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ACTIVITIESLOCAL GEOGRAPHYThe Okanagan Valley lies 400 kilometres east of Vancouver near the Canada-U.S. border. The valley is approximately 20 kilometres east-west by 250 kilometres north-south. It is the northern tip of a western desert that extends intermittently between the Coastal Mountains and the Cordilleras into the Great Basin Desert of Oregon.The North American Cordillera, located along the West Coast of the continent, encompasses several mountain ranges. Most of the mountain systems in this area are oriented in a north-south direction parallel to the Pacific coast, and the major valleys follow suit. All are igneous in origin. The Interior Plateau covers much of Interior B.C. and is home to the Okanagan Valley. A plateau, like a mountain, is an uplifted section of Earth's crust, but it has not been subject to folding or carving. As with all uplifted areas, however, these relatively flat expanses are subject to erosion. For example, the region's rolling terrain has been moulded by river action. The Okanagan Valley was formed by glacier activity. Mile-thick ice layers retreated 10,000 years ago, scraping the surface and leaving behind valuable sedimentary deposits along its borders. Additional mountain river erosion and flooding left behind nutrient and mineral rich soils which have accumulated into deltas. The system of oblong lakes in the Okanagan Valley is a remnant of the glacial retreat. Okanagan Lake, the largest , is 111 kilometres long and ranges from about 3.2 to 6.4 kilometres wide. The Okanagan boasts an extremely diverse terrain. You can scan a panorama that transitions from dry desert to lush basins, or graduates from low grasslands to upper forest hills to less majestic mountains that accentuate their ice-capped elders far in the distance. The region's wildlife is also unique. In the winter, hoofed animals such as mule deer and bighorn sheep migrate down from the mountains into the warmer valleys. White-tailed deer, cottontails, jackrabbits, badgers and muskrats are seen throughout the seasons. The valley is a birder's paradise, hosting mallards and canvasbacks in the cooler north, along with canyon wrens, white-throated swifts, woodpeckers and calliope hummingbirds in the warmer south. Lizards and painted turtles are often seen. The Okanagan's natural vegetation is divided into two general categories. North Okanagan is dominated by a "dry/rainshadow forest" characterized by sage bush, antelope bush (also called greasewood), bunchgrass and scattered ponderosa pines. It is a green and fertile region with a much wetter climate than the rest of the valley. Warm temperatures and long growing seasons make for ideal conditions for agriculture. |
THE AREA Geography Weather Wildlife Balsamroot ART Performance Art GOLF Okanagan Golf Club Harvest Golf Club Gallagher's Canyon Golf Club Predator Ridge Golf Club Vintage Hills Golf Course Shannon Lake Golf Course Ponderosa Golf Course SKIING Crystal Mountain Silver Star Big White Apex X-Country Skiing RECREATION Recreation Nature Boating Beaches Fishing Kids Hikes Events Cycling Dining Snowshoeing Marina WINE Wineries Okanagan Wine Festivals Mission Hill Special Tours Quails' Gate Estate Winery VISITOR INFORMATION Tax Refund |
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