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NATURE
· Plants and Animals in the Dry Land
FIRST PEOPLES
· The Osoyoos Indian Band: Preserving Our Past, Strengthening Our Future
HISTORY
· A Scarcity of Water
This is a link to a map of the Grasslands of British Columbia with an optional close-up map of the Southern Okanagan.

FOCUS  Southern Okanagan

A Scarcity of Water
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This is a photograph of a man standing by rows of cantaloupe between the fruit trees at Stowell's fruit farm near Oliver.
Stowell's fruit farm near Oliver with cantaloupe growing between the fruit trees, 1926. BC Archives, I-52718.
Water is vital for successful farming in the dry Okanagan grasslands. "The whole success or failure . . . turns upon carefully planned and properly conducted schemes of irrigation," was advice given to prospective farmers in 1909. Irrigation greatly changed the Okanagan landscape as introduced food crops replaced the natural habitat. The extent of these changes is revealed by J.T. Bealby's recommendation to his readers in 1912:

"On every account it is decidedly preferable to clear everything off the land in the first instance that you would not wish to retain there perpetually. A clean sweep costs very little more than a partly finished job, and makes all your subsequent operations so very much easier, so very much more satisfactory, and proportionally much cheaper."

Paring knife, tomato scoop and pear loop from Stowell’s fruit cannery near Oliver. RBCM 988.18.1b, 988.18.2, 988.18.4.
This is a photograph of a paring knife, tomato scoop and pear loop from Stowell's fruit cannery, British Columbia.
Apple Box Labels. RBCM 987.130.95, 987.130.97. 987.130.113.
This is an image of three different apple box labels.
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