Okanagan Grasslands: At a Glance

For a more in depth look at the information provided below, click here. 

Grassland Region	Area, ha	Ecoprovince	Ecosections	Area, ha
Okanagan	117,275	Southern Interior	Southern Okanagan Basin Southern Okanagan Highland Okanagan Range Northern Okanagan Basin Northern Okanagan Highland	33,290 12,570 19,635 39,905 9,375

Grassland Landscape  

• Three major valley systems, 240 kilometre long Okanagan valley dominant feature
• Almost 50% occur in the lower Okanagan and Similkameen valleys
• North Okanagan Basin and Kettle Valley account for most of the rest.

Special Features

Antelope-brush shrub-steppe on benches above Osoyoos Lake. B. Wikeem

• The hot, dry South Okanagan has wide-spaced bluebunch wheatgrass-big sage or antelope-brush grasslands well-developed dry cryptogam layer,
• Great Basin influence on ecosystems is strongest here, largest number of drought-adapted species occurring in the province,
• North of Kelowna grasslands are found in the Interior Douglas-fir zone
• Most Similkameen valley grasslands are in the Ponderosa Pine and Interior Douglas-fir zones
• Large areas in the Montane-Spruce zone and above
• Unusual communities of bluebunch wheatgrass with Vasey’s sagebrush or threetip sagebrush at  higher elevations.
• Kettle valley grasslands are mostly found in the Ponderosa Pine and Interior Douglas-fir zones
• Mixture of  Idaho fescue, rough fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass  and flowering plants.   

Current State

• Heavy livestock grazing in many areas since the 1850s
• conversion to community development, agriculture, orchards, vineyards and golf courses
• livestock management with pasture fencing helping improve condition
• some critical areas protected in parks and conservation areas

Species at Risk in the Okanagan

Red- and Blue-listed grassland elements in the Okanagan:

*Red list: List of ecological communities, and indigenous species and subspecies that are extirpated, endangered or threatened in British Columbia.

**Blue list: List of ecological communities, and indigenous species and subspecies of special concern (formerly vulnerable) in British Columbia. 

For more information on species at risk in BC, visit our SAR page.

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For a more in depth look at the Okanagan grasslands, click here.