Watershed leaders in Alberta are very concerned about the growing impact of land use on watersheds and want to see stronger leadership by government.

From our survey of 54 watershed leaders from across the province, respondents expressed their concern about the threats to Alberta’s watersheds. A very high number of respondents identified the health of aquatic ecosystems as a top concern. They are also well aware of the linkage between watershed planning and land-use planning, ranking them almost equally as important. Respondents considered industry, including oil and gas activities, intensive livestock operations, forestry, and mining, as a key culprit in watershed degradation. A related priority to many of the respondents is the need for effective watershed planning as a means to link and improve water and land decision making and to protect aquatic ecosystems.

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