Fintry Provincial Park and Protected Area

IUCN Category II - National Park

The Fintry Waterfall

The Fintry Provincial Park and Protected Area is a total of 884 hectare Provincial Park in the center of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The park is located on the western shore of Okanagan Lake, about 37 kilometers north of Kelowna in the Regional District of Central Okanagan.

Plant

The park is somewhat isolated from the main road on Okanagan Lake. The official access to the park and the campground either from Kelowna in the south on a roughly 34 -kilometer access road from Highway 97 or north of Vernon and Armstrong via an approximately 36 km long driveway.

The park is divided into two parts, both of which are drained by the Shorts Creek. The smaller one with 361 acres of the park, which is the proportion Provincial Park, located for the most part between Okanagan Lake and the access road to the park, which cuts through this also in north-south direction. The 523 hectares of much larger part of the park, the proportion Protected Area, stretching from the access road of about 13 km to the west.

In proportion Provincial Park, the lakefront, there are almost all the infrastructural facilities of the park. In addition to the actual campground with its facilities include also the information center The Manor House. Furthermore, can be found in this part of the park in shorts Point, a small lighthouse. This portion of the park still surrounds also was a small settlement, which does not form part of the park.

The proportion Protected Area is located west of the access road. While the other part of the park rather flat stretches along the lake, this park is part increases significantly and is much more mountainous. In this part of the park is also the waterfall. In three steps here falls the shorts Creek down the rocks before he flows through a 60 to 70 meter deep canyon of granite and granodiorite erdmittelalterlichem to the lake.

In the reserve allocation by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, the park is divided into two parts. The proportion Provincial Park is a protected area category III ( Natural Monument ), while it is in the proportion Protected Area is a protected area category II (National Park) is.

History

The park was established in 1996 and had at its foundation a size of 361 hectares This area now forms the proportion Provincial Park. Over time, the park boundaries were repeatedly redefined and the park changed with it every time its size. The expansion of the park to the proportion Protected Area was in 2001.

The park is located mainly in the traditional hunting and settlement of the West Bank First Nation by the people of the Okanagan. The story is therefore, as with almost all provincial parks, extensive than recognized by the European-influenced historiography.

The European-influenced history begins in the 19th century, when the western shore of the lake, many of the Hudson 's Bay Company were active. The nearby settlement was about one of the points to stay at one of the trade routes, the " Okanagan Brigade Trail ". The name of shorts by going back to a later time. Thomas D. shorts was in the years from 1880, the captain and operator of a steam boat fleet on the lake and had around 1900 in Fintry resident., The Located in Park Manor House dates from 1909 and was built by James Cameron Dunwaters. From this even more houses were built in the park (eg the farm buildings at the park gate ), since this was his farm.

Flora and Fauna

Basically, the park is located on dry Interior Plateau. Within the ecosystem of British Columbia, the park area will be allocated different ecological zones. The proportion Provincial Park is assigned to the Interior Douglas - fir zone ( with subzones Moist Warm and Dry Very Hot ).

The proportion Protected Area is the Interior Douglas - fir zone, with the subzones Moist Warm and Very Dry Mild and the Montane Spruce zone associated with the Dry Mild subzone.

Due to the sometimes very different zones can be found in the park, a relatively large number of plants. It can be found next to widespread species such as Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, spruce and American Aspen Tree also significantly rarer species such as the Western balsam poplar and yellow pine. This diversity is also reflected in the understory and meadow areas with Erlenblättrigen Amelanchier, purse flowers ( Ceanothus ) and the Rotstängelmoos and various mosses and lichens on.

The detectable species correspond to the size and location of the park. In the area you will find, among other things, various predators such as grizzly bears, black bears, coyote and Genuine raccoon. In addition to various deer species, such as mule deer or white-tailed deer, there are bighorn sheep in the park. At the same time, the park is also an important winter refuge for the living in the area deer.

The park also offers a wide variety of birds, such as the American long-eared bat ( Corynorhinus townsendii ), the ruffed grouse Or for the endangered reindeer diver, a habitat. Besides coming here before because of the old trees, and the Pileated Woodpecker and the Great Horned Owl. In addition, goshawk and bald eagle found in the park. Potentially represent the occurring Canada geese a problem since, so far this is prevented by their natural predators, Great Horned Owl, Bald Eagle and Coyote.

In the streams and rivers can be found next to the brook trout and the sockeye salmon and rainbow trout. In Okanagan Lake is situated next to the sockeye salmon and rainbow trout then also Heringsmaränen and burbot.

Activities

The park has 100, partially reservable, pitches for caravans and tents and has sanitary facilities with showers. The campground is divided into three sections and with its spaces and sanitary facilities not available throughout the year.

The tourist attraction of the park is next to the lake and the hiking trails and climbing opportunities, the waterfall. Furthermore, in various ways in the park riding as well as mountain bike riding allowed.

On the lake it is allowed to go by motor boat. This can be found in the park is also a slipway for boats. Furthermore, the lake is a great fishing area.

According to legend, the sea monster Ogopogo lives in Okanagan Lake.