Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program Grant Approval Fact Sheet

Environment and Parks Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program Grant Approval Fact Sheet

The Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program (WRRP) aims to protect communities from floods and drought by improving natural watershed functions.

Approved Grants (January 2020) – All funds disbursed in 2019/20 unless otherwise noted.

Recipient Project Location and Description Amount Agroforestry and Basin/Location: Oldman, Red Deer, Battle, North Saskatchewan, $80,530 Woodlot Extension Beaver, Athabasca, Lesser Slave, and Peace river basins Society Working with municipalities and landowners to provide knowledge, skills and access to technical support to restore and sustainably manage riparian areas on private land. Alberta Riparian Basin/Location: Oldman River, Peace River, St. Mary River, $198,820 Habitat Waterton River, Willow Creek, Little Bow River, Rosebud River, Management Buffalo Lake, Medicine/Blindman River, Buck/Wabamun Lake, Society (Cows and Sturgeon River, Beaverlodge River, Lower Wapiti River, Bear Fish) Creek/Lake Work with 20-30 riparian landowners to implement land management changes to restore and retain watershed functions. Athabasca Basin/Location: Athabasca River (Pembina River) $150,000 Watershed Council Watershed-wide riparian intactness assessment of central Pembina River watershed. Outreach to riparian landowners. Battle River Basin/Location: Battle River and Sounding Creek $ 334,750 Watershed Project will work with agricultural landowners in Sounding Creek and ($175,259 in Alliance lower Battle River watersheds, resulting in land management changes 2019/20 and to improve riparian areas. $159,491 in 2020/21) MD of Bighorn for Basin/Location: Bow River (Jumpingpound Creek) $84,940 Jumpingpound Work with agricultural landowners to improve riparian and wetland Creek Watershed condition by implementing land management changes, including soil Partnership bio-engineering, fencing, off-stream watering. Education and outreach on beaver co-existence tools and project evaluation. Big Lakes County Basin/Location: Lesser Slave Lake $148,700 Initiate municipal-led ALUS program to work with agricultural producers toward making improved sustainable management practices along tributaries and rivers. The City of Basin/Location: Bowmont East and Skyline Bioengineering $195,000 Calgary Projects Soil-bioengineering of riverbank in public parks along Bow River and Nose Creek in Calgary. Calgary River Basin/Location: Bow River (Nose Creek) $157,920 Forum Society Community outreach to flooded landowners in the lower Elbow River and riparian site restoration in Calgary. Town of Devon Basin/Location: North Saskatchewan River $370,965 Riparian restoration with bio-engineering and community outreach. Highway 2 Basin/Location: Athabasca River $17,479 Conservation County-partnership community outreach to increase awareness of beaver co-existence benefits and tools in the upper Athabasca River basin.

Lakeland Industry Basin/Location: Beaver River $247,250 and Community Work to assess and restore riparian and wetland areas in the lower Association Beaver River basin. Land Stewardship Basin/Location: Bow River, Red Deer River $120,000 Centre Support to provincial municipalities for Green Acreages program. Lesser Slave Basin/Location: Lesser Slave Lake, Upper Athabasca $71,000 Watershed Council Work with agricultural producers to improve riparian and wetland areas with land management changes. Mighty Peace Basin/Location: Peace River (Wapiti) $160,520 Watershed Wapiti River stream bank stabilization at 3 sites and outreach to the Alliance community. Nature Basin/Location: Battle River $41,347 Conservancy of Riparian enhancement of 5.6 km of the Battle River with cattle Canada exclusion fencing, off-stream watering in partnership with agricultural producers on conserved land in Flagstaff County. Nature Basin/Location: Oldman River (Belly River) $12,000 Conservancy of Riparian enhancement of 17.4 ha (43 acres) with exclusion fencing Canada along the Belly River and habitat enhancement for species at risk, the northern-leopard frog. Nature Basin/Location: Oldman River (Five Mile Creek) $9,560 Conservancy of Fencing along 2.5 km of creek and relocation of corral to exclude 150 Canada head cattle from the Five Mile Creek. Nature Basin/Location: Oldman River $13,600 Conservancy of Portable fencing erected at times when cattle management is needed Canada (Oxley) to protect 44.5 ha (110 acres). Nature Basin/Location: Oldman River (Waterton River) $20,500 Conservancy of Stream crossing and fencing at spring-fed ephemeral draw in Canada (Palmer) Waterton River watershed. North Basin/Location: North Saskatchewan River basin $130,000 Saskatchewan Riparian management tools and information development of, Watershed dissemination to, and repository for municipalities in the North Alliance Saskatchewan River basin. Northern Sunrise Basin/Location: Peace River (Heart River) $27,350 County Riparian enhancement project with agricultural producers in partnership with ALUS Northern Sunrise County. Northern Sunrise Basin/Location: Peace River $19,745 County Riparian enhancement project with agricultural producers in partnership with ALUS Northern Sunrise County. Pheasants Forever Basin/Location: South Saskatchewan River (Ross Creek) $111,000 - Chinook Chapter Restore natural hydrology in Ross Creek by removing old irrigation infrastructure. Red Deer County Basin/Location: South Saskatchewan River (Red Deer River) $100,000 Work with agricultural producers to improve riparian and wetland areas with land management changes in the Medicine-Blindman River watersheds. Red Deer River Basin/Location: Red Deer River $115,664 Watershed Watershed-wide assessment of riparian intactness and pressures Alliance along the Medicine River

City of St. Albert Basin/Location: North Saskatchewan River Basin (Sturgeon $157,500 River) Restoration of impacted riparian area for increasing flood and drought resiliency within the City of St. Albert, Alberta. Trout Unlimited Basin/Location: North Saskatchewan River (Clearwater River) $217,200 Canada Riparian assessment and restoration in the Tay River watershed. County of Two Basin/Location: North Saskatchewan River (Vermilion River) $63,400 Hills Establish a municipal ALUS program to work with agricultural producers to implement land management changes. Western Irrigation Basin/Location: South Saskatchewan River (Bow River) $96,351 District Restore natural hydrology in lower Bow River site by decommissioning abandoned irrigation canals. Wheatland/Rocky Basin/Location: South Saskatchewan River (Bow River) $186,400 View Counties Working with agricultural producers to remove cattle from Rosebud River riparian area and education and outreach. TOTAL $3,659,491

Applicant Eligibility Municipalities, First Nations, local authorities, non-governmental organizations, stewardship groups and other not-for-profit organizations are all eligible to receive funds under the program, provided the funds are for projects undertaken in partnership with landowners. Private entities, whether it is an individual or enterprise, are eligible to participate and contribute to projects but are not eligible to receive funding under the WRRP. Partnerships between multiple stakeholders are encouraged under this program.

Project Eligibility The WRRP focuses on watershed mitigation efforts that promote the long-term ability of watersheds to mitigate the effects of future flood and drought events naturally, and to help communities adapt to a changing climate. Examples of eligible projects include:  Riparian enhancements (e.g., plantings, re-vegetation, grazing management, off-stream watering)  Wetland enhancements (e.g., wetland creation, conservation or restoration)  Floodplain or river improvements (e.g., channel naturalization, removal of old structures, removal of flow impediments, floodplain storage capacity enhancements, etc.)  Creation of or increased absorptive capacities of a watershed  Irrigation or drainage district enhancements  Conservation initiatives  Data collection efforts for the purpose of research, evaluation and assessment related to a specific project(s) for watershed resiliency  Education and outreach associated with a specific project(s) for watershed resiliency

Structural projects eligible for funding under Environment and Parks’ Alberta Community Resiliency Program (ACRP) are not eligible to receive funding under the WRRP. Examples of ineligible projects include:  Structural restoration or construction of dams,  Groynes and other in-stream structures berms, dykes, tunnels, riprap, bridges, etc.  River training or realignment  Municipal infrastructure, such as stormwater  Erosion protection efforts ponds, etc.

Project Selection Criteria The primary criteria focus on the degree to which a proposed project mitigates the potential impacts of flood or droughts, and impacts on community safety and health (e.g., headwaters and floodplains where individuals could be affected). Secondary criteria such as biodiversity and additional environmental benefits, and complimentary criteria including data gathering, capacity building, outreach, education and stewardship, will also be considered.