South Okanagan – Lower Similkameen valley

Location

Site names: South Okanagan and Lower Similkameen valleys

Province/Territory: BC County/Region/District(s): Okanagan-Similkameen Regional

District

Closest City/Town: Penticton is the largest town in the valley

UTM/Geographical Coordinates: Penticton UTM: 49°27’ N, 19°37’W

Directions to Site: From Vancouver to Penticton: Hwy 1 east, exit #177 onto Hwy

3, follow 3 to 3A, 3A to 97, North to Penticton

Maps (please attach): A 1:500,000 map is attached. Also, see Fig 1. in Cannings

et al. 1998

Other:

Physical Description

Area (please specify units): The area is defined in Cannings et al. 1998 as the

“South Okanagan Ecosystem study area”. This area is approximately 150,000 ha
(Cannings et al. 1998). It is a large region, but it is being managed as a unit by

participants in the South Okanagan Conservation Strategy, who are: BC Ministry

of Environment, the Nature Trust of BC, Canadian Wildlife Service, Royal BC

Museum, and the University of BC.

Please describe the site, providing information of habitat type, vegetation type, presence and type of water bodies.

The Okanagan falls into the ecological region classification of “North American

Desert – Western Interior Basins and Ranges” (Commission for Environmental
Cooperation, 1997). The region is quite dry due to a rain shadow from westward
mountains. Five different biogeoclimatic zones (Meidinger and Pojar, 1991) are

found within the Okanagan ecological region:

Bunchgrass zone: Low elevation, arid grasslands dominated by

bunchgrass and sagebrush. Few trees are present. In Canada, this habitat

is only found in the Thompson, Okanagan, and upper Fraser valleys.

Ponderosa Pine zone: Dry, low elevation forests, dominated by

Ponderosa Pine.

Interior Douglas Fir: Low- to mid-elevation forests composed

predominantly of Douglas Fir. Also some grassland regions produced by

soil type, topography, and fire history.

Montane Spruce: Middle elevation forests with a cool climate. Stands of

spruce and sub alpine fir predominate.

Engelmann Spruce - Sub Alpine Fir: High elevation forests. Engelmann
spruce and sub alpine fir are the predominant tree species. Areas of heath,
grassland and meadow are also found.

Most of the species of concern are usually found in the lower-elevation habitat

types, however some species (i.e. Ambystoma macrodactylum) occur at high

elevations. See Meidinger and Pojar 1991.

Water Bodies: The main lakes occurring in the Okanagan valley are Skaha,

Tugulnuit, Vaseux, Okanagan, Osoyoos and Deadman’s Lakes. The Okanagan

River passes directly through two of the four lakes. There are approximately 40

small headwater lakes in the region. The Similkameen river valley does not have

any lakes. Numerous small creeks feed into the Okanagan and Similkameen

rivers. See Cannings et al. (1998) for further details.

Land Ownership

If there are five or fewer owners, please list them. Otherwise, an appropriate government representative, such as municipal council or regional district, is sufficient.

Representatives of stake-holders in the region are:

Name: Okanagan-Similkameen Regional District

Organization/Affiliation: Local Government

Address: 101 Martin St.

City/Town: Penticton Province/Territory: BC

Postal Code: V2A 5J9

Telephone: (250) 492-0237 Fax: (250) 492-0063

E-mail:

Name: Orville Dyer

Organization/Affiliation: Ministry of Environment

Address: Suite 201, 3547 Skaha Lake Rd

City/Town: Penticton, Province/Territory: BC

Postal Code: V2A 7K2

Telephone: (250) 490-8244 Fax:

E-mail: [email protected]

Name: Ken Redpath

Organization/Affiliation: Canadian Wildlife Service

Address: P.O. Box 340

City/Town: Delta Province/Territory: BC

Postal Code: V4K 3Y3

Telephone: (604) 940-4700 Fax:

E-mail:

Name: Tom Slater

Organization/Affiliation: Canadian Wildlife Service

Address: 954A Laval Crescent

City/Town: Kamloops Province/Territory: BC

Postal Code: V2C 5P5

Telephone: 250 374 9115 Fax: 250 374 6287

E-mail: [email protected]

Name: Ron Erickson

Organization/Affiliation: The Nature Trust BC

Address: 909-100 Park Royal South

City/Town: West Vancouver Province/Territory: BC

Postal Code: V7T 1A2

Telephone: Fax:

E-mail:

Name: Dick Cannings

Organization/Affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of BC

Address: 6270 University Blvd

City/Town: Vancouver Province/Territory: BC

Postal Code: V6T 2A9

Telephone: (250) 496-4049 Fax:

E-mail: [email protected]

Name: Rob Cannings

Organization/Affiliation: Royal BC Museum

Address: 675 Belleville Street

City/Town: Victoria Province/Territory: BC

Postal Code: V8V 1X4

Telephone: (250) 356-8242 Fax: (250) 387-5360

E-mail: [email protected]

Are the land owners/managers aware of the importance of the site to amphibian and reptile conservation?

The above representatives are aware of the importance of the site

Are they aware of this site nomination, and if so did they participate in the process?

Dick Cannings, Orville Dyer, and Tom Slater are aware of this nomination, and

provided some advice, but they did not directly participate.

Amphibian and Reptile Species

In the table provided, please list all species of amphibians and reptiles recorded at the site, numbers of individuals of each species (if known), and any references from which information was obtained (include the name of an observer if information is not published). Provide a Literature Cited section at the end of the nomination.

Species	Status	No. of Individuals	References
Pygmy Short-horned Lizard Phrynosoma douglasi	SOCP^1=priority 1 GSWG^2=Extirpated COSEWIC^3=Extirpated BC^4 status=Red CDC^5 = G5SH	0	Powell and Russell 1992 Cannings et al. 1998 Cannings et al. 1999 Hlady 1990
Northern Alligator Lizard Elgaria coerulea	GSWG = Secure BC status = Yellow CDC = G5S4S5	No estimate for the Okanagan region has been made	Cannings et al. 1999 Hlady 1990
Western Skink Eumeces skiltonianus	SOCP = priority 3 GSWG = Secure COSEWIC = in review BC status = Yellow CDC =G5S4	No estimate for the Okanagan region has been made	Cannings et al. 1998 Cannings et al. 1999 Hlady 1990
Night Snake Hypsiglena torquata	SOCP = priority 1 GSWG = At Risk BC status = Red CDC = G5S1	Known from 7 sites in the Okanagan / Similkameen only, more may exist. No data on abundance	Cannings et al. 1998 Cannings et al. 1999 Hlady 1990
Western Rattlesnake Crotalus viridis	SOCP = priority 2 GSWG = Sensitive COSEWIC = in review BC status = Blue CDC = G5S3	There are less than 300 den sites in the Okanagan^6	Cannings et al. 1999 Hlady 1990
Rubber Boa Charina bottae	SOCP = priority 3 GSWG = Sensitive COSEWIC = in review BC status = Blue CDC = G5S3S4	There are less than 300 den sites in the Okanagan	Cannings et al. 1998 Cannings et al. 1999 Hlady 1990
Western Yellow Bellied Racer Coluber constrictor mormon^7	SOCP = priority 3 GSWG = Sensitive BC status = Blue CDC =G5S3S4	There are less than 300 den sites in the Okanagan	Cannings et al. 1998 Cannings et al. 1999 Hlady 1990
Gopher Snake Pituophis catenifer deserticola	SOCP = priority 3 GSWG = Sensitive COSEWIC = in review BC status = Blue CDC = G5T5S3	There are less than 300 den sites in the Okanagan	Cannings et al. 1998 Cannings et al. 1999 Hlady 1990
Common Garter snake (Valley Garter snake) Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi	GSWG = Secure BC status = Yellow CDC =G5S5	No estimate for the Okanagan region has been made	Cannings et al. 1999 Hlady 1990
Western Terrestrial Garter Snake Thamnophis elegans	GSWG = Secure BC status = Yellow CDC = G5S5	No estimate for the Okanagan region has been made	Cannings et al. 1999 Hlady 1990
Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta	SOCP = priority 2 GSWG=Secure/Sensitive BC status = Blue CDC = G5S3S4	No estimate for the Okanagan region has been made	Cannings et al. 1998 Cannings et al. 1999 Hlady 1990
Tiger Salamander Ambystoma tigrinum melanostictum^8	SOCP = priority 1 GSWG = Secure/At Risk COSEWIC = in review BC status = Red CDC = G5S2	3,000-10,000	Cannings et al. 1998 Cannings et al. 1999 Hlady 1990
Longtoed Salamander Ambystoma macrodactylum columbianum	GSWG = Secure BC status = Yellow CDC = G5S5	No estimate for the Okanagan region has been made	Cannings et al. 1999 Hlady 1990
Great Basin Spadefoot Toad Spea intermontana	SOCP = priority 2 GSWG = Sensitive COSEWIC = Vulnerable BC status = Blue CDC = G5S3	No estimate for the Okanagan region has been made	Cannings et al. 1998 Cannings et al. 1999 Hlady 1990
Pacific Treefrog Pseudacris regilla	GSWG = Secure BC status = Yellow CDC = G5S5	No estimate for the Okanagan region has been made	Cannings et al. 1999 Hlady 1990
Western Toad Bufo boreas	GSWG = Secure BC status = Yellow CDC = G4S4	No estimate for the Okanagan region has been made	Cannings et al. 1999 Hlady 1990
Spotted Frog Rana luteiventris	GSWG = Secure BC status = Yellow CDC = G4S4	No estimate for the Okanagan region has been made	Cannings et al. 1999 Hlady 1990
Wood Frog Rana sylvatica	GSWG = Secure BC status = Yellow CDC = G5S5	No estimate for the Okanagan region has been made	Cannings et al. 1999 Hlady 1990

1) SOCP = South Okanagan Conservation Plan (Hlady 1990)

2) GSWS = General Status Working Group (if Canada and provincial ranks are different, they are entered as “Canada/provincial”)

3) Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada

4) Colour ranks from Cannings et al. (1999). Red species are to be considered for designation as provincially endangered or threatened, and Blue species are of management concern.

5) Conservation Data Centre, BC

6) The estimate for the number of den sites was provided by Mike Sarell ([email protected]), a contractor who studies snakes in the Okanagan and Similkameen valleys

7) Collins (1997) considers Coluber constrictor mormon to be a separate species, Coluber mormon.

8) The taxonomy of A. tigrinum is complicated and unresolved. Collins (1997) separates the species into A. tigrinum (which occurs in Canada in Manitoba and Ontario) and A. mavortium (which occurs in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba).

Other Species

Please list major, non-amphibian and non-reptile (especially rare or endemic) species present at the site and describe the importance of the site to these species.

Species	Status	Importance of Site	References
Sage Thrasher Oreoscoptes montanus	COSEWIC=Endangered	Entire BC range is within S. Okanagan	Hlady 1990
Scarlet Ammannia Ammannia robusta	COSEWIC=Endangered		Cannings et al. 1998
Toothcup Meadowfoam Rotala ramosior	COSEWIC=Endangered		Cannings et al. 1998
Burrowing Owl Athene cunicularia	COSEWIC=Endangered	Extirpated	Cannings et al. 1998
White-headed Woodpecker Picoides albolarvatus	COSEWIC=Threatened	Entire Canadian range is within S. Okanagan	Hlady 1990
Yellow-Breasted Chat, BC population Icteria virens auricollis	COSEWIC=Threatened		Hlady 1990
The above are provided as examples. There are 7 other vertebrate and 25 plant species in Canada that only occur in the South Okanagan valley. Many of these are listed by various agencies. The Okanagan provides habitat for 30% of BCs Red-listed vertebrates. See Hlady 1990 and Cannings et al. 1998

Site Criteria

Under each category, please provide a description of how this site fulfills the Important Amphibian and Reptile Areas criteria. If a category does not apply to this site then simply leave it blank (e.g. if there are no threatened species present then leave the Threatened Species category blank).

1. Species of Conservation Concern

The South Okanagan – Lower Similkameen area harbours 1 red-listed amphibian,

1 blue-listed amphibian, 2 red-listed reptiles, and 5 blue-listed reptiles (BC

provincial listings, see Cannings et al. 1999). The Pygmy Short-horned lizard has

become extirpated, and Great Basin Spadefoot Toad is considered vulnerable by

COSEWIC. The South Okanagan – Lower Similkameen region has one of the

highest concentrations of amphibian and reptile species at risk of extirpation in

Canada, and most of these species have very limited ranges in Canada. The entire

Canadian range of the Pygmy Short-horned Lizard and the Night Snake is within

The South Okanagan – Lower Similkameen region.

2. High Species Diversity – state whether the site is of national, provincial, or

regional importance

3. Important Life History Requirements

Human Impacts

Please describe how humans are impacting the site and the immediately surrounding areas in the following ways:

Current site usage (if any), e.g. industrial, residential, farming, logging, camping, recreation, etc. (please indicate relative importance).

Agriculture, including ranching, vineyards, and orchards, occupies 61% of the

Okanagan-Similkameen Regional District. Built-up uses, including residential and

industrial, account for 15%. Forestry is also an important industry in the area.

Tourist activities such as skiing, boating, fishing, and horseback riding, are a

primary source of income for the region (Cannings et al. 1998).

Pollution, e.g. air, water, light, noise, etc.

Pesticide and fertilizer/manure run-off from agricultural activities is probably entering

food chains, soil, water ways and groundwater in the Okanagan. For example, DDE

levels (a breakdown product of the insecticide, DDT) are 100 parts per million in bird’s

eggs from orchard sites. This is 10 times higher than in non-orchard areas of the

Okanagan valley (Elliott et al. 1994). DDT was used in orchards in the valley up until

1972.

Threats to habitat, e.g. development, habitat loss or degradation, succession, fire, etc.

The human population in the region tripled from 20,000 in 1940 to 60,000 in 1987,

and is predicted to reach 112,000 by 2021 (Cannings et al. 1998). Most

agricultural and urban expansion has taken place in riparian regions in the

Bunchgrass Zone. Less that 9% of the shrub steppe and grassland habitat remains

in its natural state (Cannings et al. 1998). In addition, fire suppression has

interrupted natural fire-dependent habitat cycles, and this has had serious negative

effects on wildlife (Cannings et al. 1998).

Habitat conservation or restoration.

The South Okanagan Critical Areas Program is directing conservation activities in

the region. They are involved in the purchase and management of numerous

properties in the area. See Hlady 1990 and Cannings et al. 1998.

Recommended conservation actions for this area.

Please describe any conservation actions that are needed/recommended for this area.

Important biological - conservation information, such as distribution and

population estimates, is lacking for many of the species at risk in the South

Okanagan. Critical areas for reptiles, such as hibernacula and migration routes,

need to be identified and protected. Critical areas for amphibians, such as

headwater lakes, also need to be identified and protected, especially from cattle.

In general, areas in the valley bottom, in the Bunchgrass and Ponderosa Pine

Zones, have the most species of concern, are the most degraded, and face the

greatest threat from further development. Where possible, land should be bought:

otherwise, conservation easements and stewardship agreements should be pursued.

Following are some specific recommendations for species at risk, from Cannings

et al. 1999.

Pygmy Short-Horned Lizard: last sighted in 1937, and evidently extirpated.

Anyone working in the Osoyoos region should keep an eye open for this species.

Rubber Boa: Population estimates need to be made and the range needs to be

more accurately determined. Denning sites and dispersal routes need to be

identified and protected. Forest management practices should produce a supply

of large rotting logs.

Western Yellow Bellied Racer: Population estimates need to be made and the

range needs to be more accurately determined. Denning sites and dispersal routes

need to be identified and protected.

Night Snake: Population estimates need to be made and the range needs to be

more accurately determined. Denning sites and dispersal routes need to be

identified and protected. Rock extraction from talus slopes should be prohibited

in this species’ range.

Gopher Snake: Population estimates need to be made and the range needs to be

more accurately determined. Denning sites and dispersal routes need to be

identified and protected.

Western Rattlesnake: Population estimates need to be made and the range needs to

be more accurately determined. Denning sites and dispersal routes need to be

identified and protected. Public education is needed to reduce persecution.

Painted Turtle: The range needs to be more accurately determined. Ponds and

nesting areas used by painted turtles should be protected.

Tiger Salamander: Fish introductions into salamander breeding sites must be

prevented. Distances of terrestrial ranges should be determined. Breeding sites

should be fenced off from cattle

Great Basin Spadefoot Toad: Breeding-call surveys need to be established. Major

breeding sites should be protected and fenced from grazing cattle. In particular,

development of the area around Osoyoos sewage lagoons, currently under

consideration for development, by the Osoyoos municipal council, should be

strongly discouraged by CARCN.

Other Concerned Organizations

Please provide contact information for organizations or individuals that are involved in protection/conservation of this site, e.g. World Wildlife Fund Canada, Nature Conservancy Canada, Ducks Unlimited, Federation of Nova Scotia Naturalists.

See the list of land-owners and stake-holders.

Previous Work

Please list studies/documents/papers that have been derived from this site. Please provide enough information so that such sources can be retrieved by CARCN.

Hlady 1990 and Cannings et al. 1998 have extensive lists of literature concerning

the South Okanagan.

Literature Cited

Cannings, R.J., E. Durance, and L.K. Scott. 1998. South Okanagan Ecosystem Recovery Plan: Scientific Assessment. Unpublished. Obtained from Orville Dyer, South Okanagan Regional Biologist. [email protected]

Cannings, S.G., L.R. Ramsay, D.F. Fraser, M.A. Fraker. 1999. Rare amphibians, Reptiles and Mammals of British Columbia. Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Wildlife Branch and Resources Inventory Branch, Victoria, BC

Collins, J.T. 1997. Standard common and current scientific names for North American amphibians and reptiles. Center for North American Amphibians and Reptiles. Retrieved January 5, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http://eagle.cc.ukans.edu/~cnaar/CNAAR/CNAARNAChecklist.html

Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 1997. Ecological regions of North America. Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 393 rue St. Jaques Ouest, bureau 200, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Elliott, J.E., P.A. Martin, T.W. Arnold, and P.H. Sinclair. 1994. Organochlorines and reproductive success of birds in orchard and non-orchard areas of central British Columbia, Canada, 1990-1991. Arch. Environ. Toxicol. Contam. 26:435-443.

Hlady, D.A. 1990. South Okanagan Conservation Strategy: 1990-1995. Canadian Wildlife Service internal report. Out of print.

Meidinger, D and J. Pojar (eds.), 1991. Ecosystems of British Columbia. British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Research Branch.

Powell, G. L., and A.P. Russell. 1992. Status report on the short-horned lizard Phrynosoma douglasii in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada status report.