Canoe Bay Pump Station

The RDNO has approved the construction of a raw water pumping station located at Canoe Bay and adjacent to Kin Beach on Okanagan Lake. This is a developer lead project being constructed by Frind Winery Ltd. 

The project will consist of: 

• A 900 mm diameter intake pipe extending 800 metres into the lake, with the intake screen at a minimum depth of 4.8 metres below the surface (based on historic water levels).
• A raw water pumping station, sized for current demand with room to add additional pumps over time.
• Approximately 1,000 metres of 500- 600 mm diameter water main pipe (transmission main).
• A 300 m³ balancing tank (closed concrete reservoir) on Okanagan Hills Boulevard.

Initial work to include blasting of bedrock along the water main alignment and at the pump station site. 

The water main installation will proceed first; there will be traffic disruptions on Tronson Road, Bella Vista Road and Okanagan Hills Boulevard when the crossings of those roads are installed.

The pump station construction will proceed in June. 

The intake installation in the lake is contingent upon environmental work windows based on water temperatures. Environmental preparation work is scheduled to start in late July or August, with construction proceeding through until October.

Benefits:

• Allow GVW to access existing water licenses on Okanagan Lake and provide more untreated water for agricultural uses.
• Support more agriculture on the west side of Vernon.
• A City of Vernon public park with a parking area adjacent to the pump station.
• 2.5 Km Extension of the Grey Canal public trial from Okanagan Hills Boulevard through the Frind Winery Ltd. property providing stunning view of Okanagan Lake.

Environmental:

The environmental offsetting will include habitat restoration at the mouth of Vernon Creek, protection of the foreshore area around the new park, and long-term monitoring.

This project has undergone a stringent environmental review and permitting process with the Provincial Regulator, as well as the Department of Fisheries and Oceans with a Cultural Heritage Assessment by the Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB).  The project will have Environmental Monitors and OKIB Cultural Heritage Monitors on-site during the construction to oversee the protection of important environmental and cultural heritage values.

As part of this project, the OKIB and RDNO has partnered to complete research into the Rocky Mountain Ridged Mussel; a species endemic to the Okanagan which is listed as of Special Concern in the Species at Risk Act. 

Parties:

In Partnership with Frind Wineries Ltd.
Okanagan Indian Band
City of Vernon
RDNO