Southern Alberta is experiencing a water crisis. 

The South Saskatchewan River Watershed, flowing off the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains, supplies 80% of Southern Alberta’s water. Regrettably, Southern Alberta is facing a water crisis. Population growth is increasing the demand for water, while climate change is making our water supply unpredictable. Moreover, much of the watershed of Eastern Slopes is unhealthy and declining due to human activities. The decline of Eastern Slopes Watershed has caused wide spread deterioration of Alberta’s mountain and foothill ecosystems.

What is the South Saskatchewan Watershed (SSRW)? 

Watershed describes the land area that collects water – rainwater, snowmelt, and runoff – into creeks, streams and rivers. The South Saskatchewan River is formed where Oldman and Bow Rivers meet, feeding Calgary, Lethbridge, and Medicine Hat, and later joined by the Red Deer River. 

The surrounding forests and grasslands act like a thick sponge, absorbing and storing rainwater and snowmelt, then slowly releasing steady, clean, and cool water into rivers and streams that sustain Southern Alberta.

What is at risk?

Watersheds have an important role in conserving water and promoting sustainable water systems, and yet our watersheds are threatened by the cumulative impacts of environmental degradation. This includes:

• Degraded riparian areas
  • Degraded riparian zones describe the loss of vegetation and ecosystems alongside bodies of water. These degraded areas alter the critical functions of the area due to poor water retention, increased erosion, and increased destructive energy of flood waters.
• Clear-cut logging
  • Clear-cut logging warms water and increases polluted runoff
• Mining and O&G wells
  • Toxic byproducts of mining and oil and gas wells contaminate water, risking our rivers and animals, drinking water, and agriculture.

Protecting and Restoring the SSRW 

The Calgary Climate Hub is mobilizing a collaborative campaign to protect and restore the South Saskatchewan River Watershed. The first objective of the campaign is to advocate that the Alberta Government legislate Stronger Water and Watershed Protection.

Campaign goals include:

1. Have the Alberta Government reinstate the coal mining moratorium on the Eastern Slope and outlaw all open pit strip mining.
2. Enhance the protection of Riparian Habitats. Riparian habitats are ecological zones bordering streams, rivers, and lakes. Healthy riparian habitats are vital for maintaining the health of streams, rivers, lakes, and watersheds.
3. Enforce and enhance regulations that prevent pollution entering the Eastern Slope Watershed.

The Calgary Climate Hub’s Headwaters Protection and Restoration campaign began in 2024 and continues to advocate on behalf of the Eastern Slope’s Watershed. This is a collaborative campaign that works closely with other environmental groups, such as Save Our Slopes and the Land Lovers Network.

Interested in supporting this campaign and working to protect Calgary's watershed? Email [email protected] for more information.