Using a computer model and real-time hydrological/biological data—the Fish-Water Management Tool (FWMT)—for managing Okanagan River flows maximizes survival of Sockeye eggs and juveniles resulting in a spectacular resurgence in adult Sockeye returns
Douglas PUD and Canadian partners developed the FWMT—a web-based computer model that guides Canadian water and fish managers to fish-friendly decisions on water releases from dams in the Canadian Okanagan.
FWMT benefits Sockeye by, 1) stabilizing flows during fall spawning, 2) preventing dewatering of eggs during incubation, 3) preventing flows that could scour alevins from redds before spring emergence, and 4) oxygenating water for juveniles and adults in Osoyoos Lake during late summer.
Continued funding by Douglas PUD maintains the model, allows Canadian partners to collect the physical (climate, hydrology, temperature, etc.) and bio-logical (Sockeye spawning, fry emergence, etc.) data necessary to populate the model, and to staff the modeling process to inform water-management decisions for the benefit of sockeye, flood control, irrigation, and recreation.
