Alberta Water Council Releases Two Reports

Alberta Water Council Releases Two Reports-Alberta Water Council Recommendations to Improve Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Management in Alberta.

Trout Unlimited Canada is pleased to have been a part of two projects recently completed by the Alberta Water Council.

Aquatic Invasive Species TUC biologist, Lesley Peterson was a member of the project team which developed the report Recommendations to Improve Aquatic Invasive Species Management in Alberta. Alberta has five aquatic invasive species (AIS) but some of the most harmful AIS (zebra and quagga mussels, Asian carp and Eurasian watermilfoil) have not yet been established here. This allows for a proactive management approach with a strong focus on prevention. AIS pose a significant threat to water management facilities, water supply infrastructure, aquatic ecosystems, recreation, and human health.

The report focusses on five areas that are essential to good AIS management: prevention, public awareness, communication and collaboration; long-term management; monitoring; inspections; and enforcement.

Recommendations to Improve AIS Management in Alberta

Water Literacy Director of Education, Lynn Robb participated in the development of the report Recommendations to Improve Water Literacy in Alberta, which explores five areas for improving water literacy: increased collaboration among water literacy practitioners, provision of tools and knowledge to assess program success and effectiveness; alignment of topics, audiences, delivery areas and methods; stronger capacity among practitioners; and assessment of water literacy among Albertans.

Water literacy forms the foundation for successful education and outreach, by cultivating a stewardship and compliance ethic and enabling informed public input to decision-making processes.

Both projects were undertaken in parallel with work by the Government of Alberta (GoA) and include specific recommendations and timelines.

Recommendations to Improve Water Literacy in Alberta

The Alberta Water Council is a multi-stakeholder partnership that stewards the implementation of Alberta’s Water for Life strategy and provides advice on water management issues to its members, which include the GoA and provincial authorities, industries, municipalities and NGOs.