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Oldman Watershed Council | 100, 5401 - 1st Avenue South | Lethbridge | Alberta | T1K 4V6 | Canada
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Today is the last day to renew your OWC Membership
Anglers, ATVs, and baby fish ...
By Richard Burke, Director, OWC
In
this part of the world, as it no doubt does elsewhere, the natural order does
its best to ensure survival of the various species. You will have noticed the
changing of Oldman River colours from deep green awhile ago to muddy brown now.
It may lighten a bit for a short time, depending on the weather. But, you can
be certain there won’t be many days between now and early July, if things go as
they often do, when the river will be considered anything but off.
Off
is a term used by anglers to describe water that’s not really fishable, except
for the very dedicated. But, that combined with some fishing regulations help
minimize interference with fish spawning. Rainbow and Westslope Cutthroat
Trout, for example. spawn this time of year -– generally May to July. They find
gravelled-bottomed stretches of streams. Females swish their tails to clear a
bed where they can drop their eggs for the males to fertilize. On days when the
water’s clear and low, you can see the redds (Editor's note: "redds" are "fish nests") – they appear as cleaned gravel
and are areas to be avoided by wading fishers.
But,
that tends to be moot anyway, because few anglers want to wade in muddy water
caused by spring runoff, which generally runs from early to mid-May in the
Oldman drainage, and usually ends in early July. That’s when lakes are good
places to take your pontoon boat and drop a nymph or water boatman for stocked
rainbows. (Just don’t find yourself at the east end of the lake when a west
wind is blowing and all you have is a paddle!)
Last
year, runoff dragged on a little longer and this year, well, who knows: the
snowpack that feeds the runoff is higher than normal – from 121 percent of average at South Racehorse
Creek in the Upper Oldman to 229 percent at Lee Creek, a main St. Mary River
tributary. The averages vary from 21 to 45 years, depending on how long
recording stations have been active.
Of
course, man’s engineering efforts, particularly damming rivers, most notably
the Oldman, St. Mary and Waterton, can affect fish spawning downstream of the
structures. Incubating eggs need a minimum flow, so dam operators have been
asked to try to maintain that for the sake of spawning, as only one of their
roles when they release water. They also need to maintain the integrity of the
dam itself during times of high runoff as well as to maintain levels in the
reservoirs to release later when it’s needed for irrigation. Other organisms,
such as cottonwood trees native to our river valleys, also require a constant
water flow later in the year to assure their survival.
In
the headwaters, the OWC’s Headwaters Action Plan has as one of its objectives
completing a fine scale cumulative effects assessment of fish populations and
habitat streams. The Partnership Advisory Network participants that helped
craft the HAP generally accepted the findings of the Alberta Westslope Trout
Recovery Plan which, among other conclusions noted, as an example, the effect
of sediment from runoff along logging roads on cutthroat and bull trout
spawning areas. The next step is to determine what can be done about it to
protect redds.
So,
in the grand design, it should all work together, sometimes with man’s help and
sometimes to encourage man to tread more softly on a delicate ecosystem.
(Editor's note: We are hoping to have a productive dialogue with ATV fans - "All-terrain vehicles/quadders"- this weekend, out in the Crowsnest Pass at the RV and OUtdoor Show. We would like to encourage these enthusiasts to be aware of who they are driving over when they cross stream beds - and encourage other practices that are safe for all beings. The sediment that is churned up adds to the problems Richard describes above, in addition to a host of other environmental challenges.)
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| Photo courtesy Andy Hurly, Director, OWC |
Funny-lookin' thing!
Q: What's got a long bill like a straw and backward-bending bandy legs?
A: The long-billed Curlew
The long legs of shorebirds are basically adaptations for wading in water and finding food where most birds cannot go. Although curlews are shorebirds, they breed quite far from water in prairie grassland and possibly in cultivated fields. Unusually, males share the job of incubating the eggs and they stay with the young longer than the females do.
If you are missing warm springtime outings because of the weather, learn about what to watch for once you're out there, in the meantime! You can find more about curlews here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-billed_Curlew
Enjoy!
Andy Hurly
(Editor's note:
You will probably recognize its lovely call when you hear it in some of the videos below.
Here's an interesting science project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCs0lhF5Gmk
And here is a ton of curlew videos - some great quality, others are DIYs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNAuLaqxQ8Q&list=PLrtVlWWdpvqImwR0AUOBuklST07fVFUR2 )
Enjoy!
Andy Hurly
Lodgepole Environmental: Consulting and Photography
(Editor's note:
You will probably recognize its lovely call when you hear it in some of the videos below.
Here's an interesting science project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCs0lhF5Gmk
And here is a ton of curlew videos - some great quality, others are DIYs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNAuLaqxQ8Q&list=PLrtVlWWdpvqImwR0AUOBuklST07fVFUR2 )
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| Photo courtesy Andy Hurly, Director, OWC |
OWC April 2014 E-Newsletter
To view April's E-Newsletter, click here
2014 OWC Membership Renewal Deadline - April 30
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Oldman Watershed Council | 100, 5401 - 1st Avenue South | Lethbridge | Alberta | T1K 4V6 | Canada
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OWC AGM Date Correction
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OWC March 2014 E-Newsletter
To view March's E-Newsletter, click here
Will we have to boil water AGAIN?
From OWC's Executive Director, Shannon Frank:
The recent boil water advisory in Lethbridge has brought into focus two things: how dependent we all are on upstream users to do a good job - and how connected we are in a watershed. A watershed is the area of land that drains into a water body – as seen in the map, all that land drains into the Oldman River. And you can also see that Lethbridge is a little ways downstream.
The water quality problems in the river are complicated and there is not one obvious source, that if cleaned up, would ensure Lethbridge a clean water supply for the long term. What we have is a whole range of land uses that all contribute different types of contaminants – sediment, nutrients, pesticides, bacteria, pharmaceuticals, etc.
Recently in Lethbridge, the main problem was sediment overload, basically mud clogging filters at the water treatment plant. But where did all this mud come from?
Recreational use and forest harvesting in our mountain headwaters certainly contribute sediment, as does agriculture, oil and gas and urban communities that change the landscape. Every decision has a trade-off and many of the decisions we make create sediment and allow it to run off into our streams.
In the past, healthy wetlands and riparian zones (green zones along the water’s edge) had an important job - capture and filter run-off before it reached a creek or river. But we’ve removed wetlands and degraded riparian zones to the point where they can no longer do their job. So we try to replace that job with water treatment plants and that comes at an ever-increasing cost.
Recently in Lethbridge, the main problem was sediment overload, basically mud clogging filters at the water treatment plant. But where did all this mud come from?
Recreational use and forest harvesting in our mountain headwaters certainly contribute sediment, as does agriculture, oil and gas and urban communities that change the landscape. Every decision has a trade-off and many of the decisions we make create sediment and allow it to run off into our streams.
In the past, healthy wetlands and riparian zones (green zones along the water’s edge) had an important job - capture and filter run-off before it reached a creek or river. But we’ve removed wetlands and degraded riparian zones to the point where they can no longer do their job. So we try to replace that job with water treatment plants and that comes at an ever-increasing cost.
Having learned this lesson, there is a quiet push to put wetlands back, reclaim riparian zones and be more careful about what we put next to our rivers. Many landowners and local governments are leading this charge but it is yet to become a "mainstream" priority.
OWC and many other groups are working to change that. We are all contributing to the problem and can also all be part of the solution. That is what the OWC is all about – working together to find practical solutions to big challenges like water quality.
So will we have to boil water AGAIN? Most certainly.
We can't expect to continue to do what we're doing - and even expand land uses - and maintain water quality. There will be consequences.
OWC and many other groups are working to change that. We are all contributing to the problem and can also all be part of the solution. That is what the OWC is all about – working together to find practical solutions to big challenges like water quality.
So will we have to boil water AGAIN? Most certainly.
We can't expect to continue to do what we're doing - and even expand land uses - and maintain water quality. There will be consequences.
There are plenty of opportunities to get involved. Whether you are a social media fan, a gardener or an outdoor enthusiast, the OWC needs your voice and hands. Several exciting initiatives are happening - we'd love you to be part of them.
All best wishes,
Shannon Frank
All best wishes,
Shannon Frank
Introducing OWC Blogger Barbara Amos
Hello - my name is Barbara Amos and this is my story of how I am connected to the Oldman Watershed and the OWC.
I am an artist and after many years of working a studio in the urban centre, I felt a need to reconnect to the land. The insistence of the urban grid was beginning to feel overwhelming. I spent a month in the Crowsnest Pass. When I was there, I felt as if something invisible but powerful was having a soothing effect on me. I began to understand the power of place. While this was a long way from where I grew up, and in many ways a foreign land to me, the sense of being in the right place was quite profound. Six months later, I had found a way to move my studio to the edge of the Pass. I look out onto a horizon that can both humble and awe the spirit.
As I studied the traditions of Canadian landscape painting, I began to ask: How does an artist today create a voice for the land for the watershed, for all that it supports? Perhaps there are other artists who would like to consider this as an opening for a conversation?
I share an image of an oil painting of part of our watershed: "Fields and Sky"... and look forward to this new conversation.
Barbara Amos
I am an artist and after many years of working a studio in the urban centre, I felt a need to reconnect to the land. The insistence of the urban grid was beginning to feel overwhelming. I spent a month in the Crowsnest Pass. When I was there, I felt as if something invisible but powerful was having a soothing effect on me. I began to understand the power of place. While this was a long way from where I grew up, and in many ways a foreign land to me, the sense of being in the right place was quite profound. Six months later, I had found a way to move my studio to the edge of the Pass. I look out onto a horizon that can both humble and awe the spirit.
To paint the landscape is to study it visually and perceptually. Artists study it with a sense of history, as we look back on how other artists have voiced their interest in the land. We try to add something new to that conversation, and in doing so, we ask how we make our work relevant to the world today. The artistic effort is one of inquiry, one of curiosity - a series of questions about our place in the world and our effect upon it.
As I work, I am gathering information about the area and I become more engaged with the local community. Their concerns become mine. I find myself amazed at the amount of work that a small group of people are doing to try to create a voice for the watersheds and the wild lands that they sustain. I learn about the headwaters and how their degradation has enormous impact. All land use issues eventually come back to the watershed. This land is so striking, so huge and yet it is also silent. The land does not have a voice that is heard easily in the urban setting. We have to create that voice.As I studied the traditions of Canadian landscape painting, I began to ask: How does an artist today create a voice for the land for the watershed, for all that it supports? Perhaps there are other artists who would like to consider this as an opening for a conversation?
I share an image of an oil painting of part of our watershed: "Fields and Sky"... and look forward to this new conversation.
Barbara Amos
Introducing OWC Guest Blogger Stephanie Vehnon
After Lakeland College, I decided to continue on and obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree, majoring in Environmental Science, at the University of Lethbridge in 2013. When I moved to Lethbridge in 2011, I discovered the Oldman Watershed Council and wanted to get involved. I contributed as much as I could, while a full time student at the University of Lethbridge. In May 2013, I obtained a summer student position as the Environmental Program Assistant at the City of Lethbridge. This was a great experience that lasted until December 2013. Here I learned the value of storm drain pollution and the effects that pollution has on our Oldman River. In February 2014, I obtained a full time position with the City of Lethbridge as the Environmental Program Assistant, and continue to be a part of the Oldman Watershed Council.
Water management is a vital part of the future of our planet and all life forms. I take a keen interest in ways we can monitor and manage this necessary resource. I take a strong interest in the Oldman Watershed Council, how far it has come, and the future directions and goals of this non-profit organization. I learn more and more each time I connect with this group. A main reason I became a part of the OWC’s Communications and Outreach Team is to allow the message to be spread to the community and establish a connection with people, so they understand how valuable our watershed is. Many people do not realize that we are just a small portion of a larger picture – it fascinates me to spread this message to others and engage them in water education. Water connects us all, from the mountains in the West Coast, to the Hudson Bay in Ontario, and beyond! Watersheds are where we live, and they all flow into one another. Water quantity and quality is what we strive to maintain in order to secure the future of our water supply. Groups such as the Oldman Watershed Council help us monitor, manage and maintain water quality and quantity within our watersheds. From mind to body, to the physical and chemical atmosphere, water education and awareness allows communities to be aware and help to preserve the future of our water! One thing I have realized recently is if we just sit back, take a deep breath, and enjoy the natural environment for even just 10 minutes a day, it is amazing how relaxed, and connected with nature, we can be! I am pleased to be a part of the Oldman Watershed Council and look forward to being a part of many projects and future goals!
We’d like to tell you about a Field Notes Collective hosted event coming up on Wednesday, March 26th.
Dr. Brad Stelfox will be visiting Lethbridge to present his lecture and visualization titled, The Transformation of Southern Alberta. Dr. Stelfox is a well-known Landscape Ecologist and passionate about land use in Alberta.
Since this presentation is to the public, please invite others who may be interested!
Wednesday, March 26th
6 pm
AH 118 (Anderson Hall)
University of Lethbridge
Check out Oldman Watershed Council (OWC)
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Introducing one of our contributing bloggers Debby Gregorash
OWC February 2014 E-Newsletter
To view February's E-Newsletter, click here
