flume is a real barrier to fish when water is low in the fall, so when we don't have as much water, fish have a hard time getting up the creek to be able to find places to spawn," said Bryn White, chair of the Penticton Creek Restoration Committee. 

"Fish need just the right conditions and gravel to build their little nests and lay their eggs, and that's not the case in a concrete flume."

The concrete is being ripped up and replaced with rocks and pool areas, ideal for spawning.

"We are taking away the very shallow depth of flow that existed when it was only concrete, because the water flowed very fast but very shallow, which presented a challenge for the fish," said Ian Chapman, City of Penticton engineer. "Now they will be able to swim through the rocks, because the water is deep enough between the rocks." 

White said the salmon are important from both a biodiversity and cultural standpoint. 

"I think this would be a worse place to live if there were not kokanee salmon," she said. 

The city expects the creek project to be wrapped up by the end of next week.