2012 State of the Watershed Report
On May 28, 2013, Jay White, Aquality Environmental Consulting Services, Laverne Faulkner, WLWLSA and Harold Hofstra, WLWLSA, presented the State of the Watershed Report to Wetaskiwin County Council.
The State of the Watershed Report (SOW) benchmarks the current watershed, pertaining to land-use, water quality, water quantity and biological characteristics. The SOW deals with what steps can be taken by government and residents to prevent future impacts or restore impacted ecosystems.
Wizard Lake Watershed & Lake Stewardship Association hired Aquality Environmental Consulting Ltd. to research and compile this manual. It took 4 years to complete, at a cost of over $35,000.
The majority of the funding was provided by the Land Stewardship Centre. Alberta Ecotrust and the Wizard Lake Stewardship Association covered the remaining costs.
A State of the Watershed Report answers questions such as:
- What is the current condition of my lake?
- How does this compare to conditions in the past ?
- What factors are contributing to the current condition?
- How does my lake compare to others in the area?
A State of the Watershed Report is:
- The scientific interpretation of watershed information and data.
- An objective tool that uses data and information to assess conditions and concerns.
- To use these analyses and findings to develop appropriate actions.
- A component of a watershed management package that leads to planning, implementation and evaluation.