Welcome to the Milk River Watershed Council Canada

The Milk River watershed is a unique watershed located in the most southern part of Alberta. It is unique, known not just for its dry climate, extraordinary landscapes and diverse plant and wildlife communities but also for the direction in which the Milk River flows. The Milk River is the only watershed in Alberta that drains south to the Gulf of Mexico. Alberta shares the Milk River watershed with the province of Saskatchewan and the State of Montana, U.S.A.

Water shortages are not uncommon in the Milk River watershed. As the problem of water scarcity continues to grow, proper water and watershed management is critical. The Milk River Watershed Council Canada is committed to working with government and non-government agencies, other non-profit organizations, industry and Milk River watershed residents to effectively manage watershed resources.

Anyone living and/or working in the Milk River watershed is invited to participate. Please browse through our website and see how you can get involved in the many exciting activities of the MRWCC!

Funding Available For Phase 2 Stewardship Implementation Projects!

Attention Milk River Watershed Residents and Producers!

The MRWCC has secured funding for Milk River residents and producers through the Watershed Restoration and Resiliency Program (WRRP) to initiate a riparian restoration and stewardship program. The MRWCC has received $250,000 for the second phase of the WRRP program titled “Riparian Restoration and Stewardship Program.” This is a four-year funding, from April 2017 to March 2021. This program will provide financial incentive to landowners along the Milk River by implementing projects that improve riparian health of the basin and build resiliency to both flood and drought impact within the watershed. This funding will build on the success of first phase which targeted residents and agricultural producers located along the North Fork Milk River (Reach1), and the Milk River Gravel-bed reach (Reach3) and the Red Creek tributaries which will be completed March 2018. The second phase was brought forward due to public demand who wanted to see the program extended to other remaining priority areas of the basin; the sand-bed reach and along select tributaries across the entire watershed.

Funding available to residents and agricultural producers!

Funding is available to residents and agricultural producers located along the sand-bed reach and along select tributaries across the entire watershed. Producers in other areas of the watershed will be considered based on project merit. The targeted projects will improve riparian health of the Milk River and build resiliency to both flood and drought impacts within the watershed and improve water quality. The MRWCC has formed a WRRP Project Review Committee which is responsible for selecting applicants based on merit and funding eligibility. Please note that funding is available on a first come first serve basis.

Please apply as soon as possible, as we are currently looking for shovel ready projects that meet the objectives of the program.

For more information please download the following documents:

Funding Guidelines

Funding Application Forms

Letter of Agreement

For more information please contact mary@mrwcc.ca or 403-647-3808

The Milk River Watershed Council Canada Receives Core and Project Funding From the Government of Alberta - Alberta Environment and Parks

The MRWCC recently received a grant of $250,000 from Alberta Environment and Parks to help carry out watershed planning and management activities for the fiscal year 2017/18. Alberta gov logo.jpg

The MRWCC is a non-profit, multi-stakeholder organization that strives for a watershed where community well-being is supported by a vibrant economy and sustained by a healthy, functioning environment that will endure as a legacy for future generations.

The Government of Alberta (GOA) has supported the MRWCC since its inception in 2006. This support has enabled the Council to carry out core operations and partially fund watershed projects. The MRWCC wishes to thank the GOA for this continued support.

Education Outreach Programs:

Interactive Online High School Courses

*If interested please contact Kandra*

The Milk River Watershed Council Canada (MRWCC) is pleased to offer its interactive online course "Introduction to the Milk River Watershed, AB." It is aligned with Education Alberta's CTS 1110 Natural Resources, a one credit course under the Career and Technology Studies (CTS) Natural Resources cluster. This MRWCC course is available for html, mobile, and LMS (Learning Management System) delivery.

School Field Trips

The Milk River Watershed Council Canada and Alberta Parks are partnering to offer experiential programs that support the learning outcomes of Alberta Education. These new programs will be piloted in Spring 2018 at Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park / Áísínai'pi National Historic Site.

Click the link to view the new Education Outreach Programs for Elementary and Middle Schools: http://mrwcc.ca/index.php/get-involved/education-outreach-programs/

For further information please contact Kandra Forbes at 403-647-4306

The Milk River Transboundary State of the Watershed Report - 2nd Edition

The MRWCC is please to release the 2nd Edition of the Milk River Transboundary State of the Watershed Report. This report is a significant achievement in the move towards resource management that is uninhibited by political boundaries. Resource managers in the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan and in the state of Montana in the United States joined together with the Milk River Watershed Council Canada to report on the state of the Milk River watershed.

This report documents general trends in the condition of natural resources in the watershed and includes information on:

Watershed Characteristics
Socio-economic conditions
Surface water quantity and allocation
Surface water quality
Groundwater
Riparian areas and wetlands
Biodiversity
Land use
Watershed stewardship

A read only copy of the report can be accessed below. A printable version is available under Library.

Milk River Transboundary State of the Watershed Report - 2nd Edition.

Hard copies of the report are available at the MRWCC office located in the Town Office at 240 Main Street in Milk River, Counties of Warner, Cardston, Cypress, and Forty Mile. For more information please contact us at 403-647-3808 or email mary@mrwcc.ca

Production of this report was a collaborative effort by numerous stakeholders.

The MRWCC wishes to thank everyone for their contribution.