MRWCC hosting Stewardship BBQ on Sept. 19

Posted on September 12, 2024 by admin

By Heather Cameron
Southern Alberta Newspapers
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Milk River Watershed Council Canada (MRWCC) and Cows and Fish will be holding a Stewardship barbecue from 2 to 7 p.m. on September 19 at the Weir Bridge Day Use Area, located at Township Rd 21A, Warner County.

“The event is being held as an opportunity for landowners to learn about the Little Fish, Big Stewardship project,” said Jill Makins, Riparian Stewardship Coordinator.  “This project is funded in part by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) through the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk (CNFASAR) grant. Guests can expect a free BBQ and tour of the ecosystem along the river. There will also be an offsite watering system for viewing.”

This grant, Makins says, allows Milk River Watershed Council Canada (MRWCC) and Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) to cost-share with landowners on stewardship projects along the Milk River. The goal, Makins says, is to improve ecosystem health along the river, also referred to as the riparian area, to benefit at-risk fish species. 

“The goal is to improve ecosystem health along the river, also referred to as the riparian area, to benefit at-risk fish species,” said Makins. ‘The “Little Fish’ we are focusing on are the federally threatened Western Silvery Minnow and the Rocky Mountain Sculpin. We have started working with landowners this summer and look forward to working with more landowners next year.”

In Alberta, Makins says, the Milk River Watershed Council Canada has been around since 2006 and is represented by the urban municipalities of the Village of Warner, Town of Milk River and Village of Coutts, as well as by four rural municipalities. From west to east, Makins says, the rural municipalities in the Alberta watershed are Cardston County, County of Warner, County of Forty Mile, and Cypress County. The County of Warner and Cypress County, Makins says manage the largest rural area in the watershed (32 per cent and 40 per cent of the watershed area, respectively) and Cardston County and County of Forty Mile each manage about 12 per cent and 16 per cent of the watershed area, respectively.

“The Milk River Watershed Council Canada is one of eleven Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils (WPACs) in Alberta that represent the major river basins, and they are important stewards of Alberta’s major watersheds,” said Makins.  “The Milk River Watershed Council Canada is an independent, non-profit organization that is designated by the Alberta government to report on the health of the Milk River watershed, lead collaborative planning, and facilitate education and stewardship activities. WPACs seek consensus on land and water resource management strategies that support the achievement of shared environmental, social, and economic outcomes for the watershed.”

Marnel Müller, Riparian Specialist at Cows and Fish says that Cows and Fish, also known as the Riparian Management Society has been around since 1992 and has its deepest roots in Alberta, with its primary office locations in Lethbridge, Calgary, Airdrie, and Edmonton, though they have staff working from home elsewhere too. Since its creation in 1992, Cows and Fish has delivered presentations, field days and workshops to over 92,200 people across Alberta and Canada.

“Our community-driven approach to stewardship facilitates the creation of successful partnerships with landowners and communities to effectively address riparian land issues,” said Müller. “This community-based approach allows the community and producers to lead, to identify the riparian land use issues in their watersheds and to develop ways to address those issues. You can learn about the Cows and Fish process and what we do on our website: https://cowsandfish.org/. 

Cows and Fish, Müller says, has worked with people in the Milk River watershed since as far back as 1999. 

“We are thrilled that the Little Fish, Big Stewardship project has allowed us to continue and revitalize our partnerships in the Milk River watershed,” said Müller. “With longstanding and new partners alike, we are inspired to see a stewardship ethic here that spans generations. We started planning this project with the MRWCC well before the diversion failure. Nonetheless, we hope the project will allow us to offer support while water security and the health of the Milk River Watershed is especially strained.”

Makins says that everyone is welcome to attend the event to learn about the Little Fish, Big Stewardship project, including families and children, but it is mostly intended for landowners in the Milk River Watershed to learn more about the project.

There is no cost to attend the event, Makins says, but people can RSVP to the event by September 17 at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdzzDx-pecOyFSW-xTWAp3CirUM8f6XLrDwTZqDm2nST71kFQ/viewform or by visiting on the MRWCC Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/milkriverwater or by emailing jill@mrwcc.ca.