by Morinville News Staff
The NDP announced a three-year $12 million investment it says would safeguard water resources by providing grants for watershed planning and advisory councils and the Alberta Water Council.
Eleven local watershed councils will share $3.2 million per year to assess watershed health and plan for water management, and the Alberta Water Council will receive $750,000 per year for the next three years to preserve water resources.
“World Water Day challenges us to think about how we protect this extraordinary economic and environmental resource,” said Shannon Phillips, Minister of Environment and Parks, Minister Responsible for the Climate Change Office in a release Wednesday. “We are taking steps to protect Alberta’s water through partnerships and collaboration.”
The province’s watershed planning and advisory councils each represent a major river basin in Alberta. The government says these non-profit organizations work with the public, First Nations, governments, industry and conservation groups to support community flood- and drought-resiliency planning, and evaluate the health of local watersheds.
The non-profit Alberta Water Council is a 24 member organization with representation from governments, industry and non-government organizations that implement the province’s Water for Life strategy. Members work with major water users to improve efficiency and productivity and work to improve water literacy in the province.
