Did you know that the Lesser Slave Watershed Council (LSWC) is a proud supporter of landowner projects? That's right! We are always on the lookout for grant funding opportunities to help support on the ground work. We look for project partners looking to make an improvement on their land, whether that be to help keep water on the landscape, improve water quality, increasing habitat and more! 

You might remember that the LSWC supported the Big Lakes County ALUS program for 2022 and 2023 (refer to our ALUS blog post) but we have been doing environmental stewardship work for many years before that! We have been fortunate enough to get Watershed Restoration and Resiliency funding (WRRP) through a program that was established by the Government of Alberta after the 2013 floods in the Calgary area. This program has specific goals to help manage Alberta's resilience to impacts from drastic weather conditions like droughts and floods. By implementing on the ground changes to protect and conserve natural infrastructure, we hope fell less dramatic impacts from severe weather conditions and climate patterns. 

The program supports things like off-stream watering systems, like the one pictured below, as well as fencing and on property water retention efforts. One of our favorites is riparian enhancement projects, which help benefit wildlife, reduce erosion, and protect water quality. We are also keen to see wetlands being out on the landscape, being enhanced, or restoring degraded wetland areas! The LSWC receives funding from this program to then disperse on projects across our wonderful watershed to help promote good stewardship and protect our water and environment for generations to come. 

Luckily, folks in the Lesser Slave Watershed have been excited to partner with the LSWC to get some projects on the ground and help support water quality and the environment! 

As of October 2023, the LSWC has been fortunate enough to support 18 projects in the area! Many landowners have sought watering systems, riparian fencing, winter water systems, riparian plants and enhancements, and even moving cattle away from stream-side land entirely! That makes a total of 568.7 acres total restored, conserved or protected!

The LSWC is also able to support landowners through other grant funding opportunities with administrative support for programs like the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (SCAP), Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program (RALP) and more! Plus we can help you get through some of the grant requirements like Environmental Farm Plans (EFPs)! Get in touch with Meghan Payne ([email protected], 780-523-9800), the Executive Director, to get started with planning your project and getting the right funding to help support your project, help your bottom line, and support our watershed with natural, simple, and common sense solutions! 

By: Kate Lovsin