Leah Kongsrude outlines the history getting a report on the state of the Sturgeon River watershed. The Sturgeon River is a tributary to the North Saskatchewan River in central Alberta north of the City of Edmonton. From some initial study and task force successes and interest from a widespread group of stakeholders, the watershed initiative had difficulties in defining what actually should be done in assessing the state of the watershed (or whether action should happen first and collect data later). Her key learning: a "small" group who must deliver with enough common objectives that consensus can be reached is the necessity for watershed planning.
Leah Kongsrude is the Environmental Manager with the City of St. Albert.
From March 12-14th, 2013, people involved in water issues in Alberta met in Red Deer to discuss ideas and plans for managing water resources. The conference, jointly hosted by the Canadian Water Resources Association (CWRA) Alberta Chapter and Alberta Watershed Planning & Advisory Councils (WPACs), emphasized the integrated planning that is necessary for water management in the future.
The Alberta Land-use Knowledge Network was able to record many of the keynote speakers and conference presentations.