|
|
|
|
|
     |
||||||
|
||||||
     |
|
Case study – North Saskatchewan Watershed in AlbertaThe content of this case study reflects the federal, provincial/territorial and municipal realities of 2004. We encourage readers to consult the specific recommendations, legislations, regulations and policies of the various federal, provincial/territorial or municipal jurisdictions, for an up-to-date status. 1. Provincial context for source water protectionAlberta's Water Act refers to the document "The Framework for Water Management Planning" to guide water management planning in Alberta. A requirement of the Water Act and a major part of the Framework is the development of a provincial water strategy to protect the aquatic environment. In November 2003 the government of Alberta released "Water for Life: Alberta's Strategy for Sustainability," which sets short-, medium-, and long-term plans to manage the quantity and quality of the province's water systems and supply sustainably. The government of Alberta, through Alberta Environment, will remain accountable for, and will continue to oversee, water and watershed management activities in the province. A multi-stakeholder provincial water advisory council has been established. The Alberta Water Council is a partnership between governments and stakeholders interested in water issues. It is made up of members from four broad categories: provincial ministries and agencies, other government, non-government organizations, and industry. The Council will oversee the implementation of the provincial water strategy, providing policy advice to the Government of Alberta, investigating and reporting on existing and emerging issues, setting priorities for water research, and consulting with Albertans on water issues. A number of watershed planning and advisory councils will also be established throughout the province to involve communities and stakeholders in watershed management and to advise the Alberta Water Council. These watershed councils will lead in watershed planning, develop best management practices, foster stewardship activities within the watershed, report on the state of the watershed, and educate users about the water resource. Community-based watershed stewardship groups - groups of volunteer citizens, often supported by local businesses and industries, that take the initiative to protect their local creek, stream, stretch of river, or lake - will be encouraged to participate at the level of the watershed planning and advisory council level, offering guidance, technical advice, and mentoring. Numerous resource-planning and resource activities may affect the aquatic environment, making co-operation among managers and users of water and other natural resources essential in planning for protection of the water resource. The approach for developing an integrated watershed management plan recognizes the inter-relationships among resources and incorporates, where appropriate, regional strategies developed by all resource managers. Underpinning this approach is the incorporation of the principles of integrated resource management into the provincial Water Act, the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, the Forests Act, the Municipal Government Act, and the Public Health Act. Under the Framework for Water Management Planning, an integrated watershed management plan must include:
2. Description of the North Saskatchewan Watershed in Alberta
2.1 Location and activitiesThe Alberta portion of the North Saskatchewan Watershed is located in central Alberta and comprises the main stem of the North Saskatchewan River and its major tributaries, including the Battle River Basin and Sounding Creek (see Map). Two large dams, Brazeau Dam and Bighorn Dam, are located in the western portion of the watershed. Land use within the watershed includes agriculture, resource exploration and extraction, forestry, recreation, and urbanization such as villages, towns, and cities. The upper basin is sparsely populated and remains largely in its natural state. However, there is ever-increasing pressure for more tourism development, forestry, and petroleum exploration. Most of the watershed's population resides in the greater Edmonton area. The Alberta portion of the North Saskatchewan Watershed is also home to 10 provincial parks, three national parks, three ecological reserves, eight provincial grazing reserves, two wilderness areas, 18 Aboriginal reserves representing 14 tribes, and three Métis settlements. 2.2 Physical settingThe North Saskatchewan Watershed is part of the much larger Saskatchewan River Basin, which occupies a portion of central Alberta extending from the Rocky Mountains in the west, across the Alberta plains, and into Saskatchewan as far east as the confluence with the South Saskatchewan River. The headwaters are located in the ice fields of Banff and Jasper National Parks, and the river generally flows in an easterly direction for 640 kilometres to the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. The watershed is part of the Nelson River basin, which drains into Hudson's Bay.
With a land area of 80 000 square kilometres, making up about 12.5 percent of Alberta's total area, the Alberta portion of the North Saskatchewan Watershed provides an example of a very large watershed. The Battle River Subwatershed is included in this watershed, even though the Battle River does not join the North Saskatchewan River in Alberta. The Battle River originates at Battle Lake and traverses central Alberta, flowing 1100 kilometres to enter the North Saskatchewan River near the Battlefords in Saskatchewan. The Battle River drains about 40 percent of the North Saskatchewan River watershed in Alberta, but because it is fed by groundwater and surface runoff from local snowmelt and rain rather than by glacial meltwater, it contributes only 3 percent of the water that flows into the North Saskatchewan River. Ribstone Creek, Bigstone Creek, Iron Creek, and Paintearth Creek are tributaries of the Battle River. The target area for the North Saskatchewan Watershed Management Plan also includes the watershed of Sounding Creek, which drains into Saskatchewan's Manito Lake. Ice fields provide a small amount of water (about 5 percent) to the North Saskatchewan River's base flow in winter, and a more significant amount (up to 50 percent) in summer months. Snowpack and rainfall have been below average to much below average throughout the watershed over the last several years, affecting surface and groundwater quantity and quality in the watershed. With the apparent warming trend in western Canada and the receding of the glaciers, precipitation and evaporative losses could be affected. Water quality of the North Saskatchewan River is generally considered good. Silty, alluvial floodplain deposits along much of the river's banks are sensitive to disturbance and erode easily, making the water naturally turbid. In general, water quality in upper portions of the watershed is better than in lower portions due to inputs from both natural and anthropogenic (point and non-point) sources in the lower reaches. Nutrient (notably phosphorus), bacteria, and pesticide levels are typically higher and dissolved oxygen levels are lower downstream of larger urban centres. Spanning from mountain to prairie, over foothills, and across parkland, the Alberta portion of the North Saskatchewan Watershed links a vast and varied landscape. Five natural regions are represented in the watershed: the Rocky Mountain, Foothills, Boreal Forests, Parkland, and Grassland Natural regions. 2.3 Communities and governanceMany communities are located in the North Saskatchewan Watershed, including Camrose, Coronation, Devon, Drayton Valley, the Edmonton Capital Region, Elk Point, Fort Saskatchewan, Leduc, Lloydminster, Prevost, Ponoka, Rocky Mountain House, St. Albert, St. Paul, Spruce Grove, Stettler, Stony Plain, Vegreville, Wainwright, and Wetaskiwin. Few municipalities or water utilities have jurisdiction over activities and land use in the upstream basins that supply the raw water to their water treatment facilities. Under the new provincial water strategy, "Water for Life: Alberta's Strategy for Sustainability," watershed planning and advisory councils will be formed in all the major provincial watersheds. The North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance fills this role for the North Saskatchewan Watershed in Alberta. Development of additional councils will be modelled after the Alliance and will have the responsibility for reporting on the state of their watersheds, as well as for watershed planning, using an adaptive management style. 2.4 Watershed regionsThe Alberta portion of the North Saskatchewan Watershed is subdivided into 17 smaller watersheds:
2.5 Source waterMuch of the urban population in the Alberta portion of the North Saskatchewan Watershed receives treated drinking water from the North Saskatchewan River and its tributaries (surface water). The rural population relies mainly on private wells, which are the responsibility of the landowner. The North Saskatchewan River Basin accounts for 22.7 percent of the total surface water and groundwater allocated to all uses in Alberta – about 2.2 billion cubic metres of surface water and a much smaller amount of groundwater.
The ten largest surface allocations in the Alberta portion of the North Saskatchewan Watershed are given to TransAlta Utilities Corporation, ATCO Electric Ltd., EPCOR, and the City of Edmonton (see Table). With the exception of the City of Edmonton, the water is used for cooling or hydropower generation. Edmonton's allocation is for municipal use. The ten largest surface water allocations in the North Saskatchewan Watershed
Source: AMEC Earth and Environmental, 2004. The ten largest groundwater allocations in the North Saskatchewan Watershed are held by Lafarge Construction Materials, the Town of Stony Plain, Petro-Canada, the Town of Lacombe and the City of Edmonton (see Table). The water is used primarily for drainage, well injection, or municipal use (Town of Lacombe). The ten largest active groundwater allocations in the North Saskatchewan Watershed as of January 8, 2004
Source: AMEC Earth and Environmental, 2004. 2.6 Water issuesThere are many types of water demands on the North Saskatchewan River in Alberta. These include hydroelectric generation, human consumption, oil and gas extraction, mining, and agricultural uses such as irrigation and livestock watering. All of these, as well as precipitation and groundwater base flow, affect overall stream flow in rivers and streams. The cumulative impact of land use and water demand is an emerging area of concern, with possible impacts on environmental integrity and water quantity and quality in the future. A large industrial base in the Edmonton area withdraws water from the North Saskatchewan River for cooling and process waters. Oil and gas activities, including deep-well injection for enhanced oil recovery, de-watering, and steam-assisted gravity drainage, permanently remove some water from the hydrologic cycle. Draining wetlands has resulted in the loss of both surface water storage capability and protection of source water quality through wetland processes. Urban growth raises the issues of municipal storm water management, outfalls into the North Saskatchewan and other rivers, and the use of lawn fertilizers and pesticides. Several villages, towns, and cities in the watershed have wastewater treatment plants or wastewater lagoons that discharge their treated effluent into the North Saskatchewan River or its tributaries. Agriculture and forestry practices may contribute to a decrease in source water quality. Coal-fired hydro generation raises the concern of mercury loading. Drought may exacerbate any changes in water quality. 3. TriggerEPCOR, a large utilities company that supplies water and energy to Edmonton and 45 smaller communities, initiated the North Saskatchewan River Basin Group in 1997 in response to Alberta Environment's encouragement of corporate entities to act on their environmental responsibilities. The group also grew out of the recognition that Alberta Environment did not have the capabilities to undertake river basin planning at that time. In January 1999, Trout Unlimited Canada initiated the Watershed Approach to Environmental Responsibility (WATER) Group, with funding support by the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration, TransAlta, and the City of Edmonton Drainage Services. This initiative responded to a need to co-ordinate and encourage public and community stewardship activities in the watershed. Both groups were committed to developing a collaborative approach to watershed stewardship and management. To eliminate redundancies and increase efficiency and network interaction, the two groups amalgamated in June 1999 to form the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance. At the same time, agricultural communities were growing in their awareness of the need to preserve riparian ecosystems, find alternative livestock watering systems, develop livestock wastewater recovery systems, and replace chemical pest control strategies with integrated pest management that included biological controls. People who depended on water bodies for recreation – cottagers, boaters, and anglers – also came to understand the significant role played by ecosystems at the water's edge in maintaining water quality and quantity. The tragic water contamination events in Walkerton, Ont., in May 2000 and in North Battleford, Sask., in the spring of 2001 served to intensify the interest in, and commitment to, source water protection in Alberta. 4. Planning4.1 North Saskatchewan Watershed AllianceIn late 2000 the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance became a registered non-profit society in Alberta. The Alliance believes that an ecosystem approach, coupled with an inclusive, collaborative process, is the most effective way to find a balance between human activities and watershed integrity. The Alliance's vision, to protect and improve water quality and ecosystem functions in the North Saskatchewan River watershed within Alberta, is being achieved through:
The Alliance is a grassroots umbrella organization comprising municipalities, Aboriginal communities, industry, agriculture, environment and conservation organizations, recreational and cultural groups, federal and provincial governments, tourism, and education and research groups working in the North Saskatchewan Watershed in Alberta. With more than 130 stakeholder groups, the Alliance provides an unprecedented forum for developing partnerships among stakeholders within the watershed. The North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance has the task of initiating, overseeing, and guiding the preparation of the North Saskatchewan Integrated Watershed Management Plan. The Alliance is currently developing a state of the watershed report upon which to base further plan development. Another Alliance initiative is nominating the North Saskatchewan River as a Canadian Heritage River. The Alliance also provides a forum for sharing information and experience relating to watershed issues, and initiates and supports activities that affect the watershed positively. Funding for the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance comes from a variety of partners, including (in 2004) EPCOR Water Services, Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada), Trout Unlimited Canada, The City of Edmonton, Ducks Unlimited Canada, and Alberta Environment. The Alliance also receives cash and in-kind contributions. 4.2 Integrated Watershed Management PlanDevelopment of the North Saskatchewan Integrated Watershed Management Plan is now under way. The overall purpose of the Plan is to provide a framework for strategies to protect, maintain, and restore a healthy natural watershed system that will balance environmental, social, and economic needs. This purpose includes the protection of the aquatic environment and the associated necessary flow needs, as well as the protection of drinking water sources, both surface water and groundwater. The process for developing the North Saskatchewan Integrated Watershed Management Plan is consistent with:
Important aspects of the planning process include:
Phase 1 of the Planning, Information Gathering and Preliminary Analysis, nearing completion, has involved, among other things:
Phase 2, Plan Formulation, is expected to involve, among other things:
Phase 3, Plan Implementation, will include the identification of priorities, roles, responsibilities, budgets and funding, and requirements for long-term monitoring. Each aspect of the plan will need to be evaluated and monitored for its performance and compliance with existing legislation, policy, and regulations. Phase 3 is expected to answer these questions:
The following sections give details about work to date in developing the North Saskatchewan Integrated Watershed Management Plan. 4.3 Assessment: State of the North Saskatchewan Watershed ReportWater management planning is formalized in Alberta's Framework for Water Management Planning, which outlines the processes and required components for water management planners. The Framework states that the foundation for water management planning is a baseline state of the watershed report. Such a report is a current account of an entire watershed that identifies knowledge gaps within the watershed. The purpose of the State of the North Saskatchewan Watershed Report is to comment on land use, water quality, and environmental integrity in the watershed. More specifically, this report:
4.3.1 IndicatorsThe North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance's partner experts from government, industry, and non-government organizations met in Edmonton in May 2002 to determine a suite of indicators for assessing watershed health and preparing the State of the North Saskatchewan Watershed Report. Selected indicators fell into the following four categories:
In addition to these indicators, information was compiled on the following factors:
The formula used for the Alberta Surface Water Quality Index is similar to the one developed for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development for use in agricultural watersheds, as well as to the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment's Environmental Quality Guidelines. The index incorporates three factors representing key aspects of water quality: the number of variables not meeting objectives (scope); the number of times objectives are not met (frequency); and the amount by which objectives are not met (amplitude). The overall index value is typically based on the mean of four sub-indices that are calculated for metals, nutrients, bacteria, and pesticides or other combinations of water quality parameters and outputs that result in a Good, Fair, or Not Acceptable ranking. 4.3.2 Data collectionWater qualityThe State of the North Saskatchewan Watershed Report compiles water quality data from several sources, as follows. Environment Canada carries out water quality monitoring at a headwater site in Banff National Park at Whirlpool Point, and a long-term dataset exists for this station. Two other Environment Canada sites exist at Lea (Jubilee) Park (in Marwayne) and at the point where the river crosses at Highway 17. The North Saskatchewan River is most intensely monitored around the City of Edmonton by Alberta Environment and EPCOR Water Services, because the river is the water source and the wastewater disposal sink for the City of Edmonton and the greater Capital Region. Alberta Environment partners with the City of Edmonton, EPCOR, and other service providers on water quality monitoring initiatives, and also undertakes comprehensive water quality monitoring in the North Saskatchewan River at Long Term River Network stations at Devon and Pakan. Several other agencies collect water quality data within the North Saskatchewan Watershed in Alberta, including Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, under the Alberta Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture (AESA) program; Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA); Riverwatch; and the Alberta Lake Management Society, under its Lakewatch program. Although the AESA and PFRA water-quality monitoring programs focus mainly on agricultural watersheds, some of the data are pertinent to the North Saskatchewan Watershed. The Alberta Lake Management Society collects, analyses, and publishes water quality data for several lakes in the watershed, as identified in the State of the North Saskatchewan Watershed Report. Although somewhat dated, the Atlas of Alberta Lakes contains information on 20 lakes in the North Saskatchewan Watershed and can be consulted for background information and historic water-quality data. Riverwatch monitors river water quality at three sites within the North Saskatchewan Watershed in Alberta. These three sites include four stations along the river within the Town of Drayton Valley, and 16 stations within the City of Edmonton. Other water quality and water quantity data are collected by volunteer watershed groups or their consultants. Other dataDigital data were assembled from a variety of freely available sources, such as agency Internet websites, and through data-sharing agreements with partners of the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance. Such agreements were also established with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada), and Ducks Unlimited Canada. Digital datasets compiled for the State of the North Saskatchewan Watershed Report include:
4.4 ConsultationPublic consultation is required under the provincial Framework for Water Management Planning. Since 1997, the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance has conducted stakeholder meetings, workshops, and a public consultation process in the watershed as part of the planning process for watershed management. Through the consultation activities and initiatives of the Alliance, several key watershed issues have been identified. In preparing the State of the North Saskatchewan Watershed Report, described in Section 4.3, activities were designed to gather feedback on the project and raise awareness of the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance and its initiatives. Static displays were placed in public venues throughout the watershed to provide information about the Alliance, the open houses, and watershed resources. Displays were placed in the Stanley Milner Library in Edmonton, Elk Point, and Rocky Mountain House in July and August 2003. In September and October 2003, open houses were held in Rocky Mountain House, Elk Point, and Sherwood Park. The purpose of these open houses was to raise awareness regarding the importance of watershed integrity, promote the activities of community-based watershed initiatives, collect public input related to water management in the watershed, and present preliminary work for the State of the North Saskatchewan Watershed Report. Open houses ran from 2:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and were held in local community venues. Advertisements for each open house were carried by radio and local newspapers, brochures were left at public static displays, and notices were sent to Alliance members. Attendance at each open house was: Rocky Mountain House, 30; Elk Point, 30, plus 56 grade three and 50 senior high students; and Sherwood Park, 120. The consultation process has been used in Phase 1 of the watershed management planning process to help clarify watershed issues, provide feedback on the terms of reference for the plan, and evaluate the consultation process itself. Phase 2 will involve public consultation on the proposed technical studies and the draft watershed management plan. In Phase 3, key stakeholders and members of the public will be consulted at key points to review the progress and outcomes of the plan and to participate in developing or modifying implementation strategies. Various methods are being used to communicate information to interested parties, including fact sheets, workshops, displays, feature stories in local media, mail outs, newsletters, news releases, ads, personal meetings, and group presentations. Public and stakeholder feedback is received through various means, such as workshops, meetings, public venues, open houses, and a project website. A stakeholder database is used to document, track, and report on issues throughout the process. 4.5 Strategic planWork supportive of developing and carrying out the North Saskatchewan Integrated Watershed Management Plan is detailed in the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance's Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan for 2004-2007 comprises the following goals and objectives: Goal 1: To promote and encourage collaborative decision making and planning
Goal 2: To raise awareness and promote watershed related activities to the wider community
Goal 3: To improve water quality by improving ecological function throughout the watershed
Goal 4: To foster wise use and integrated management of land and water resources in the entire watershed
Goal 5: To share information about existing watershed protection and improvement initiatives
Goal 6: Ensure the longevity of the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance as the watershed planning and advisory council for the Alberta portion of the North Saskatchewan Watershed
5. Community outreach and watershed projectsWhile the North Saskatchewan Watershed Management Plan is being developed, work continues to support existing watershed protection programs and to empower local communities to care for the watershed. Such initiatives, examples of which are described in this section, will comprise a key part of implementing the future plan at the grassroots level. 5.1 Outreach tools5.1.1 Watershed ToolkitThe North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance created the Community Watershed Toolkit to empower citizens and community groups to carry out watershed initiatives in their own communities. It contains information about how to start a local watershed partnership and create watershed-friendly projects. The Community Watershed Toolkit will help to bring about the Alliance's vision of a community of active leaders who make balanced decisions about land use and water resources. Completed in March 2002, the Toolkit addresses the following themes:
Watershed-related publications from Alberta Agriculture and Cows and Fish (detailed in Section 5.2.1) are also included in the Toolkit. The Toolkit is available online at the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance's website under the Toolkit heading. The Community Watershed Toolkit supports the goals of the Alliance and the developing watershed management plan by:
5.1.2 River GuideThe North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance has also prepared the North Saskatchewan River Guide, covering the North Saskatchewan River from the headwaters in the Columbia Ice Field to the Forks in Saskatchewan. This extensively researched guide provides detailed maps of each of the river's 27 reaches, and features historical, biological, and geographical information. It also explains and encourages ecologically sound camping, canoeing, and recreation practices. The River Guide is a valuable educational tool, intended to:
The river guide was launched in 2002, quickly became a nonfiction bestseller in the Edmonton region, and is now widely distributed throughout the entire North Saskatchewan Watershed, including the portion in Saskatchewan. 5.2 Watershed projectsThe North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance provides an umbrella for a wide variety of projects that are being carried out in the Alberta portion of the watershed to promote the sustainability of the water resource. The following are some examples of projects being carried out by Alliance members and their partners in support of source water protection. 5.2.1 Cows and FishThe Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Society offers a program called Cows and Fish to promote the improvement of riparian areas and their ecological processes and functions on land used for cattle production. The program calls for voluntary, community-based action to support best management options for managing livestock in a way that protects the water resource. The booklet "Caring for the Green Zone" offers guidelines to ranchers and livestock producers in the management of riparian areas and grazing lands. 5.2.2 Living by WaterThe Living by Water project involved educating residents of the Sylvan Lake area (one town, three summer villages, two counties, and five other municipalities) about the importance of protecting the lake's health by maintaining the surrounding wetlands and restoring natural shoreline vegetation. In a door-to-door campaign, people were given a checklist of healthy shoreline, household, and boating practices, then asked to commit, in writing, to any changes they felt they could make. As a result of the project, more than 600 metres of shoreline were restored and the amount of nutrients, pesticides, and faecal coliform entering the lake was reduced. Citizens also improved their water conservation, and 90 percent of lakeshore residents agreed to properly dispose of their unused paints and solvents at the local hazardous waste depot. A workshop for municipal politicians emphasized the importance of considering lake protection in all future development plans. 5.2.3 ShelterbeltsShelterbelts and wooded areas conserve soil, protect water quality, enhance biodiversity, and improve wildlife habitat. The Alberta Field Shelterbelt Program made trees and shrubs available to farmers and non-profit groups free of charge for shelterbelt plantings. In addition, most municipalities have a shelterbelt program to complement tree orders from Alberta nurseries. 5.2.4 EducationIn 2000, the City of Camrose joined forces with schools and the media to carry out a large-scale public education campaign on water conservation. In the fall of 2003, utilities company EPCOR co-operated with Alberta Agriculture in launching an innovative learning program relevant to the Grade 8 Science curriculum. Called "WaterQuest," the program is designed to create awareness of land use activities and their effects on water quality through students' application of internet research and field activities. The City of Edmonton maintains a website with a detailed section called, "Keep the River Clean." This resource has 85 entry points aimed at the general public, where specific water quality issues are discussed and innovative strategies suggested. 5.2.5 Community forumIn 2002, several North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance members – Ducks Unlimited, Alberta Conservation Association, County of Wetaskiwin, and County of Leduc – joined with Alberta Agriculture Food and Rural Development, Alberta Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture Program, Alberta Environment, Alberta Agriculture Food and Rural Development, Alberta Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture Program, and Department of Fisheries and Oceans to create Watersheds of Alberta, a forum for community watershed groups. North Saskatchewan Watershed groups associated with this forum are:
5.2.6 Water studiesIn the spring of 2003, the Rocky Riparian Group in Clearwater County and EPCOR partnered to sponsor water quality sampling in their local watershed. This group is one of Alberta's local community watershed groups that are beginning to use water sampling as another tool to raise the awareness of water quality and riparian management within their watershed. Between March 2002 and March 2003, Alberta Environment conducted studies of river water above and below Edmonton to determine what kind of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and cleaning products get into the river system. This was done with a view to discovering how these pollutants impact the environment and how environmental impact can be reduced. 5.2.7 Waste and chemical managementIn 2003, the City of Edmonton introduced a policy requiring parks crews to reduce their reliance on chemicals. City administrators say that the amount of weed killer used has been reduced, so far, to about three tonnes a year, compared to the seven tonnes used by private homeowners. The City of Edmonton's Blue Bag recycling program, begun in 1988, and its Waste Management Centre (North America's largest collection of modern, sustainable waste processing and research facility) have reduced the amount of waste sent to area landfills by 60 percent. The Centre's services include a leachate treatment plant and biosolids lagoons, and the site incorporates a wetlands and a natural revegetation program at the landfill. The Centre also houses a theatre and classrooms for training, and a newly constructed research and development facility. 5.2.8 Water use efficiencyIn May 2004, EPCOR co-operated with a large local greenhouse to distribute information and tips to the public for wise water use and reduced water consumption. In June 2004 the City of Edmonton and Petro-Canada entered into a partnership agreement by which processed wastewater from the Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant will be sold to Petro-Canada for use at its Strathcona Refinery, where it will be used to remove sulfur from diesel fuel. The recycled wastewater will replace water Petro-Canada now takes from the river. Other water users have also expressed an interest in using the City's recycled water. 5.3 Source water protection speciality conferenceA conference on source water protection was held in May 2004 in Red Deer, Alberta, sponsored by the Western Canada Water and Wastewater Association and Alberta Environment. This two-day workshop provided water utility operators and engineers, municipal administrators, consultants, and government staff with the opportunity to learn about, and provide input into, protecting source waters within Alberta, and to strengthen co-operative networks. Conference topics included source water supplies, effective partnerships, water management plans, beneficial management practices such as waste and stormwater treatment, by-laws, and on-line water quality monitoring. Participants also shared their previous experiences with source water protection programs, providing feedback for Alberta Environment's inclusion of source water protection in the province's drinking water program. The North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance presented their draft Terms of Reference for the Integrated Watershed Management Plan. 5.4 Co-operationAt the national level, the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance plays a role in the federal/provincial/territorial Agricultural Policy Framework through promoting best practices for land use among its membership and in the watershed. This policy framework is closely linked to Alberta's Environmental Farm Plan, a tool for agricultural producers to assess the environmental risks and successes on their farms. The Alliance also supports the National Watershed Stewardship Report, the summary document of the National Watershed Stewardship Policy Discussion, a project funded under Canada's Voluntary Sector Initiative. This report provides policy recommendations and actions for expanding and strengthening watershed stewardship in Canada. At the regional level, the Alliance recognizes that its responsibility does not end at the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, and continues to work to strengthen and expand its relationships with Saskatchewan water protection groups, including Partners FOR the Saskatchewan River Basin, the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority, and the Saskatchewan Network of Watershed Stewards. 6. Monitoring and reporting6.1 MonitoringOnce the State of the North Saskatchewan Watershed Report is complete, a full water monitoring regime will be established under the Integrated Watershed Management Plan. 6.2 Sharing informationOne of the founding goals of the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance is to share information and promote understanding among stakeholders about activities that impact the watershed and water quality. The Alliance also provides a co-ordinating/information clearinghouse function for the many water and watershed initiatives currently active within the watershed and other regions. Many Alliance initiatives have helped provide a broad range of stakeholders with watershed information. The ongoing work of gathering data to share with the public and Alliance members through the North Saskatchewan State of the Watershed Report will provide more detailed information about the watershed and identify gaps that still need to be filled. The North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance encourages participation in its initiatives by hosting regular meetings throughout the watershed in Alberta. These meetings are open to the public and stakeholders in the watershed. Information about water and watershed initiatives is regularly sent to members via email and regular mail. Annual General Meetings are also held, to which all members are invited. The strategic plans prepared by Alliance provide the members with the goals and objectives of the group and progress to date. There is provision for ongoing outreach (meetings, phone calls and presentations) to various stakeholder groups to increase membership and support of the Alliance. 7. Review and evaluationOnce the North Saskatchewan Integrated Watershed Management Plan has been completed, progress in implementing the plan will be reviewed and evaluated each year as part of the annual business meeting of the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance. Adjustments to the work plan resulting from this review will be captured in the Alliance's strategic plan (see Section 4.5). The Alliance also continues to serve the province as a prototype of a Watershed Advisory Council. In January 2003, the Alliance submitted a summary paper to Alberta Environment entitled "Role of Watershed Advisory Councils and Other Discussions." This paper reviewed the role of advisory councils in watershed management, addressing questions such as how to form a council, what responsibilities and authority a council has, and where funding and other support for council work could come from. 8. Reasons for successThe North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance has experienced significant success since its inception in 1999. To a large degree, this success is due to:
9. ChallengesIssues that continually need to be addressed in the work of the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance are:
10. Lessons learned along the wayAs a front runner in implementing Alberta's new water strategy, the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance has learned some lessons along the way. Among other things, they've learned that:
For more informationContactsSharon Willianen Douglas Thrussell Tracy Scott ReadingAlberta Environment. Framework for Water Management Planning. Edmonton: Alberta Environment, 2002, 37 p. AMEC Earth and Environmental. Integrated Watershed Management Plan for the North Saskatchewan River Watershed in Alberta: Terms of Reference, Edmonton: AMEC, 2004. CAESA (Canada-Alberta Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture). Agricultural Impacts on Water Quality in Alberta: An Initial Assessment. Lethbridge: Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, 1998. Fitch, L. and N. Ambrose. Riparian Areas: A User's Guide to Health. Lethbridge: Cows and Fish Program, 2003. Government of Alberta. Water Act. Edmonton: Government of Alberta, 1999. Government of Alberta. Water for Life: Alberta's Strategy for Sustainability. Edmonton: Government of Alberta, 2003. National Watershed Stewardship Report: Policy recommendations and suggested actions to expand and strengthen watershed stewardship in Canada. North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance. Strategic Plan 2004-2007. North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance. Terms of Reference. WebsitesAlberta Environmental Farm Plan: www.albertaefp.com/ Alberta Lake Management Society: www.alms.ca Alberta Surface Water Quality Index: www3.gov.ab.ca/env/water/SWQ/resources01.cfm Alberta Watersheds: www.albertawatersheds.org Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines: www.ccme.ca/publications/can_guidelines.html Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, Water Quality Index: www.ccme.ca/initiatives/water.html?category_id=42 Community Watershed Toolkit: www.nswa.ab.ca/publications.html North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance: www.nswa.ab.ca Water for Life: www.waterforlife.gov.ab.ca |
|
||||||||||||
 |
||
|
| Help
| Search
| Canada Site |
|
||
|
The Green LaneTM, Environment Canada's World Wide Web site
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
Water Quality Menu
Previous
