Kelowna completes Mill Creek restoration and flood protection project

The City of Kelowna has reached a major milestone in its efforts to create a climate-resilient waterway through the completion of construction and planting along a 650-metre section of Mill Creek in Parkinson Recreation Park.

The project aims to reduce flood risks for nearby homes, businesses, and public facilities while improving water quality and restoring natural habitats. To support the ecosystem, officials planted nearly 780 trees and 6,400 shrubs and grasses. The restoration included adding spawning gravel, riffles, deeper pools, and wetland habitats for turtles and amphibians, as well as removing retaining walls to allow the creek to utilize its floodplain during high water levels.

Developed in collaboration with the Okanagan Nation Alliance and Westbank First Nation, the project utilized biological assessments to support wildlife. Early signs of ecological recovery have been noted, with salmon returning to spawn in the restored section shortly after water began flowing through the new channel this fall.