Pigeon Lake Watershed Association

Pigeon Lake Watershed Association Non-profit environmental stewardship group
Enhance, protect, and preserve Pigeon Lake

Who we are:

The Pigeon Lake Watershed Association is a charitable, non-profit environmental advocacy group made up of diverse residents and users of Pigeon Lake and its watershed. It is a volunteer association whose activities are governed by a board of directors, accomplished through working committees and managed through the implementation of the Pigeon Lake Watershed Management Plan. Our Missi

on is to enhance, preserve, and protect Pigeon Lake and its Watershed as a healthy and environmentally sustainable ecosystem for current and future generations. Our Primary Work is the restoration and preservation of the natural ecosystems and water quality such that the water quality supports a healthy and well balanced fishery, is safe and enjoyable for water based recreation activities, and supports healthy and well balanced bird and wildlife populations. We work to engage stakeholders in environmental best practices such that all visitors and residents, business, industry and municipal agreements located within the Watershed (or indirectly affecting the watershed) are committed and conforming to best practices, activities in planning, developing, maintaining and utilizing Pigeon Lake and its environment. PLWA identifies, promotes and advocates land development and land use practices that are conducive to the accepted levels for environmental sustainability within the watershed. Our Roles:

We Educate…

Through the delivery of well-designed stewardship programs and events like shore-line clean up and through dissemination of educational materials, referrals and others. We Advocate…

To local, provincial and federal governments, agencies, regulators, businesses, industry and the general public; best practices in watershed management including: land use, water use and over-all environmental protection. We Inform…

All stakeholders about:

practices that negatively affect the environment
new research that positively effects the environment
sustainable environmental practices
potential impacts of new legislation on the environment
current lake conditions

We use newsletters, presentations special bulletins, conduct open forums and attend municipal council meetings. We Protect…

The lake and the Watershed by advocating and positive changes to regulations and land use bylaws. We act by monitoring land use activities, resource extraction, indicators of lake and watershed health. The lake and the watershed from any or all potential influences by acting as a watchdog and monitoring land use activities, resource extraction, indicators of lake and watershed health and then reporting / advocating and influencing positive change to regulations and land managers. Our Balanced Approach:

The PLWA, believes that achieving environmental sustainability of the lake and its watershed, requires a balanced approach. We pay attention to:

The Environment…

Which requires sound governance, appropriate social policy and financial resources;

The Economy…

Which requires a healthy environment to optimize the social experience, a healthy agricultural and commercial sectors in the watershed and surrounding region are dependent on a healthy lake. The Social Fabric…

To ensure that quality of ‘place’ to live and/or visit is maintained through enhancement preservation and protection of the environment and the economy. Governance…

To ensure that all four orders of governments (1st nations, local, provincial and federal) are committed through policy to preserving and protecting the environment, the social fabric and the economy within the Watershed.

Welcome to PLWA’s 2026 Community Science Week! This week we will be highlighting each of our community science programs,...
06/08/2026

Welcome to PLWA’s 2026 Community Science Week! This week we will be highlighting each of our community science programs, their importance, and how you can get involved! Tune in to learn more about opportunities to get involved with these initiatives that help us learn more about the health of our watershed!

There have been reports of tent caterpillars in the Pigeon Lake area again this year, so we wanted to provide some infor...
06/07/2026

There have been reports of tent caterpillars in the Pigeon Lake area again this year, so we wanted to provide some information to help guide residents deciding how to deal with tent caterpillars. These caterpillars are frequently associated with stories about entire trees covered in caterpillars, or large groups creating slippery road conditions but it is important to note that these caterpillars have a very important role in the ecosystem! They are one of the best nutrient sources for baby birds and help with nutrient cycling from dead leaf material back into the soil. While these caterpillars can consume a massive amount of leaf vegetation, leaving trees bare, trees typically do not die from the loss of leaves but they are at a higher risk of dying from other stressors like drought or disease. To support trees, water them and trim dead branches the following year. If other management is required, caterpillars can be removed using a hose or dull blade to remove them. There is a biological insecticide that does work for tent caterpillars, call Bacillus thuringiensis (BtK) which has negative impacts that are specific to caterpillars. This means that the impacts to humans, other mammals, or birds is minimal, but other caterpillars (including the ones that become butterflies) can be affected as well. For more information, visit https://www.plwa.ca/content/tent-caterpillars

Community Science needs your help! We have 3 initiatives that require volunteers to submit observations whenever it fits...
06/04/2026

Community Science needs your help! We have 3 initiatives that require volunteers to submit observations whenever it fits into your schedule! The community science initiatives are so important to demonstrate changes to our lake health over time! The information provided by these observations can help us address gaps in knowledge, direct future research, or support decision-making when it comes to lake health! Without community science observations, we have a very limited amount of information regarding lake health that does not demonstrate trend differences in location or times, so we must work as a team to work together for lake health!

PLWA and Argentia Beach Sports and Recreation are partnering to host an event to appreciate the wonderful Graves Wildlif...
05/29/2026

PLWA and Argentia Beach Sports and Recreation are partnering to host an event to appreciate the wonderful Graves Wildlife Sanctuary Trail! We will have a variety of activities, games, and things to learn for the entire family! We even have a special guest booked to come visit! Stay tuned for that announcement!

Did you know that some weeds are provincially regulated? Alberta’s W**d Control Act states that prohibited noxious weeds...
05/27/2026

Did you know that some weeds are provincially regulated? Alberta’s W**d Control Act states that prohibited noxious weeds must be destroyed and noxious weeds must be controlled. Noxious weeds have been identified and present environmental, social, and economic risk.

The Common Tansy, Yellow Toadflax, Oxeye Daisy, and Tall Buttercup are not the only species listed under the W**d Control Act that can be found in the Pigeon Lake area, but they are easily identifiable.

Want more information on noxious and prohibited noxious weeds legislated under the W**d Control Act? Visit the link in our bio for a fact sheet through the Alberta Invasive Species Council.

Our rain garden cleanup this past Saturday at Ma-Me-O Beach Jubilee Park and Mission Beach were a huge success! We colle...
05/25/2026

Our rain garden cleanup this past Saturday at Ma-Me-O Beach Jubilee Park and Mission Beach were a huge success! We collected 8 bags of debris, primarily leaf litter, from Ma-Me-O, and 11 bags from Mission Beach.

The Pigeon Lake Native Grass Seed Mix is low maintenance and drought tolerant. Since all species in the mix are native t...
05/22/2026

The Pigeon Lake Native Grass Seed Mix is low maintenance and drought tolerant. Since all species in the mix are native to Alberta, they are best adapted to climate stresses, thrive without fertilizers, and attract wildlife. The longer root systems of the native species in the mix also clean and filter excess nutrients to support clean runoff and a healthy lake.

Visit the PLWA website for more information!

It is almost that time of year again, where the massive numbers of tiny insects swarm at Pigeon Lake! The non-biting mid...
05/20/2026

It is almost that time of year again, where the massive numbers of tiny insects swarm at Pigeon Lake! The non-biting midges are sensing the warmer water temperatures and beginning to hatch. While these insects can be highly annoying, they are hugely important to the ecosystem at Pigeon Lake, feeding fish, birds, and bats in the area! To reduce the annoyance these bugs cause, we recommend using mosquito mesh veils or beekeeper hats! As these insects are also very weak at flying, fans can be used to keep them away from your space when outdoors. Due to the short lifespan and constant hatch of these insects, pesticides are not effective and can have consequences on species that eat chironomids. For more information on chironomids, please see our new FAQ page!

PLWA is looking for volunteers to join the community science initiatives this year! Community scientists help PLWA gathe...
05/18/2026

PLWA is looking for volunteers to join the community science initiatives this year! Community scientists help PLWA gather data from different locations and time periods to give us a better understanding of the health of Pigeon Lake! While these programs are very low commitment and can be done at your own convenience, they are a great way to contribute to watershed stewardship. For more information visit www.plwa.ca/community-science or www.plwa.ca/volunteer

We are so excited to announce our native plant awareness campaign partnered with Westerose Greenhouse! Stocked plants th...
05/15/2026

We are so excited to announce our native plant awareness campaign partnered with Westerose Greenhouse! Stocked plants that are native to Western Canada have been marked with a “Native Plant” sticker to help guide shoppers interested in purchasing these plant species! Thank you so much to Westerose Greenhouse for working with us to promote native plant selections and the many benefits of these native species! If you are interested in learning more about native plants, check out our Naturalizing Your Lot page on the PLWA website.
https://www.plwa.ca/naturalize-your-lot/planting-for-the-lake

Address

Mulhurst, AB
T0C2C0

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Pigeon Lake Watershed Association posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Pigeon Lake Watershed Association:

Share