North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance

06/16/2026

Presenting the Youth Water Council's 2026 Project: WATERSHED MASTERS - Torrential Trivia to play with friends, family and classmates 💧

For this year's project, we sought to make education easy and fun with the Watershed Masters Trivia game. The curiosity and desire to learn and make a change to the environment inspired many of us to join the council, and we hope to bring this to you by putting our game in your hands.

Four categories:
💧WATER: Learn about the North Saskatchewan River watershed, the water cycle, hydrology and river systems.

👤PEOPLE: Learn about local place names, historical information, how people interact with the environment, and how we impact it.

🌲PLANTS: Learn about plant biology, medicinal uses, native species, and our watershed's ecological regions.

🐾ANIMALS: Learn about native and invasive species and how animals rely on our watershed!

Look out for these games at schools, board game cafes and libraries throughout the watershed. NSWA and the Youth Water Council will also have them at upcoming outreach events! Find out more: https://www.nswa.ab.ca/initiatives/youth-water-council/2026

06/11/2026

Welcome to the team, Emily and Krithika! As outreach coordinators, they are travelling throughout the watershed to run programming and share watershed info this summer! So far, we've been out to the BLESS Migratory Bird Day, Parkland County Pond Days, Nature Alberta Fish Finatics, the Smoky Lake Community Appreciation Day, and Life in the Heartland in Josephburg.

Emily recently completed a Bachelor of Applied Science in Environmental Management and a diploma in wildlife and fisheries conservation at Lakeland College. Through her practicum, she researched the disappearance of Arctic Grayling in the Tawatinaw River Watershed using GIS land-use land-cover data. Throughout her role this summer, she looks forward to making meaningful connections with people in hopes of strengthening environmental stewardship throughout the watershed.

Krithika recently completed a Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of Alberta. She brings experience in scientific communication, research, and outreach through roles at Agriculture and Agri-food Canada and the U of A’s BIPOC and Allies Association. She is passionate about environmental health and stewardship and looks forward to helping connect communities with the knowledge and resources needed to care for local watersheds.

06/08/2026

We won! 🎊🎊 Thank you, , for recognizing and awarding the Youth Water Council this year. This program started in 2024, and it has been amazing to see each council's growth, insights and approach to environmental stewardship. With 3 environmental projects completed and thousands of students reached throughout the watershed, we are so proud of the work of the YWC and our NSWA team for making it all happen.

Congrats to the other groups whose innovative projects were awarded last week. 👏👏 https://emeraldfoundation.ca/35th-annual-emerald-awards/

06/01/2026

Did you know that May 31 to June 7th is in Canada? On June 7th, end the week off by helping plant trees in the Beaver Hills Biosphere!

Planting will take place at the divide of two of Alberta's great watersheds: our own NSRB & Battle River.

We'll kick off the day with statements from Miquelon Watershed's Lionel Williams, Beaver Hills Biosphere's Brian Ilnicki, Alberta MLA Rick Wilson, North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance's Caitlin Hilsen Ashford, and Battle River Watershed Alliance's Sarah Skinner. An Indigenous fire blessing by Lewis Cardinal and music by Maya Rathnavalu will initiate planting!

We hope to see you there! Register here: https://gfoundation.ca/news/unbio-2-2-2-3-2-2/
See location info here: https://www.nswa.ab.ca/whats-happening/events-calendar?search_request=calendar_item&event_id=237929&year=2026&month=06&day=7

05/26/2026

Learn about NSWA’s past year in the watershed at our AGM on June 24, 2026. Learn about our work over the past year, see projects underway, and network with others in the watershed management space.

Following AGM proceedings, NSWA staff will present updates on recent initiatives, including the State of the Watershed, Whitemud Creek Watershed Natural Assets Project, and the Riparian Web Portal. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/nswa-2026-annual-general-meeting-tickets-1988515352950?aff=oddtdtcreator

05/23/2026

Today is World Fish Migration Day! Fish have places to be, too. 🐟But how do roads and bridges impact the way fish journey to new habitats to spawn, find food, or better conditions?

05/20/2026

The Cline River flows into the North Saskatchewan River at the Bighorn Dam, where it forms Abraham Lake.

💧The teal colours seen in the Cline River come from glacial meltwater feeding Abraham Lake, which can backfill into the Cline when the dam waters are high.

💧You’ll notice that the river barely freezes up in winter. This is because of warm groundwater inflow.

You can see some of the SaskWatch data at rivers.alberta.ca

Thanks to our SaskWatch partners for collaborating on this 20 station water quality and quantity monitoring program and Alberta Environment & Protected Areas!

05/15/2026

On May 30th, help Parkland County plant some native species around the newly constructed wetland at the Rolling Meadows subdivision. This is a public planting event! Details here: https://www.parklandcounty.com/news/posts/community-invited-to-rolling-meadows-wetland-planting-event/

Join us for a hands-on day of planting native wetland species on Saturday, May 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at our new wetlands near Rolling Meadows.

🌱 Plant native vegetation
🌱 Learn from environmental professionals
🌱 Tools and training provided

All ages welcome (children under 12 must be supervised). Come dressed for the weather -- you may get a little muddy!

👉 Learn more in our latest news update: https://www.parklandcounty.com/news/posts/community-invited-to-rolling-meadows-wetland-planting-event/

05/13/2026

The final part of "A River Runs Through Us - The Story of the North Saskatchewan River" is now available on YouTube. The final chapter of the documentary looks toward the future, emphasizing the role each of us plays in protecting the river. By exploring the importance of stewardship and a whole-watershed approach to management, it highlights how collective action can help ensure that future generations inherit a healthier and more resilient river system.

Click this link to watch today and put the pieces of the river's story together💧https://youtu.be/ZbSxztcDFYU?si=cyRpNDiWW71X0NxH

05/08/2026

Join BLESS and NSWA tomorrow, May 9th, at Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park (10:00am - 3:00 pm). We will celebrate Migratory Bird Day with guided bird walks, presentations, and watershed information! Event info here: https://www.bless-env.ca/bless-events/wmbd2026