Through funding provided by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and the Environmental Damages Fund (EDF), the Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds (SAW) has begun its project “Applying a Landscape Approach to Improve Biodiversity.”  This is a three-year project, beginning in 2024.

Improving biodiversity is important for ecosystems to be healthy and more resilient to extreme weather events, often associated with a climate variability.  The goal of this project is to restore damage to the natural environment and support wildlife biodiversity and conservation within the North Saskatchewan River Watershed.

During the next three years this project will focus on:

• Restoring and improving pollinator, fish/aquatic and bird habitat by implementing riparian eco-buffer shelterbelts on the landscape
• Restoring and improving aquatic habitat by implementing off-site livestock watering systems to remove livestock from accessing waterbodies.
• Installing a floating treatment wetland on effluent ponds that release treated effluent into the North Saskatchewan River, to improve water quality by reducing nutrient loading.
• Providing education and awareness to rural, urban and Indigenous communities about the benefits of riparian eco-buffers, off-site watering systems and other beneficial management practices (BMPs) that improve aquatic, pollinator and wildlife habitat.

For any inquiries, please contact info@saskwatersheds.ca