The highlands

The Okanagan Valley is a great trough that cuts across the highlands of southern British Columbia. These forested highlands are the largest part of the basin and are the source of most of our water. In addition to outdoor recreation, forestry and cattle grazing are important in the highlands.

Highway 33 east of Kelowna crosses the high edge of the Okanagan Basin at Kelowna-Rock Creek summit. (R.J.W. Turner, GSC 2006-147)

Landscapes in Kelowna (R.J.W. Turner, GSC 2006-171)

Landscapes at Naramata on Okanagan Lake (R.J.W. Turner, GSC 2006-148)

The valley is a busy place!

The Okanagan Valley consists of the main lakes, valley bottom, benchlands, and surrounding slopes. Most of us live down on the valley bottom or on the surrounding benchlands in Kelowna, Vernon, Penticton, and other major centres. The valley contains our lakes, agriculture and wineries, tourist facilities and golf courses, and industry, as well as wetland ecosystems, species at risk, and endangered habitat. With all these competing uses, we need to plan our growth carefully.