Bow Riverkeeper News - May 8, 2005

Bow Riverkeeper [email protected]

  1. Announcing the Big Bow Float: A Centennial Canoe Voyage
  2. Report Release: "People to Water, Water to People" Discussion Paper
  3. Bow Riverkeeper Presents at Glenbow Museum Terrific Tuesday Talk
  4. Release of the State of the Basin Report 2005:
  5. Time for Spring Plantings: Consider the "Healthy Yards" Program
  6. Report Release: Balancing Act: Water Conservation and Economic Growth
  7. Resource: Case Study on North Saskatchewan River Watershed
  8. Alberta Environment's Most Recent Water Act Applications
  9. Donate to Bow Riverkeeper and Receive Magazine Subscription

1. Announcing the Big Bow Float: A Centennial Canoe Voyage

We're happy to announce our upcoming Big Bow Float - A Centennial Canoe Voyage! The Big Bow Float will be a four-week 657-kilometer continuous canoe trip spanning the entire length of the Bow River. Most importantly, the trip is followed by a 10-month public outreach and education campaign.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, please go to our website at www.bowriverkeeper.org

Bow Riverkeeper Danielle Droitsch will be joined by native-Albertan-paddler-extraordinaire Jim Kievit and his dog Rocco. They will commence the trip at Bow Glacier and finish at the confluence with the Oldman River.

The voyageurs will spend 21 days on the river and eight or nine off-river days in order to hold informal public education sessions and meetings with interest groups and Bow Riverkeeper Partner organizations. About the public outreach and education campaign: Bow Riverkeeper will "take the canoe voyage to the people" through a series of public outreach slide shows including school presentations.

The Big Bow Float will commence this summer 2005. Precise dates for the trip will be announced closer to summer, once we can better ascertain flow levels.

If you are interested in our trip and helping us out

  1. Check out our website and visit it frequently to learn more about the important issues facing the Bow River.
  2. Help us set up public presentations in your community once we've finished the trip.
  3. Volunteer to help! Use our contact form to reach us. We will be compiling a list of volunteer needs and will contact you for help shortly.
  4. Please consider making a donation to help us with this trip toward our post-trip education and outreach campaign. Your support will help us spread the word and reach as many Albertans as possible.

2. Report Release: "People to Water, Water to People" Discussion Paper

In March, the Alberta Institute of Agrologists released a report "People to Water, Water to People Discussion Paper" prepared by Watrecon Consulting. The purpose of the paper is to examine the historical and policy background to water management in Alberta. The paper also draws some conclusions about where water management may be headed in the coming decades and how this will affect water use practices. Finally, the paper also highlights some areas where current operations and practices may be impediments to future water management."

The discussion paper was released at the first Alberta Institute of Agrologists (AIA) global conference held on March 29 to April 1, 2005, at the Banff Conference Center. The discussion paper addresses 10 key issues regarding water use in Alberta including:

  • actual water use will approach licensed allocations
  • water will not be conserved effectively
  • demands for groundwork will increase
  • turning water into a commodity will not lead to exports
  • more intensive water management is required
  • will water pricing impose costs without benefits

For a copy of the report, go to: http://www.aia.ab.ca/policy/

3. Bow Riverkeeper Presents at Glenbow Museum Terrific Tuesday Talk

Join Alex Mowat, Program Coordinator for Bow Riverkeeper for a discussion of the organization's programs including its upcoming Big Bow Float: A Centennial Canoe Voyage. The Big Bow Float is a canoe trip spanning the entire length of the Bow River from Bow Glacier 650+ kilometres downstream to the confluence with the Oldman River. Bow Riverkeeper will complete the journey in 2005.

Drop in for lively and thought provoking talks about the arts, the environment, local history and Glenbow Museum's collections then mingle over coffee, cookies and conversation.

10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Burlington Resources Theatre at Glenbow Museum
Included with museum admission

4. Release of the State of the Basin Report 2005

On April 29, 2005, the Bow River Basin Council unveiled its State of the Basin Report bringing together research and information on the current status of the Bow River from a wide range of sources.

The purpose of this report is to provide information to:

  1. improve the overall understanding of the Bow River Basin through the analysis of data, current information and trends (i.e., education);
  2. facilitate decision-making for water issues in the Bow River Basin;
  3. engage the general public, stakeholders and resource managers in discussion, and through these discussions, make meaningful recommendations for future improvements.

If you want more information on how to order a copy of the report, please check the Bow River Basin Council website http://www.brbc.ab.ca.

5. Time for Spring Plantings: Consider the "Healthy Yards" Program

The City of Calgary in partnership with several organization hosts a Healthy Yards Program that advocates grass cycling, water conservation, composting, and responsible pest management strategies, to help create a healthier yard.

This is a new environmentally-friendly approach to yard and garden care. It's good for the environment, easy to do, and can save you money too!

Simple steps to a healthy yard

  • Composting
  • Water conservation
  • Responsible pest management
  • Grass cycling

The City of Calgary's Healthy Yards website contains fact sheets and useful information on composting, grasscycling, responsible pest management, and (very importantly) water conservation.

Once a year, the Healthy Yards Program offers a limited number of residents incentives to create a "Healthy Yard." The 2005 program is full and they are accepting applications for 2006. HOWEVER, this should not preclude you from creating your own healthy year this year.

The program is a partnership with the Sierra Club -Chinook Group, Calgary Health Region, Calgary Horticultural Society, LANTA (Landscape Alberta Nursery Trades Association), The University of Calgary, Southern Alberta Turf Grass Association, Calgary Board of Education, and Alberta Environment.

For more information, or to sign up for this free and exciting new program, call 268-CITY(2489) or email The City of Calgary Parks at [email protected].

6. Report Release: Balancing Act: Water Conservation and Economic Growth

In January 2005, the Canada West Foundation embarked on the Water and Economic Growth Initiative to achieve four related goals.

  • to highlight the connection between water and the economy
  • promoting the value of water conservation on economic ground
  • to bring key stakeholders together to talk through the issues, hear what people with different perspectives and priorities have tosay, and draw on the expertise of others.
  • to share the results

Balancing Act discusses a variety of water conservation policy options to reduce demand on Alberta's water resources. It also identifies barriers to advancing these conservation initiatives. Finally, it makes recommendations to overcome the barriers.

To obtain a copy of the report, go to the Canada West Foundation website at http://www.cwf.ca/publications. You will need to sign in and obtain a password to download the report.

7. Resource: Case Study on North Saskatchewan River Watershed

Recently, the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) published "Source to Tap" highlighting practices in the North Saskatchewan River Watershed toward protection of source waters.

Source water protection is about protecting the source of water to stop contamination along the drinking water delivery system. According to CCME, protecting the source of drinking water requires a "multi-barrier" approach evaluating all of the components of a drinking water system and identifying safeguards needed to provide safe drinking water. Safeguards can include management, monitoring, research, science and technology development, guidelines, public involvement, and awareness. The report outlines example of source water protection plan on a provincial, municipal, and non-government organization perspective.

The five case studies highlighted in the report illustration how the components of source water protection are used in specific Canadian communities, how and shy source water protection in the community is working, lessons learned, and improvements recommended. The case study showcased the efforts of the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance and tools they have been used to identify source water projection issues. These include the Integrated Watershed Management Plan, outreach and watershed projects, as well as monitoring and reporting.

The complete case study can be found at http://www.ec.gc.ca/water/en/manage/qual/e_multi.htm.

The CCME "Source to Tap" website is: www.ccme.ca/sourcetotap/index.html.

8. Donate to Bow Riverkeeper and Receive Magazine Subscription

Support the work of Bow Riverkeeper! Consider making a donation to Bow Riverkeeper in the amount of $30 or more and receive a free annual subscription to WATERKEEPER Magazine. You will also receive a quarterly update from Bow Riverkeeper and our work in the Bow River basin.

To make a donation go to, http://www.bowriverkeeper.org/join/join.shtml

9. Alberta Environment's Most Recent Water Act Applications

To see the most recent Water Act Public Notices for the Southern Region, Calgary, go to:

http://www3.gov.ab.ca/env/water/Regions/Bow/Notices/files/index1.html

This website only contains applications and decisions public notices and applications Received in last 14 days


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