The Marina
Recreation on the water
In the mid-1950s boats and marine equipment were a luxury for most families, but the Compeau, Thebes, Patterson and Lacey families of Osoyoos pooled funds to buy what is regarded as Osoyoos Lake's first "ski boat." The craft was named Cherribob. The first homes and docks along the lake-shore began to appear in the late 1950s.
In spring 1959, residents including the Goodman, Robb, Lacey, Clark, Wells, and Balogh families formed the South Okanagan Aquatic Club with the goal of building a harbour out of a slough where today's Desert Sunrise Marina is located.
The Club received $1000 from the Town and began draining and dredging the pond. The Town opened the marina in June 1961 with a 200 foot dock and a concrete launching ramp. Moorage was set at $10 annually. On the northern spit there was gas service and boat repair by Kurt Reinhold but it was removed in the mid-1990s.
With the dawn of a regular tourism season, motels made rental boats available. Then in the 1970s visitors began bringing in their own boats. Higher power, wake-creating ski boats gradually became popular, and towable inflatables and wakeboarding appeared on the lake in the 1980s.
In 2006 the Town of Osoyoos and Osoyoos Shoreline Developments, the developers of Watermark Beach Resort, agreed to a no-moorage covenant to ensure that the waterfront lands at the southern end of Watermark would not be used for boat moorage. Instead, the two groups entered into a partnership to build a new marina.
Dredging began in early 2011 and in time for the summer brand-new boat launches were ready, and then for the spring of 2012 the 32-slip marina and boat launch dock were completed. The marina provides an exciting addition to Osoyoos' recreational attractions for residents and visitors alike.