Part of the #oldmangoestohollywood Film Project
No one ever said that making decisions about watershed management and health was easy. Watersheds, by definition, are highly complex, and a huge array of factors must be taken into consideration. A watershed is ... LAND. What happens on the land affects the water.
The OWC is one of 11 Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils in Alberta. They are non-profits that are stakeholder-driven. That means our goals and focus is set by YOU. In this way, we provide an important forum for ALL voices to be heard, and for these perspectives to be brought forward to all levels of government.
As non-profits, we rely heavily on the network of scientists, elected officials, business owners, ranchers, farmers, indigenous leaders, environmentalists and recreationists (to name just a few!!!). We are in a continuous process of consultation with all user groups; and through this process, our current 8 Goals were given shape.
As you will have read by now, we are currently focusing on Goal 3 - protecting headwaters integrity. The headwaters are the birthplace of our drinking water and thus, what happens there affects everyone downstream. Natural processes are slow processes, and take many generations to change or repair. Unless of course, nature decides to make a sudden change with flood or drought.
Both flood and drought - and the increasing flip-flop between the two - are affected by human activity. Better watershed management can mitigate these effects. Recently, we took Environment & Parks Minister Phillips and MLA Fitzpatrick up to Dutch Creek to show first-hand what some of these effects look like - and how OWC & partners are working hard to educate, restore and help preserve clean, clear drinking water for generations to come.
This short video is about our tour that day.
Love your watershed - Please Share!
Volunteer. Donate. Make A Change
www.oldmanwatershed.ca
L-R: Shannon Frank, Executive Director OWC; Shannon Phillips, Minister of Environment & Parks; Doug Kaupp, OWC Chair; Maria Fitzpatrick, MLA Lethbridge East.
