About Watershed Stewardship

Watershed Stewardship is designed to increase awareness about watershed management and to obtain participation by everyone impacted in a particular area to ensure that citizens practice good pollution prevention, water conservation and use as well as respond to any problems or concerns. This is really a partnership between the provincial government, municipal governments and community-based groups such as the Skeleton Lake Stewardship Association on the implementation of local water management solutions.

All stakeholders have a vital role to play and can contribute in many ways. The Skeleton Lake Stewardship Association is developing a road map defining where Skeleton Lake is now, where all of the stakeholders involved want it to go and determining how we are going to get there. This plan requires us to identify the issues and opportunities, where they are occurring, why they are occurring, what we want to achieve and how we can go about it. This will involve municipalities, the agricultural community, the aboriginal community, fish and game associations, industry and cottagers around the lake. These parties will have to interact with Alberta Environment, Alberta Fish and Wildlife, Alberta Agriculture, Alberta Conservation and other similar organizations.

The key to our watershed management plan begins with understanding the need for a watershed management plan and a general watershed management process. Understanding the link between the water of Skeleton Lake and its watershed is vital. Understanding the aquatic environment, involving all stakeholders as early as possible in the process, and then setting realistic goals and focussing on desired outcomes rather than emphasizing problems or who is causing them is our plan. This stewardship approach can build a sense of community and commitment to achieving objectives. This occurs when the community accepts ownership of projects and takes pride in achievements.

The Skeleton Lake Stewardship Association will act as the in-field delivery group for programs allowing government and other agencies to stay at arms-length. Projects implemented through this stewardship approach rather than an enforcement or regulatory approach stand a greater chance of success. The environmental benefits to a grassroots watershed approach are that there will be long term environmental benefits to the watershed as a result of addressing sources of the problems and not symptoms. Our goal is to adopt best management practices that result in an improved and sustainable healthy aquatic eco system.