Okanagan Falls

Okanagan Falls (also known as OK Falls) is a community located on the south end of Skaha Lake in British Columbia.^[1][2] It voted to become an incorporated municipality in 2025.

Okanagan Falls sx̌ʷəx̌ʷnitkʷ
Unincorporated community
Rolling hills of Okanagan Falls with Peach Cliff in the distance
Nickname:  OK Falls
Okanagan Falls Location of Okanagan Falls in British Columbia
Coordinates: 49°21′00″N 119°34′00″W
Country	Canada
Province	British Columbia
Incorporated as a Municipality	2025-TBD
Area code(s)	250, 778

History

The community was founded in 1893 as Dogtown. The current name derives from a small set of the falls that used to lie on the Okanagan River at the outlet of Skaha Lake. The falls have since been submerged beneath the lake due to the construction of a dam on the river.^[3][4]

In 2012, Okanagan Falls expressed interest in incorporating as a municipality,^[5] and in December 2020 the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen approved a study on incorporating the community as a municipality.^[6] A previous attempt at incorporation was rejected by 76 percent of voters in 1989. Residents in Okanagan Falls approved the incorporation measure in an election on March 22, 2025, with 53 percent in favour. It will become the province's 162nd municipality—the most recent since Sun Peaks in 2010—once the results are confirmed.^[7]

Geological features

The namesake Okanagan Falls have long been submerged by the waters of Skaha Lake, which rose as a result of the construction of this small dam. The dam is located just south of the bridge along Highway 97 The dam is a vital component of the flood and irrigation controls of the region.

Nestled at the head of a giant spillway formed as the discharge of Glacial Lake Penticton was constrained between Mount McLellan to the west and Peach Cliff to the east. Okanagan Falls has a diverse assemblage of geological attractions.^[8]

Peach Cliff

Peach Cliff is a dominant landmark to the east of Okanagan Falls. It consists of trachyte of Eocene age. Peach Cliff is home to herds of mule deer and a sizeable herd of California bighorn sheep. Perched high on a spur of Peach Cliff is Balancing Rock, a large glacial erratic supported by a couple of granitic cobbles.^[9]

Indian Head

Southwest of Okanagan Falls, are the ragged cliffs of Indian Head, one of the most unusual rock formations in the Okanagan. Consisting of dark volcanic rocks overlying a lighter conglomerate. This formation contains spectacular megabreccia, volcanic and plutonic rocks up to 70 m (230 ft) across and metamorphic rocks of up to 500 m (1,600 ft) across.^[10]

Mahoney Lake

South of Okanagan Falls lies meromictic Mahoney Lake, home to spectacular blooms of purple sulphur bacteria. This purple is contrasted by nearby Green Lake, which is coloured by the precipitation of calcium carbonates in the water column.^[11]

Tourism

The Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory is a research facility founded in 1960 and located southwest of Okanagan Falls and Penticton.

The site houses three instruments – an interferometric radio telescope, a 26 m (85 ft) single-dish antenna, and a solar flux monitor – and supports engineering laboratories. The DRAO is operated by the Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics of the National Research Council of the Canadian government.

The observatory was named an IEEE Milestone for first radio astronomical observations using VLBI. There is a self-guided tour available at the facility during daylight hours.

Parks

Christie Memorial Provincial Park is located on the south shoreline of Skaha Lake. Okanagan Falls Provincial Park is also nearby.