Milk River Watershed Council Canada – Our Water. Our Legacy.

Working in partnership with community to effectively manage the Milk River Watershed’s resources.

Our Water. Our Legacy.

Updates from the MRWCC

July 31, 2026

International St. Mary and Milk Rivers Study Board Final Draft Report and Recommendations – Public Comment Period

On behalf of the International St. Mary and Milk Rivers Study Board, please visit the following webpage announcing the Public Comment Period for the ISMMR Study Board Final Draft Report and Recommendations: https://ijc.org/en/smmr/final-draft-report-comment. The report is ready for review and comments from July 30 through August 31, 2026. We would also like to draw your attention…

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July 27, 2026

Grasslands for Life

Grasslands for Life is a four-year pilot Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) program led by the Milk River Watershed Council Canada to conserve 5,000 acres of native grasslands and 1,000 acres of riparian areas across the Milk River watershed. The program provides annual per-acre payments to participating landowners for measurable stewardship outcomes that enhance biodiversity,…

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21 Aug

2026 Headwaters Diversion Tour

August 21, 2026

1:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Community, diversion, tour

Hello everyone! MRWCC would like to invite you to join us on August 21st, 2026, for a tour of our upstream water system! If you [...]

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Wings over the Watershed (W.O.W.) by: Colynn Kerr

Little Fish Big Stewardship Project Video

River Conditions Update

River Conditions Update – August 14th 2025

Favorable weather for uninterrupted construction of the St Mary Siphon Replacement Project has enabled the completion of the project and the current diversion from the St Mary to the Milk River since July 1st 2025. A canal seepage issue was resolved with a temporary interruption of diversion flow in July. To allow for additional construction…

Alberta River Basins

Visit Alberta River Basins for simple, geography-based access to river, lake, precipitation, and snow pillow stations and their data in Alberta.

Exploring the Milk River

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Milk River Watershed Council Canada

1 week ago

Laat night the International Joint Commission hosted the St Mary/Milk River Study open house in Milk River AB to a large croud of community members, municipal leaders, and producers. Key recommendations from the study were presented, including administrative changes to the balancing periods and infrastructure such as improving canal capacity to 850 cfs, control structures on the st mary lakes, and Canadian storage both on/off stream. Strong support and encouragement was shown for recommendations that improve fair access to entitlements and improve water security. Public review and feedback is encouraged to be submitted now until August 31st 2026. Link in comments. ... See MoreSee Less

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Milk River Watershed Council Canada

2 weeks ago

Registration is now open for the 2026 Headwaters Diversion Tour! Please contact Jacquelyn at 403-647-4310 or admin@mrwcc.ca to register. This tour fills up fast! Please register early to guarantee your spot! ... See MoreSee Less

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Milk River Watershed Council Canada

2 weeks ago

Have your voice heard! Learn more about the International St. Mary and Milk Rivers Study Board meetings below.The International St. Mary and Milk Rivers Study Board invites you to attend one of three public meetings this August to learn about the study’s draft recommendations, ask questions, and share your feedback before recommendations are finalized.📍 Havre, Montana – August 4, 6:30 p.m. MDT📍 Milk River, Alberta – August 5, 6:30 p.m. MDT📍 Lethbridge, Alberta – August 6, 5:00 p.m. MDTWe encourage water users, Indigenous Peoples, stakeholders, and anyone interested in the future of the St. Mary and Milk Rivers to attend.Learn more: ijc.org/en/smmr/international-st-mary-and-milk-rivers-study-board-hold-virtual-webinar-and-public... #StMaryRiver #MilkRiver #PublicMeeting #WaterManagement ... See MoreSee Less

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Milk River Watershed Council Canada

3 weeks ago

Southern Alberta Youth Range Days 2026 has come to end! We would like to thank all of the participants who came out to partake in camp! This years camp was full of: -Rangeland Management Plans 🌾-Short-horned Lizard Surveys 🦎-Plant Identification 🌿-Floating on the Milk River 💧-Amazing food 🍔-And much more! We hope every had a fantastic time this year, and hope to see everyone again next year. We would also like to give a huge thank you to all of our sponsors and donors for their support. This camp would not possible without the ongoing support! Photo Credits: Kandra Forbes ... See MoreSee Less

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Milk River Watershed Council Canada

1 month ago

Congratulations to the entire Reese family on this well deserved honour! In addition to outstanding community supporters, the Resse family are leaders in stewardship of our land, water, and biodiversity.We would like to congratulate Long Grass Ranching for being the recipients of the 2026 BMO Farm Family Award for the County of Warner!#bmofarmfamilyaward #calgarystampede2026 ... See MoreSee Less

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Milk River Watershed Council Canada

1 month ago

Its been a wild year for river flows and irrigation, there are over 30 families directly reliant on ~8300 acres of licensed irrigation in Alberta from the Milk River. The open winter with nearly no snow, followed by a dry spring brought historically low water volumes with natural flow near zero without augmentation from the St Marys. This has resulted in on and off cessation orders under the water sharing agreements, and if it wasn't for exceptional and timely rain we would be facing a lost season in Alberta. The Water users, in partnership with Alberta Environment and Protected areas have been working closely with the IJC accredited officers to minimize impact fairly to water users in both the USA and Canada. The MRWCC has been assisting when needed on the collection of data, reporting of conditions, communications, and monitoring. Yesterday it was approved to open back up irrigation for the remaining week of the current balancing period. Everyone will continue to monitor water use, and river conditions to determine if the system and treaty conditions will allow for a continuation after July 15th learn more about water sharing from our Transboundary State of the Watershed Report found here: mrwcc.ca/resource/state-of-the-watershed-report-2013/"In accordance with license conditions under the Water Act, and pursuant to the Boundary Waters Treaty and the 1921 IJC Order, all licensed diversions for irrigation may resume effective July 7th 2026. Irrigation will be permitted to continue until July 15, 2026 when the flows are reassessed" EPA ... See MoreSee Less

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Featured Plans and Studies

Erosion and Sedimentation on the Milk River

pdf

10 MB

Erosion and Sedimentation on the Milk River

This project studies the erosion processes and potential impacts in the watershed.

Transboundary State of the Watershed Report - 3rd Edition

pdf

93 MB

Transboundary State of the Watershed Report – 3rd Edition

The 3rd edition of the report documenting general trends in the Milk River watershed.

A diversity of water needs

pdf

12 MB

Milk River Integrated Watershed Management Plan

Recommendations on natural resource management.

View All Watershed Plans and Studies