Okanagan Grasslands: At a Glance

The 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.

What’s special about these grasslands?

• 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

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

• 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.  

Interior Douglas-fir grasslands between Bridesville and Rock Creek. B.Wikeem

How are they doing?

• 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

A Species at Risk in the Okanagan

Pallid Bat

Red-listed in BC

Listed under the Federal Species at Risk Act (SARA)

• Known in Canada only as a small population from Osoyoos to Okanagan Falls
• large bat, from 107 – 131 millimetres
• hunts beetles and moths at night, low over the grasslands; may spend time on the ground 
• day and night roosts in ponderosa pine trees, crevices and cliffs
• Threats are loss of habitat, insects laden with pesticides used in fruit orchards. 

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