By Ayla Bennett

Elk River Alliance

This year’s Canada Water Week theme is ‘Freshwater Leadership.’

Each year since 2011, Canada Water Week has encouraged communities to celebrate water. In a country as vast as ours, each watershed, wetland, lake, river, stream and pond has unique characteristics and reasons to celebrate. This year, as we mark our sixth annual Canada Water Week, we are thankful for those who have stepped up to organize events, advocate for increased water protection year-round, and dedicate themselves to water education.

So, this year, with much gratitude, we celebrate Freshwater Leadership!

In accordance with this year’s Canada Water Week theme, the Elk River Alliance (ERA) would like to acknowledge and thank the freshwater leaders in our community. Since ERA’s inception in 2010, the success of the organization is in large part due to our dedicated and passionate Board of Directors. They continue to provide guidance and wisdom from their diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise, including: aquatic biology, recreation, fly-fishing, industry, engineering, environment and community engagement.

Another group of freshwater leaders that have been vital to ERA’s success are the Streamkeepers volunteers. Since 2011, ERA has run the community-based water-monitoring program in order to monitor and assess the aquatic health of two local streams, Lizard and Alexander Creeks.

The goal of the program is to establish water quality trends and to prioritize areas requiring restoration/enhancement. Water information collected includes habitat information, dissolved oxygen, pH, aquatic invertebrate populations, water flow, depth and discharge. ERA began collecting this information to fill gaps in existing water quality data as well as to increase community water literacy by sharing this information broadly with the public.

To date, over 15 volunteers have contributed over 1,000 volunteer hours monitoring eight different sites on these two streams! Since 2010, ERA has facilitated and subsidized three two-day Streamkeepers training workshops for over 50 participants!

While monitoring, Streamkeepers have seen several Westslope cutthroat trout, a few spawning redds, mayflies and stoneflies emerging, many American dippers, fresh Grizzly bear tracks, moose, curious fly-fishers and so much more! We have also investigated potential aquatic invasive species and identified areas for restoration projects. ERA and volunteers have also worked to improve fish habitat and completed shoreline stabilization project on Lizard Creek. This summer, ERA will work with other organizations to complete a restoration project on Alexander Creek.

Are you a future freshwater leader? If you’d like to become a Streamkeeper and get involved with water quality monitoring, or help out with restoration this summer, please contact ERA ((250) 423-3322).

Canada Water Week is a celebration of water from March 21 to 27. Individuals, organizations and governments are hosting events across the country to raise the profile of water and its importance to Canada’s future.

Learn about Freshwater Leadership by checking out other events happening in your area by visiting www.canadawaterweek.com, following @CanadaWaterWeek and #canh2o_events on Twitter, and liking the CWW Facebook page.

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