Oldman Watershed Council (OWC)

10/28/2026

What do bison, bumble bees, and beavers have in common? They’re all part of the stewardship story in the Oldman watershed! 🐝🌿

From planting willows and creating pollinator habitat to virtual fencing and carefully planned controlled burns, OWC’s Watershed Legacy Program helps land managers put stewardship into action.

Our latest blog explores six ways this work supports healthy lands and waters—and some might surprise you.

Read the blog, and share it with someone who cares about our watershed:

Did you know watershed stewardship is happening RIGHT NOW in the Oldman watershed? From bees to bison and willows to wildflowers, here are six of the top ways the WLP helps keep our watershed an amazing place to call home. Be prepared—numbers 5 and 6 might BLOW YOUR MIND!

10/07/2026

10/02/2026

Our partners at the Livingstone Landowners Group (LLG) are inviting the community to their first Ted Smith Talk of the year: The Oldman Watershed: Understanding the Landscape, Learning from the Past, Looking to the Future.

Presented by Nicole Olivier, LLG Board Member and Program Manager with Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y), this free talk will explore the history, landscapes, wildlife corridors, and headwaters of the Oldman Watershed, and the connections between watershed health, biodiversity, recreation, natural resources, and community well-being.

Drawing on maps, research, historical examples, and local perspectives, Nicole will look at how generations of land use have shaped the region, the pressures and opportunities facing the Eastern Slopes today, and how collaborative planning and informed decision-making can support healthy ecosystems and resilient communities into the future.

The Ted Smith Talks are presented in recognition and memory of LLG Past President Ted Smith.

Saturday, November 7, 2026
Doors open at 1:00 p.m. | Presentation at 1:30 p.m.
Vertical Church, 1200 Ken Thornton Blvd., Pincher Creek

Free admission. No registration required. Refreshments provided.
Learn more at www.livingstonelandowners.net.

10/01/2026

Alberta Ecotrust Foundation’s Environmental Gathering returns November 17–18, 2026, with this year’s theme, “Connected by Nature.”

The two-day gathering brings together people working across Alberta’s environmental sector to share ideas, strengthen connections, and explore opportunities for collaboration.

Learn more about the program and register:
https://albertaecotrust.com/engagement/environmental-gathering

09/29/2026

Learn about innovations in food production from the people growing our food, on the land where they’re putting them into practice.

Join the Oldman Watershed Council and Foothills Forage & Grazing Association October 15 for the On-Farm Innovations Bus Tour, a full day of learning about practical approaches to grazing, food production, and land stewardship directly from local producers.

Along the way, we’ll explore:
• Virtual collars on bison, including how the technology works and funding opportunities
• Beaver coexistence approaches, including pond levelling and beaver dam analogues
• Innovations at Waldron Ranch, including prescribed fire and beaver coexistence measures

This is a chance to see these approaches firsthand, hear directly from the people using them, ask questions, and connect with others interested in resilient agricultural landscapes.

Thursday, October 15, 2026
8:00 a.m.–approximately 7:00 p.m.
Bus transportation from Lethbridge and Fort Macleod
Free registration, with lunch included

Suitable for ages 16+

Spaces are limited, so register early to reserve your seat:

Explore practical, innovative approaches to grazing and land management!

09/29/2026

The Government of Canada is inviting Canadians to help inform the development of a National Water Security Strategy.

The strategy will address freshwater challenges and opportunities across Canada, including protecting freshwater ecosystems, strengthening community resilience, and supporting water-secure, sustainable industries.

An online survey is open until October 25, 2026.

Share your perspective:
https://form.simplesurvey.com/f/s.aspx?co=9lBmQqes

Learn more:
https://www.canada.ca/en/canada-water-agency/national-water-security-strategy.html

The Canada Water Agency is leading efforts to develop Canada’s first National Water Security Strategy to help protect freshwater ecosystems and secure water for communities and the economy, now and for future generations.

09/24/2026

How healthy is the Oldman watershed, and how is it changing?

This fall, OWC is launching a new State of the Watershed assessment, our first since 2010. The project will bring together environmental science, socio-economic research, and Indigenous knowledge to build a more complete picture of our watershed’s health and the factors shaping its future.

Working with partners across the region, we’re looking at the connections between our lands, waters, and communities. The assessment will help inform planning and stewardship, with findings publicly available through an interactive online platform planned for early 2028.

Your perspective matters, too. Engagement opportunities beginning this fall will invite individuals and organizations to share their concerns and perspectives on watershed health and water security.

Read our latest blog to learn about the project, meet our partners, and find out how to get involved:

The OWC is launching a State of the Watershed assessment for the first time in 16 years! Learn what we’re doing differently for this critical project that supports planning and stewardship across the lands and waters of the region.

09/15/2026

How did farms survive one of the most severe drought periods in North American history?

Alberta AgriSystems Living Lab are hosting a free webinar exploring the Dust Bowl years and the lessons they offer for agriculture today.

Join Dr. Riney-Kehrberg for a look at the conditions that led to the Dust Bowl, the strategies farmers used to weather those difficult years, and the policies that shaped the response.

Wednesday, October 21, 7:00–8:00 p.m.

Learn more and register:

Join us to learn from Dr. Riney-Kehrberg about the conditions that led to the dust bowl era and how farms survived.

08/31/2026

Sometimes the best way to understand nature-based solutions is to get your boots muddy and see them in action.

Across the Oldman watershed, OWC and our partners are using approaches such as willow planting, beaver dam analogues, and habitat restoration to work with natural systems. These projects can help stabilize streambanks, filter water, recharge groundwater, and strengthen resilience to floods and droughts.

Our latest blog looks at the work behind these projects, why we bring decision-makers into the field to see restoration firsthand, and the significant value natural infrastructure can provide. OWC estimates that work costing about $180 per hectare can generate approximately $13,700 per hectare in ecosystem services each year, an estimated 76X return on investment.

See nature-based solutions in action and learn why investing in healthy landscapes makes sense for both our watershed and our communities.

Read the full blog:

Nature-based solutions, as you might guess, use nature to solve a problem, usually by addressing an infrastructure or conservation need. Many OWC projects implement nature-based solutions in our watershed. But it’s also important to show how these sites have changed and how they help our communiti...

08/10/2026

We’re excited to share our latest blog celebrating Doug Kaupp, longtime OWC Chair and volunteer, and his recognition with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 35th Annual Emerald Awards.

Doug’s decades of leadership in smart water management have helped shape how water is protected, valued, and managed across southwest Alberta. It’s a well-deserved honour, and a great reminder of the impact steady, practical stewardship can have for our communities, ecosystems, and the future of the watershed.

Read the blog and hear from Doug about the award here:

The Alberta Emerald Foundation showcases those who are working at the top of their game to address environmental challenges. In June 2026, the 35th Annual Emerald Awards recognized another round of excellent award recipients, which included some friends of OWC—read on to find out who!