Water Resources

APPENDIX IV Report to the International Joint Commission UNITED STATES and CANADA WATER RESOURCES of the Columbia River Basin OKANOGAN - SIMILKAMEEN BASIN Prepared bly International Columbia River - Engineering Board APmIx IV 0KANW-S-T BASIN CONTENTS Chapter pa@= I DESCRIFTION GEOGRAPHY ........................................ 1 TOPOGRAPHY ....................................... 1 Sm...*...................................... 1 GEOLOGY .......................................... 2 SOILS ............................................ 3 CLIMATE .......................................... 3 General ..................................... Records ..................................... 1 HYDROLOGY ............. ........................... 4 GeneraJ ..................................... 4 Floods .......................*.............. 8 R~noff...................................... 9 Ground Water ................................ 13 Flater Rights ................................ 13 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FQFULATION ....................................... RESOURCES AND INDUSTRICT ......................... AGRICULTURE ...................................... FORESTRY ......................................... MrNl3RALS m l4.INING .............................. WACTURING .................................... FISH ............................................. rnCREATION ....................................... POWER ............................................ 'TRANSPORTATION AM) COMMERCE ...................... PUBLIC LANDS AND ~SERVATIONS.................... EXISTnTG A,W AUTHORIZED DEVELOPMENT .............. WATER LAWS ....................................... I11 PRoBmls IInmuvATIO~.................................... Okanagan Flood Control Project .............. Proposed Shankers Bend Dam .................. Wigation Requirements on Sim5-llrameen River. O~oyoosW.e Flood Problem .................. PIAVIGATIO!T ....................................... FLOOD CONTROL .................................... m1m .* ..........................*............... IRRIGATIOE ....................................... RECAWTION ....................................... LEGAL CONSIDEXATIONS ............................. APPRAISAL OF WATER AND STORAGE REQUIREWXCS PO1m ............................................ ~.IGATIOlJ....................................... FWD COI\mOL .................................... Contents (continued) Chapter Page V PLAN OF DE3ELOl?MlmI' INVESTIGATIONSANDOFFICESTUDIES ............... 50 IMPROV.EMENT ELEMENTS ............................ 51 Storage Sites .............................. 51 Irrigation ................................. 54 Local Flood Protection Works ............... 59 F'ROFOSED PLAITS .................................. 59 Introd11xtion ............................... 59 Plan A ..................................... 60 Plan B ..................................... 60 BENEFITS AND ACCOMF'LISHMEWTS .....*..*..*....-... 61 ITavigation ................................. 61 Flood Control and Drainage ................. 61 Power ...................................... 61 Irrigation ................................. 62 Preliminary Cost Estimates of Storage Facilities ............................... 62 Sumnary of Climatological Data ........................... 5 Average Precipitation for the Period of Record ........... 6 Average Temperatures for the Period of Record ............ 7 Annual Peak Discharges ................................... 10 Annual Maximum Lake Stages ............................... 11 Discharge F1o1.r~Okanogan River neas Tonasket ............. 14 Runoff Okanogan River near Tonasket ...................... 15 Discharge Flows Sirnilkameen River near Nighthawk ......... 16 Runoff Similkameen River new Nighthawk .................. 17 Discharge Flows Okanogan River at Okanagaa Falls ......... 18 Runoff Okanogan River at Okanagan Falls .................. 19 Summary of \later Licenses. Sirnilkameen River. B.C. ....... 22 Summary of Water Licenses. Okanogan River. B .C ........... 23 Swnmary of Water Rights and Current Permits Okanogan River. U.S. .......................................... 24 Summary of Irrigable Acreage and Plater Requirements. Similkameen Valley in Canada ......................... 41 krigable and Presently Irrigated Lands. Sirnilkameen Basin in Canada .......................... 42 Smary of brigable Acreage and Water Requirements. Olranogan Valley in Canada ............................ 44 Irrigable and Presently Irrigated Lands. Okanogan Basin in Canada ............................. 45 Surmnasy of Brigable Acreage and Water Requirements. Okanogan-Similkameen Basin. U .S ...................... 46 Irr igable Lands and Lands Requiring Supplemental Water. Okanogan Basin in United States ...................... 47 Summa~.yof Damsite Data .Sirnilkameen Basin .............. 55 FIGURES 1. Flood Frequency Curves. Similkameen River at Nighthawk and Okanogan River at Tonasket ....................... 12 2 . Hydrograph. Sirnilkameen River at Nighthawk ............... 20 3 . Hydrograph. Okanogan River at Okanagan Falls ............. 21 PLATES Basin Ma,p Stream Profiles Irrigation Map Canadian Portion of Similkameen River Basin I I I! 11 I I " Okanog- River Basin I1 'I United States Portion of Basin Shankers Bend High Dam Plan and Sections Snanlcsrs Bend Reservoir Map Shankers Bend Law Dam Plan and Sections Ashnola Site Plan and Sections Bromley Site Plan and Sections Ashnola River Site No . 1 Plan and Sections iii I. DESCRIPTION GEOGRAPHY 1. The Okanogan-Similkameen Basin, situated about 150 miles east of the Pacific Coast, drains an area of about 8,400 square miles: 6,000 square miles in south central British Columbia, and 2,400 square miles in north central Washington. It extends 180 miles from north to south and 85 miles from east to west. The basin is bounded on the north and west by the Fraser River basin, on the west by the Skagit River basin, on the southwest by the Methow River basin, and on the east by the Kettle and Sanpoil River basins. From its source, the Okanogan River flows south along the east side of the basin in a fairly narrow valley which is noted for its chain of lakes. It crosses the international boundary, near Osoyoos, about two-thirds of the distance from its headwaters to its junction with the Columbia River near Brewster, Washington. The major tributary of the Okanogan, the Similkameen, rises in Washington new the boundary, flows north into British Columbia, then east, then southeasterly to recross the boundary about 24 miles above its confluence with the Okanogan River near Orwille. A map of the basin is shown on Plate 1 and stream profiles on Plate 2. TOPOGRAPHY 2. Mountains and mountain valleys are the principal land forms in the basin. In general, the Okanogan valley is U-shaped in cross section with mountains rising to elevations of 4,000 to 5,000 feet on either side. Occasional peaks reach elevations of about 8,000 feet. A notable feature at the north end of the valley is the low divide (el. 1,179) separating the Okanogan and Fraser River basins. Generally, flood plains occur only in narrow stretches along the river. In a'few instances, hawever, the lm ground slopes gently for a considerable distance from the river before a steep rise occurs. Benchlands 200 to 400 feet above the river are common. Beyond the benches the mountains rise steeply to rounded rolling tops. 3. The Sirnilkameen valley is narrow with precipitous sides, except for the 22-mile portion extending south from Keremeos, which is comparatively flat and broad. Generally the mountains on the west and south sides of the valley rise to about 7,000 or 8,000 feet in elevation, and those on the north and east sides of the valley rise to about 5,000 or 6,000 feet in elevation. STREAMS 4. The most northerly part of the drainage basin is the headwater of Deep Creek, which flows south for 21 miles into Okanagan Lake (el. 1,123). Numerous small creeks flow into Okanagan Lake. These include Mission Creek near Kelma and Penticton Creek at Penticton, which drain from the east, and R.out Creek near Summerland, which drains from the west. Okanagan Lake, the source of the Okanogan River, is about 69 miles long and two miles wide. It is controlled by a low dam at its outlet at the south end. The Okanogan River flows south from Okawga Lake for 43.7 miles to the international boundary, passing through Skaha asld Vaseaux Lakes and entering Osoyoos Lake, which straddles the international boundary. After it leaves Osoyoos We, it then flows 73 miles to its confluence with the Colwnbia River near Brewster, Washington. The minor tributaries south of Okanagan Lake we Shingle, Ellis, and Shuttleworth Creeks near Penticton; Vaseaux and Inkaneep Creeks new Oliver, in British Columbia; Description and Tonasket Creek near Orwille; Bonaparte Creek near Tonasket; and Salmon Creek, near Okanogan, in Washington. 5. The Sixillsameen River is the largest tributazy of the Okanogan fromthe standpoint of both runoff and drainage area. Its headwaters are in the Cascade Mountains, in the vicinity of the international boundary. It is joined by the Pasayten River from the south and flows northerly for 50 miles to Princeton. There it is joined by its largest tributary, the Tulmeen River. From Princeton it flows southeasterly for 88 miles to its confluence with the Okanogan River at Orwille, after crossing the boundary new Nighthawk. The largest tributaries ' downstream from Princeton are Allison, Hayes, Hedley, and Keremeos Creeks, which drain from the north, and the Ashnola River

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