The Athabasca watershed plays a vital role in sustaining our communities and our economy. Protecting and preserving it is a shared responsibility for us all.
The Athabasca Watershed Council (AWC) is a Watershed Planning and Advisory Council (WPAC). We are working in partnership with the Government of Alberta, Indigenous peoples and other stakeholders, to achieve the three goals of the Water For Life strategy.
A watershed is an area of land that collects and holds water, eventually draining it into a larger body of water such as a lake, river, or ocean. Essentially, everyone lives in a watershed, although these areas are sometimes referred to as basins.
In Alberta, there are seven major river basins or watersheds:
These river basins are essential resources, providing drinking water, supporting industries, and offering recreational opportunities. Every action we take on the landscape impacts these vital water bodies.
The boundaries of a watershed are defined by the topography of the landscape. Natural dividers such as mountains or ridges (like the Rockies) determine these boundaries. For example, the Continental Divide is a significant ridge that separates river systems flowing west into the Pacific Ocean from those flowing east into the Atlantic or Arctic Oceans.
Water is everywhere. It’s in lakes, sloughs, and puddles. It’s in rivers, creeks, streams, and underground aquifers. It comes from rain, snow, hail, and melting glaciers. All water flows downhill, and if that water eventually ends up in the Athabasca River, then it’s in our watershed.
