The State of the Watershed Team completed the State of the Watershed (SOW) Report and released it to the public on April 22 at the Annual General Meeting of the OWC. The purpose of the Report was to gather information that will help us understand the current health of the Oldman River Watershed, to ensure collaborative and educated decision-making and to identify where future research is required.

State of the Watershed Team Members

Andrew Hurly, University of Lethbridge
Brent Paterson, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development
Brian Hills, Alberta Environment
Doug Kaupp, City of Lethbridge
Farrah McFadden, Alberta Environment
Jocelyne Leger, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Kent Bullock, Taber Irrigation District
Shane Petry, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Wendell Koning, Alberta Environment

Oldman River State of the Watershed Report

After a few years of hard work and tireless effort from Council volunteers and staff, the OWC is pleased to announce that our State of the Watershed (SOW) Report is complete. The report, prepared by consulting firm AMEC Environmental, evaluates 4 sub-basins in the watershed plus the mainstem of the Oldman River. The report is a key to our understanding of the current condition of the watershed, the challenges we face, and how the decisions that we make today will have an impact on this landscape tomorrow. The SOW Report is an important component of a larger effort, the Integrated Watershed Management Plan. In addition to the SOW report, the Council completed a planning Vision which surveyed residents and stakeholders within the watershed and asked these participants what they would like their watershed to look like in the future, what some of the barriers are, and how the OWC can help people move towards their vision of a healthy watershed. 37 individuals completed face to face surveys, 115 participated in workshops and over 200 participated in the online survey and questionnaire. Using the scientific information from the SOW report and the responses provided by residents and stakeholders, we now have a solid base to begin our Integrated Watershed Management Plan.