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Athabasca Watershed
Shorelines Initiative

Athabasca Watershed Healthy Shorelines Initiative

The Athabasca Watershed Council (AWC) has been working to improve shorelines in the Athabasca Watershed. Watch this short video on the importance of a watershed approach:

Assessing Shoreline Health

The AWC partnered with Fiera Biological Consulting (Fiera) to apply a method to rapidly map and assess the shorelines in the Pembina River Watershed and the Tawatinaw River Watershed. This method has been applied to almost 35,000 km of shorelines in Alberta to date in the North Saskatchewan watershed, Lesser Slave watershed, Battle River watershed, Red Deer watershed, and Beaver River watershed, see this INFOGRAPHIC.

Shorelines (also known as riparian areas) have considerable ecological, economic, and social value. There is a need to effectively manage riparian habitat because these areas are essential to mitigating flood and drought along water bodies. To learn more about riparian areas and to see results from this initiative, visit the RIPARIAN WEB PORTAL.
We’ve developed shoreline information packages to provide information and resources for people who live and/or work near shorelines:

Pembina River Watershed Shoreline Assessments

Fiera assessed a total of 3708 km of shorelines in the Upper, Mid, and Lower regions of the Pembina River Watershed. This includes 28 creeks, streams, and rivers, along with 11 lakes. The Pembina River Watershed covers an area of 14,324 km2 within Treaty 6 Territory. It is a major tributary of the Athabasca River in west-central Alberta. Originating at Redcap Mountain, it flows northeast before entering the Athabasca River northwest of Flatbush, Alberta.

Watch presentations about this assessment and available reports.

See assessment reports for more information:

McLeod River Watershed Shoreline Assessments

Fiera assessed a total of 1400 km of shorelines in the Lower McLeod River Watershed. Of the assessed shoreline, 1223 km (87%) showed High Intactness, 62 km (4%) Moderately Intact, 43 km (3%) with Low Intactness, and 73 km (5%) with Very Low Intactness.

See assessment report for more information:

Municipal Riparian Summary Reports

Tawatinaw River Riparian Assessment

Approximately 226 km of shorelines were assessed in the Tawatinaw River Watershed by Fiera. This includes the Tawatinaw River, Helliwell Lake, Tawatinaw Lake, and two unnamed lakes. The Tawatinaw River is a tributary of the Athabasca River. It begins at Helliwell Lake near Highway 2 in Westlock County before flowing northward to meet the Athabasca River in the Town of Athabasca.

Additional Shoreline Initiatives

The AWC recognizes the vast amount of work conducted by other groups in the Athabasca Watershed on shoreline habitats. Please see the following reports for more information.
Additional Reports:

Shoreline Partners

AGROFORESTRY AND WOODLOT EXTENSION SOCIETY 

AWES has extensive experience in agriculture, tree planting, horticulture, and tree health, and they can help landowners or managers who need tree-related assistance.

RIPARIAN MANAGEMENT SOCIETY (COWS AND FISH)

This non-profit organization works with the aim to foster a better understanding of how improvements in grazing and other management of Riparian areas can enhance landscape health and productivity for the benefit of landowners, agricultural producers, communities, and others who use and value riparian areas. 

ALTERNATIVE LAND USE SERVICES (ALUS) BRAZEAU COUNTY

ALUS can help farmers or ranchers with some marginal or ecologically sensitive areas establish wetlands, native prairie, pollinator habitats and other projects.

ALUS LAC STE. ANNE COUNTY

This initiative is a grant program where a coordinator works with farmers to complete environmental projects on private farmland.

ALUS PARKLAND

This program works with farmers and ranchers to establish ALUS projects by providing support and annual per-acre payments for the maintenance and management of these projects.

ALUS WESTLOCK-BARRHEAD-ATHABASCA

Projects undertaken by ALUS BWA will include reclaiming riparian buffer areas with the aid of fencing and vegetation to aid water quality and prevent erosion. The program will also plant trees, shrubs and native flowers, which boost wildlife and pollinator habitat. And it will provide alternative beaver mitigation strategies.

LAC LE NONNE ENHANCEMENT AND PROTECTION ASSOCIATION

LEPA is dedicated to engaging its members in projects and activities aimed at improving the lake and watershed. In addition, they strive to educate their members and the public on the importance of responsible management of our natural areas through workshops, tours and newsletters.

NORTHERN LIGHTS FLY FISHERS

This group is considered a chapter of FRESHWATER CONSERVATION CANADA and is made up of dedicated, concerned anglers, and cold-water conservationists who meet regularly throughout the year to discuss fishing and conservation. 

FARMING FORWARD

Farming Forward is a non-profit, membership-based, producer-driven, agricultural research and extension organization that serves forage and livestock producers in the West-central region of Alberta.

Thank you to our funders and supporters including the Canada Summer Jobs program, Eco-Canada, Pembina Pipeline Corporation, Plains Midstream, Trans Mountain, and the Government of Alberta’s Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program

Athabasca Watershed Council

5101 50 Avenue, PO Box 1058,
Athabasca, AB

780.213.0343

info@athabascawatershed.ca

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