The Kokanee salmon have arrived

Years ago, Kokanee salmon hatched from their small orange eggs along the creek bed of Deep Creek near Peachland.

Avoiding bears, birds, and other fish, they made their way to the vast Okanagan.

They spent time in the lake growing and turning a bright shade of red. But now, their instincts are telling them it’s time to go home and continue the cycle.

“They now have returned to the exact same place that they were born and make their way up to spawn and this is their final chapter,” Rose Maunder, event planner with the Regional District of the Central Okanagan (RDCO), told Kelowna10.

“It’s kind of like the big story and I think it’s really impressive that this is what they’re doing.”

Maunders said the small fish were imprinted with the location they were born in and can smell and taste the water to lead them back.

And to greet the returning fish, the Regional District of the Central Okanagan (RDCO) hosted ‘Welcome the Kokanee’ at Hardy Falls Regional Park. The park is an ideal place to view them up close until about the end of September.

Families came to take part in not only fun activities but also education.

Tents were set up to teach people about nearby wildlife and the life cycle of the fish, using small vials with samples of eggs and hatchlings.

Stuffed fish toys offered children the chance to learn about salmon and other types of aquatic life in the province.

Guided tours leading toward the waterfall showed people the spawning area of the beloved freshwater salmon and taught the importance of protecting delicate ecosystems.

“These fish are an indicator species of how everything else is doing,” Maunder said. “I mean, when you think black bears, and everything from ospreys to eagles, they’re relying on these fish.”

The salmon even play a vital role in ground nutrients, Maunder added. When the fish die and decompose, it enriches the soil.

Signs set up along the path to Hardy Falls stress the importance on not entering the water, noting how one poorly placed stomp could kill hundreds of would-be Kokanees.

It's expected cooler temperatures in the spring and higher-than-average precipitation will aid the salmon.

Besides this festival, more events are planned to further celebrate and educate the public on this important species.

The Kikinee Salmon Festival will be at Mission Creek Regional Park on Sept. 10, with more tours and activities.

“We live in a special part of the world and Kokanee are a part of that,” Maunder said. “It’s really good to honour that and appreciate them.”