Mission Creek is the Central Okanagan’s most important waterway, as it feeds Okanagan Lake, provides critical habitat for fish, wildlife, and plants, and delivers multiple historic, recreational, and economic benefits.
In the 1950s, however, sections of Mission Creek through Kelowna, British Columbia were channelized and diked to prevent flooding. The resulting changes caused the loss of more than 60 percent of the creek’s length, 80 percent of its spawning and rearing habitat, and 75 percent of its wetland and riparian areas. Historical, cultural, recreational, and economic impacts have also become increasingly significant.
The Mission Creek Restoration Initiative (MCRI) was formally launched in 2008 to address declining fish stocks by restoring natural hydraulic and biological functions to the lower 12 km of Mission Creek from the East Kelowna bridge to Okanagan Lake.
Learn more about this initiative: https://www.missioncreek.ca/