South East Alberta Watershed Alliance

The South East Alberta Watershed Alliance (SEAWA) is one of the eleven Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils (WPACs) in Alberta. SEAWA is a multi-stakeholder, volunteer-based, not-for-profit society, incorporated in 2008 and designated as a WPAC by the Government of Alberta in 2010.

The Government of Alberta, through Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP), partners with WPACs to help achieve the three goals of the provincial policy, Water for Life – Alberta’s Strategy for Sustainability

The three goals are:

• Healthy aquatic ecosystems;

• Reliable, quality water supplies for a sustainable economy; and

• Safe, secure drinking water.

Environmental stewardship is best practiced or implemented on a watershed unit basis. Water is the integrating medium of the impacts of human activities on the natural environment. Sustainable water resources are a direct result of a healthy watershed.    

Because of this, WPACs were implemented to help achieve the goals of Water for Life. With the province broken into eleven major watersheds, each with its own WPAC, the uniqueness of each region can be addressed to ensure its health, and thus the health of the province as a whole.

SEAWA Strategic Goals 2020-2023

• Goal 1: The SEAWA watershed is assessed and watershed knowledge is expanded.
  

• Goal 2: Watershed management plans are developed.
  

• Goal 3: The community is engaged in watershed issues through education and stewardship.
  

• Goal 4: Relationships with SEAWA watershed stakeholders and the broader water and watershed networks are developed and improved.
  

• Goal 5: SEAWA attains sustainable funding and improved organizational capacity.