Updates from the MRWCC
NEW: 3rd Edition Milk River Transboundary State of the Watershed Report
The Milk River Watershed Council Canada (MRWCC), in partnership with the South of the Divide Conservation Action Program (SODCAP) (Saskatchewan), and nearly 70 organizations, agencies, and individuals from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Montana, worked together to produce this report. This 3rd edition represents a watershed-scale assessment of the condition of water supplies and allocation, water quality,…
2025 Heritage Tree Program
2025 Heritage Tree Program FlyerDownload
Check back soon for more upcoming events!
River Conditions Update
Diversion Start Date
Releases from Lake Sherburne and diversions to the St. Mary Canal are expected to start for the year on March 25, 2024. As in the past, St. Mary Canal diversions will start near 100 cfs and ramp up as ice is cleared from infrastructure. It was noted at the February 15th International Joint Commission –…
Visit Alberta River Basins for simple, geography-based access to river, lake, precipitation, and snow pillow stations and their data in Alberta.
The Latest on Facebook
Armed with a pair of snowshoes and the need to burn some extra calories from the holidays, we went out to check on one of our acoustic monitors out in the field. This monitor is placed near active springs along the bank of the Milk River that so far have kept a portion free from ice. Hibernating bats will occasionally wake and search for water in winter, and unique features like this could be their best bet on accessing it! If our monitors pick up echolocation calls we know that bats are hibernating in the area, and are dependent on this site to make it through the winter months. Further, as White Nose Syndrome is becoming more prevalent in both the Milk River Watershed and Alberta in general, being able to locate and monitor hibernacula will be valuable in monitoring its impacts. If you think you have bats hibernating somewhere within the Milk River Watershed and would like to be involved in this type of work, please reach out to Tyler by email at tyler@mrwcc.ca.
Alberta Environments engagement on water availability is extended until January 24, 2025.![]()
![]()
Also, an in-person public townhall will be hosted in Lethbridge on January 8, 2025.![]()
• Location: Coast Hotel Lethbridge, 526 Mayor Magrath Drive South![]()
• Time: Doors open at 6:15 pm with opening remarks at 6:45 pm![]()
• Registration is required. Please do so at: Lethbridge Townhall Registration ![]()
![]()
As per earlier communications, information about the water availability engagement is available on the ministry website. The online surveys, virtual ideas boards, and resources are available until January 24, 2025. ![]()
![]()
www.alberta.ca
Albertans can share input on ways to increase water availability and improve the water management system in Alberta.
This October we completed fish sampling lead by John Derksen from Lethbridge Polytechnic. We sampled four tributaries to the Milk River looking for the presence/absence of species at-risk fish. We are excited to confirm the presence of species at-risk fish including Rocky Mountain Sculpin at two sites and Stonecat at one site. Rocky Mountain Sculpin are listed as Threatened by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). While Stonecat are listed as At Risk by Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (AEPA) and have been added as a priority candidate for assessment by COSEWIC.![]()
#littlefishbigstewardship
Great news from our partners down south today!🌟 Big News for the St. Mary Project! 🌟![]()
![]()
Today, the Department of the Interior - Bureau of Reclamation announced an incredible $849 million investment as part of President Biden’s Investing in America initiative, aimed at revitalizing aging water delivery systems across the West. 🎉![]()
![]()
We’re thrilled to share that this includes the remaining federal funding needed to replace the St. Mary and Halls Coulee Siphons! 💧 Thanks to this federal investment, a hybrid loan from the State of Montana, and contributions from local project stakeholders, funding constraints will no longer hold up this critical project.![]()
![]()
This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved. From community advocates to project partners, this is a victory we can all celebrate. 🎉👏 Together, we’re building a stronger, more reliable future for water infrastructure along the Milk River.![]()
![]()
#InvestingInAmerica #waterinfrastructure #stmarysiphon #milkriverproject![]()
![]()
www.usbr.gov/bil/docs/infrastructure/FY-2025-Aging-Infrastucture-Projects.pdf![]()
![]()
Full news release: content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOI/bulletins/3c5317e
It has been an exciting and busy fall on the Little Fish, Big Stewardship project. In September we joined Doug Watkinson and his team from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) for fish sampling along the Milk River. Sites were distributed from Whiskey Gap to the Milk River Natural Area. It was great to learn from experienced Fisheries Biologists. We were happy to find at-risk fish species including: Plains Sucker, Western Silverly Minnow in the East and Rocky Mountain Sculpin in the West. This is important work to learn about the impact of the diversion failure on fish. We are looking forward to seeing how their results compare to the fish sampling they have done in the past.![]()
#littlefishbigstewardship
Featured Plans and Studies
pdf
10 MB
This project studies the erosion processes and potential impacts in the watershed.
pdf
106 MB
The 2nd edition of the report documenting general trends in the Milk River watershed.
pdf
12 MB
Recommendations on natural resource management.