Oldman Watershed Council

Bumble Beebeginners Reprise A hands-on introduction to bumble bee identification

Only a handful of spots remain for Bumble Beebeginners (Reprise) 🐝 on March 10th.

Our second session of this hands-on bumble bee ID workshop is almost full. Learn the basics and explore real specimens from our collection.

Register before it fills up:
www.eventbrite.ca/e/1983987683...

RFP open for graphic designer to help create OWC's 2025–56 Annual Report.

We're looking to shake things up with a refreshed visual direction while maintaining the high standard set by previous reports.

Share this with the amazing designer in your network.

Link:
oldmanwatershed.ca/s/OWC_2025-2...

Are you amazing? We’re hiring! OWC is recruiting a Mitacs Summer Intern (University of Lethbridge student) to support our State of the Watershed assessment.

Applications accepted until March 13, 2026.

Apply by visiting: oldmanwatershed.ca/jobs

Bumble Beebeginners Reprise A hands-on introduction to bumble bee identification

Bumble Beebeginners filled up—so we added another session! 🐝
Join us for a free, hands-on intro to bumble bee ID using real specimens from our collection. Perfect for beginners and just in time for spring.

Register here:
www.eventbrite.ca/e/bumble-bee...

From Evidence to Action: Agricultural Water Risk in Western Canada · Luma Join our webinar on water risk management in western Canadian farming, with speakers Mathieu Lipari (Farm Management Canada) & David Sauchyn (University of…

Water risk is changing fast in Western Canadian agriculture.

Join this webinar to connect climate evidence with real-world decisions and policy. Wed, Mar 4, 10:00 a.m. MST (online). Register: luma.com/og1qple7

Restoration Work Delivers Significant Economic Benefits — Oldman Watershed Council If you have been following the work of the OWC, you may have noticed that we invest significant time and effort in restoring Alberta’s landscapes with our many partners—planting willows on streambanks to reduce erosion, building beaver dam analogues, installing wattle fencing, removing invasive plan

The Oldman Watershed Council released an informative blog post analyzing the Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program & how it benefits our province. Findings show that restoration projects funded through the WRRP are delivering hundreds of millions in annual benefits.

https://ow.ly/wCI850YkkQj

Final days to apply: we are hiring at the Oldman Watershed Council and looking for (more) amazing people.

Current opportunities include:
• Development Manager (Fund Development)
• Administrative Assistant

View the postings and apply here: oldmanwatershed.ca/jobs

Agricultural Innovators: Grazing Co-operatives with Christy Goldhawk — Oldman Watershed Council Dr. Christy Goldhawk, general manager of the Waldron Grazing Co-operative, shares how this unique collective approaches shared land and water stewardship.

Our new blog is up! Grazing co-ops, drought resilience, and practical innovations at Waldron Ranch with Dr. Christy Goldhawk.

Read:
oldmanwatershed.ca/blog-posts/2...

Good news for southern Alberta: Alberta’s Feb 2026 water outlook forecasts normal to above-normal flows for the Oldman River Basin this spring/summer. Full report (PDF): rivers.alberta.ca/Contents/Wat...

Restoration Work Delivers Significant Economic Benefits — Oldman Watershed Council If you have been following the work of the OWC, you may have noticed that we invest significant time and effort in restoring Alberta’s landscapes with our many partners—planting willows on streambanks...

What is the economic value of restoration work?

New blog highlights a study showing AB’s Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program has generated an estimated $253M annually in ecosystem services since 2014, more than five times the original public investment.

oldmanwatershed.ca/blog-posts/2...

This year, show someone you care about that you also care about bees. Meet our local bee-chelorettes — four of the most common bumble bees in the Oldman watershed — each with their own profile and prairie personality.

Share the love for your Valentine and for pollinators!

Indigenous Voices: Fire on the Grassland with Alvin First Rider — Oldman Watershed Council Alvin First Rider is the Environmental Manager with Blood Tribe Land Management. In this blog, he shares his experience working in land stewardship, and his knowledge of the role that fire plays, and ...

Our new blog is up! In it, we share insights from Alvin First Rider, Kainai environmental manager, on the role of fire and cultural burning practices on Kainai lands.

Read the full post:

oldmanwatershed.ca/blog-posts/2...

Watershed Restoration and Sustainable Land Management — Oldman Watershed Council Healthy grasslands, wetlands, and shorelines are critical to maintain water security and a resilient watershed that is able to withstand floods and droughts. The OWC implements natural infrastructure ...

OWC is now accepting applications for Watershed Legacy Program funding.

Support available for stewardship projects including water development, riparian restoration, wildlife-friendly fencing, pollinator habitat.

oldmanwatershed.ca/proj/watersh...

Please share with your networks!

Indigenous Voices: Exploring the Plentiful Prairies with Api’soomaahka — Oldman Watershed Council Watershed Stewardship Assistant Chantel Youmans reflects on the experience of learning from Api’soomaahka, and the prairie itself, on ecology and the deep significance of prairie plants in Niitsitapi ...

Our new blog is up! In it, we share a place-based perspective on prairie plants and Indigenous ecological knowledge through a conversation with Api’soomaahka.

Read the blog:
oldmanwatershed.ca/blog-posts/2...

Bumble Beebeginners A hands-on introduction to bumble bee identification

Only a handful of tickets are left for our upcoming bee-centric event on March 3! If you are wanting to attend, now is the time to register. 🐝🍯📌

www.eventbrite.ca/e/bumble-bee...

Bumble Beebeginners A hands-on introduction to bumble bee identification

Curious about bumble bees and how to identify them? Join us for Bumble Beebeginners, a free, hands-on learning session designed for those new to bumble bee identification.

March 3, 6:00-7:30 in Lethbridge.

Register here:
www.eventbrite.ca/e/bumble-bee...

Feat. @dougkaupp.bsky.social

OWC Southern Alberta Coal Mining FAQ — Oldman Watershed Council The Oldman Watershed Council (OWC) has received many requests for information about coal mining. In this FAQ blog, we answer the most common questions and provide links for readers seeking additional ...

IF you want balanced, scientific information about coal mining in Alberta and in the Oldman Watershed, here is a great resource from @oldmanwatershed.bsky.social

oldmanwatershed.ca/blog-posts/2...

IF you want an official tour of the Hamlet of Grassy Lake, Alberta, then stick with me (and share!)

How Can Nature Protect the Water We Rely On? YouTube video by Oldman Watershed Council

This short documentary highlights how the Oldman Watershed Council is using nature-based solutions—like willow planting and riparian restoration—to protect the Oldman River and strengthen watershed resilience across southern Alberta.

youtu.be/Zyt_sqPkgtQ

Agricultural Innovators: Beaver Coexistence with Kirby England — Oldman Watershed Council It’s a beautiful, windy day on the range, where I’m about to receive a thorough sermon on beaver ecology and coexistence from southern Alberta’s resident ‘beaver guy,’ Kirby England.

The second interview in our Agricultural Innovators series, part of OWC's Connecting People, Solutions, and Innovations project, is up! In it, Kirby England reflects on stewardship, adaptability, and decision-making in a working agricultural landscape.

oldmanwatershed.ca/blog-posts/2...

Games are a beautiful way to learn about and explore nature, as well as to explore our views and emotions about nature.

Here in Alberta, @oldmanwatershed.bsky.social created a Virtual Reality game to teach people of all ages about helping the environment. oldmanwatershed.ca/blog-posts/2...

Are you amazing? We're hiring!

The Oldman Watershed Council is hiring for two roles:

-Development Manager
-Administrative Assistant

Both close February 26.

Join a collaborative team working for watershed health in southern Alberta.

oldmanwatershed.ca/jobs
Please share with your networks.

Grazing the Bar: Managing Southern Alberta’s Rangelands — Oldman Watershed Council Here in Alberta, our grasslands are the result of many thousands of years of shaping and influence, from both geologic processes and the animals that came before us. Today, every field I pass is a rem...

Our new blog is up! In it, we share how sustainable grazing supports healthy rangelands in southern Alberta, blending science, stewardship, and on-the-ground experience from local land managers.

Read the full blog here:
oldmanwatershed.ca/blog-posts/2...

Join Lethbridge County for the 2026 Nutrient Management Webinar Series, a three-part learning opportunity focused on sustainable agriculture.

Sessions take place on Jan 26, Feb 2, and Feb 9, at 11:00 and are delivered online via Zoom.

Learn more and register here: lethcounty.ca/p/learning

Agricultural Innovators: Fourth-Generation Ranching with Sarah Green — Oldman Watershed Council Fourth-generation rancher Sarah Green shares how water development, riparian restoration, and a commitment to learning are shaping a resilient future for Mt. Sentinel Ranch and the Oldman watershed.

First in our Agricultural Innovators interview series, fourth-generation rancher Sarah Green shares how stewardship, water development, and innovation at Mt. Sentinel Ranch are supporting a resilient future for the Oldman watershed.

Read more:
oldmanwatershed.ca/blog-posts/2...

What’s New with the Water Act? — Oldman Watershed Council On Oct. 30, 2025, the Alberta legislature introduced Bill 7: Water Amendment Act, which would make several changes to the Water Act around water use reporting, transferring licenses, moving water betw...

Our new blog is up! In it, we take a look at changes proposed to the Water Act in Bill 7.

"On Oct. 30, 2025, the Alberta legislature introduced Bill 7: Water Amendment Act, which would make several changes to the Water Act around water use...."

oldmanwatershed.ca/blog-posts/2...

Fall 2025 Drought Update — Oldman Watershed Council With fall in full swing around us and winter starting to nip at its heels, it’s once again time to take a look at how the Oldman watershed fared over the summer, and what we might expect in the upcomi...

Our newest blog is up! In it, we look at the current water situation.

"...it’s once again time to take a look at how the Oldman watershed fared over the summer, and what we might expect in the upcoming snowy months...."

Read on: oldmanwatershed.ca/blog-posts/2...

Authentic Watershed Experience (October 28) Gain hands-on skills in restoration, pollinator science, Indigenous knowledge, and agriculture in this full-day outdoor workshop.

Our Nov 1 AWE event is full—but there’s still time to join us on October 28.

Spend the day outdoors helping to plant willows, learn about pollinator science and Indigenous knowledge, and take meaningful action for the Oldman watershed at this free event.

www.eventbrite.ca/e/1802720137...

Sitting by the Belly River with Ninna Piiksii — Oldman Watershed Council Crouching in the soft mud along the Belly River after a morning of planting trees, I asked, “Why are willows important?” To answer, Ninna Piiksii taught us about ways Blackfoot people use willows, how...

Our newest blog is up!

"Right in the middle of May’s first summer heat, we drove to Ninna Piiksii’s house on Kainai Nation...

...This is what he told us, in his own words:"

Read here: oldmanwatershed.ca/blog-posts/2025/8/28/belly-river-ninna-piiksii-interview

Authentic Watershed Experience (November 1) Gain hands-on skills in restoration, pollinator science, Indigenous knowledge, and agriculture in this full-day outdoor workshop.

Join us Nov 1 near Parkland for a full-day Authentic Watershed Experience. Plant native trees, learn from Indigenous speakers, and connect with producers working for a healthier watershed. Space limited—register now: www.eventbrite.ca/e/authentic-...