Fall 2020 Swan River Online Forum
The Swan River online forum was held as a three-part series in October 2020, that was aimed at sharing knowledge about the Swan River ecosystem, and exploring opportunities for collaboration among stakeholders interested in improving fish habitat conditions.
The LSWC had planned to host an in-person workshop, but due to the uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic and gathering restrictions, an online platform was chosen to meet virtually in a three-part workshop series. The workshop was divided into three 2.5 hour meetings to minimize “virtual meeting fatigue”. Each session was comprised of 20-minute focused presentations followed by a question, answer and discussion period. Sandi Riemersma, Palliser Environmental Services Ltd. facilitated the workshop sessions; she provided an introduction at each session, and encouraged discussion. The LSWC recognizes that there is a lot of work already underway in the Swan River watershed and wanted to provide an opportunity for people to come together to share information about the work that has been completed in the past and work that is currently underway.
Workshop Objectives
- Share science, knowledge and experience among key people working in the Swan River watershed.
- Explore opportunities to establish a cohesive working group (or network) that can collaborate to advance the objectives of riparian and habitat restoration in the Swan River watershed.
Workshop Summary Document can be downloaded HERE
Workshop presentations:
1. Introduction and Purpose of the online forum - Sandi Riemersma, Palliser Environmental Services Ltd.
2. Swan River Water Quality - Sandi Riemersma, Palliser Environmental Services Ltd.
3. Arctic Grayling and the Landscape Legacy - Paul Hvengaard, Alberta conservation Association
4. Swan River First Nation initiatives in the Watershed - Megan Thompson, Shannon Gavin, Mandy Olsgard, MSES
5. Sediment inputs from roads in the Swan River watershed - Axel Anderson, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry
6. Stream Crossing Prioritization & Fish Habitat Assessment in the Swan Watershed - Megan Thompson, Cameron MacKenzie, Baylee Graham, MSES
7. Stream restoration In the Swan River Watershed - Steve Acorn, Acorn Environmental
8. Watercourse Crossing Management, Alberta Watercourse Crossing Inventory App, Conditions to Manage Risk, and Identifying Priority Remediation sites - Wendy Harrison, Alberta Environment and Parks
9. Case Study: Eastern Slopes Stream Restoration and Stewardship - Elliott Lindsay, Trout Unlimited Canada
10. Stream Crossing restoration efforts, long term reclamation plans, and making the case for restoration - David Jones, Cardinal Energy
2020 Alberta Watercourse Crossing Collaborative Online Workshop Series
Landscape Cumulative effects of poor watercourse crossings: A Swan River Case Study - Ben Poltorak, Iain Sharp, Javed Iqbal & Michael Wagner