American dam to cut outflows to boost Osoyoos Lake levels
Published 5:00 pm Thursday, April 2, 2026 By Brennan Phillips, Summerland Review (Read more at: https://summerlandreview.com/2026/04/02/american-dam-to-cut-outflows-to-boost-osoyoos-lake-levels/)
Painted Turtles in the Osoyoos Oxbows at the northern tip of Osoyoos Lake depend on fresh water from the Okanagan River. Photo Credit: Neil Bousquet
For the third year in a row, the International Osoyoos Lake Board of Control will be controlling outflows downstream to try and bolster water levels. Another dry winter has left the lake at historic low levels. The International Joint Commission (IJC) has approved a temporary operating variance for Zosel Dam to manage the levels upstream at the lake. The low levels have led to the Town of Osoyoos closing its boat launch in order to protect the infrastructure, as an example of the current situation.
View of Osoyoos Lake from mountains above Oroville, WA.View of Osoyoos Lake looking north from Oroville, WA. Photo courtesy Neil Bousquet/Osoyoos Lake Water Quality Society
Temporary variances were issued in 2024 and 2025 as well, restrict flow levels at the dam to bring the lake to more normal levels. This year’s dry winter and slow spring melt has made managing the water particularly challenging, as the IOLBC’s news release stated that the limited water has made it difficult to raise the lake levels while keeping up the necessary downstream flows in Washingston State required for things like protecting salmon spawning habitat below Zosel Dam. As a result the temporary variance this year is limited to just between April 1 and 30, unlike the previous year round orders.
The order will cut the outflows at Zosel Dam to the minimum needed for the fish downstream.
