A watershed is defined as an area of land where all of the water that drains off of it goes to the same place. In Alberta, watersheds are oriented around our major rivers and lakes. For example, Lake Athabasca is the core of the Athabasca Watershed. All of the rain, snow runoff, and hail that falls in the Athabasca Watershed will eventually drain into the Athabasca River and find its way to Lake Athabasca.
Alberta’s watersheds are vast, and are vitally important to our way of life. Everything within a watershed is connected. Changes that happen within a watershed have huge effects on everything living within it, even if those changes are hundreds of kilometres away. For instance, land pollution in the Rocky Mountains could leach into rivers and lakes, impacting drinking water supplies on the other side of the province in Lloydminster. Alberta’s watersheds also flow into our neighbours’ lands on all sides, making our actions in protecting them important on an interprovincial, and international level.
How are watersheds managed in Alberta?
Alberta’s watersheds are split geographically depending on where water flows. Each watershed is managed by one of eleven Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils (WPACs) in the province. WPACs are responsible for engaging partners and stakeholders in their basin area, including municipal, provincial and federal governments, industrial sectors, conservation groups, aboriginal communities, and the public. For more information about WPACs in Alberta, please visit the Government of Alberta’s Water for Life site.
Below is a map of Alberta’s Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils:
Land use management
One of the most important ways that we can effectively manage our water is to change the way we manage our land. Land use has many impacts on our watersheds, from encroachment of development on riparian areas and wetlands, to creation of impervious surfaces that cause stormwater issues, to environmentally damaging uses that leech contaminants into our groundwater. It is vitally important to combine land use management with watershed management to ensure that both our land and water are protected.
Resources and examples of watershed management
To assist municipalities in watershed management efforts, AUMA has assembled a list of resources and examples of watershed management. In addition, we have developed content that provides an introduction to specific areas of watershed management and AUMA policy on those subjects.
Choose one of the boxes below to find out more about specific areas of watershed management: