As the Friends of the Oxbows see ourselves as promoters of conservation we have worked over the years to encourage a number of projects which we think we can take some credit for helping accomplish. So far we have:

1. Been able to encourage the City to install a silt interceptor on the Brandon Avenue oxbow and to remove approximately 340 m3 of sediment from that oxbow.
2. Assisted the developer of The Bow housing project on Warren Avenue to develop a plan for riparian area preservation and restoration, and continue to be involved with the establishment of the final plan for strata-type management of the habitat on that site.
3. Facilitated, collected and analysed data on water quality, bird numbers, and the health of benthic organisms in some or all oxbows, in cooperation with local naturalists and other interested parties.
4. Worked to increase public support for the conservation and rejuvenation of the oxbows by participating in as many public events as possible to pass on information about the plight of our oxbows.

We intend to demonstrate the importance and usefulness of restoring riparian vegetation on at least two oxbows within the city of Penticton over the next five years. By 2015, we intend to have at least one storm water interceptor installed on one oxbow to demonstrate how siltation can be managed to increase water quality in the oxbows while at the same time allowing the oxbow to receive storm water runoff.

We plan to have at least one oxbow reconnected to a water source so that a minimal flowage is maintained year-round.

Through these actions we will have greatly increased our knowledge base with respect to the values and needs of the wetlands in the City of Penticton. We will have engaged the public and all levels of government in the long-term rehabilitation initiatives involving our oxbows and wetlands at the primary entrances to our city. In the long run, this will allow others to take on specific projects that will further enhance the overall efforts to sustain the Oxbow Habitat.

1. Increase our knowledge base by collecting and collating hydrological and biological information for use in developing protection, enhancement, and evaluation plans.
2. Begin restoring riparian vegetation by working with key landowners and developers to set aside, restore and replant where feasible native riparian species. In addition we will develop management plans for invasive species.
3. Work to manage silt loads entering the oxbows by working with the City’s waste water management planning process. Promote the removal of silt in oxbows wherever possible and as opportunities arise.
4. Increase public support by increasing group membership, contacting other conservation agencies and organizations to enlist them in our cause, and by meeting with local, provincial, federal and band politicians and officials.