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By Murray Crawford
The North Saskatchewan River watershed has a new protector with the development of a riverkeeper organization.
Being downstream from heavy industry can create many concerns in Lloydminster for the quality and quantity of water in the North Saskatchewan River Watershed and the North Saskatchewan Riverkeeper is aimed at protecting it.
“We’re one of nine water keeper groups in Canada,” said Glenn Isaac, Executive Director. “Our vision is to have a North Saskatchewan watershed where we can all safely and enjoyably swim, drink and fish.”
The newly launched water body protection group is based in Edmonton and includes professional downhill skier Karen Percy Lowe and Edmonton Oilers president of hockey operations Kevin Lowe on the board of directors.
“The issues we look at in the whole watershed relate to cumulative affects of human input into the watershed,” said Isaac. “Which could include development near water bodies, agricultural activity, storm water and waste water in some of our municipalities and towns and infrastructure development like roads and bridges.”
Isaac said the watershed is important to the Lloydminster area because that is where the city draws its surface water.
“In this watershed there are a number of inputs that cumulatively create issues with water quality,” said Isaac. “When you have water quality that has decreased then you have issues which affect us like swimability, drinkability and fishability.”
Adding it also included the health quality and biodiversity of the watershed as well.
The group is designed to keep the public informed on issues so they can help protect the watershed.
“A lot of what we’re focused on is having a hands on monitoring program in the watershed,” said Isaac. “It will include our group monitoring the waters, mostly in Edmonton and the surrounding area mostly because this is the area that has the greatest cumulative effect on the watershed.”
While the focus of the riverkeeper’s studies will be the Edmonton area, it has great affects on the Lloydminster area.
“We are all downstream and we have to live our lives like we are all downstream,” said Isaac. “When dealing with water we have to treat the water in terms of the effects downstream.”
For more information visit the riverkeeper website, www.saskriverkeeper.ca.
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