The Headwaters Restoration Project arose out of the successful Engaging Recreationists Project. The audience was expanded to include land users beyond recreationists and offered more in-person restoration and educational programs. It focussed on the education and engagement of adult land users, such as fishers, farmers, ranchers, and landowners, among others.
The headwaters of the Oldman River watershed run east from the Rocky Mountains of southwest Alberta to join the South Saskatchewan River and eventually, Hudson Bay. They provide 90% of the water that feeds our streams, lakes, and groundwater! The Headwaters Action Plan is the community’s plan to maintain and protect the integrity of the Oldman headwaters and source waters through collaborative stewardship work that will address key issues to headwater health over time.
Engaging Recreationists is a collaborative, on-the-ground project designed to reduce threats to the headwaters—threats that include the cumulative effects of linear features, such as roads and recreational trails. Through stakeholder engagement, education, community-based social marketing, streambank restoration, and stewardship activities, we are encouraging motorized recreationists to keep wheels out of the water and thereby protect our headwaters, water quality, and critical habitat for endangered species.
