Town continues to support Oldman Watershed Council

By Cal Braid
Taber Times
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

At its Jan. 29 council meeting, Town officials reviewed a letter from Doug Kaupp, chair of the Oldman Watershed Council. He thanked Taber for its ongoing support of OWC which he said directly fuels economic prosperity, environmental resilience, and water security in our region.

 “With three dedicated municipal seats on our 19-member Board (Towns and Villages, Municipal Districts and Counties, and City of Lethbridge), your voice is an important part of the work we do. Together, we ensure all perspectives within the watershed are considered. Your municipality is critical to these efforts of fostering a collaborative approach to watershed management,” Kaupp’s letter said.

 He highlighted significant milestones achieved by the OWC over the past year, which included: -Restoration of over four km of shoreline along 16 waterways, with 5,000 willows and 21 erosion control structures installed in partnership with 10 agricultural producers, improving water storage and quality.

-In partnership with the Town of Claresholm, OWC built three pollinator gardens.

-OWC invested $220,476 in beneficial management practices with farmers and ranchers.

-Five agricultural literacy sessions with 60 producers and a survey of 650 urban consumers. The sessions and survey informed all of the development of a four-year, $1 million agricultural literacy project to build trust between consumers and producers in Canada’s Premier Food Corridor.

-Monitoring and sampling 19 sites using a nationally recognized biomonitoring protocol, which expands OWC’s picture of stream health in the Eastern Slopes headwaters.

-Long term economic impacts from 2009 to 2022 that contributed $8.3 million to the region’s GDP and created 167 job years of work

-Community engagement with 4,934 residents, including 1,376 youth, through 57 events and innovative programs such as virtual reality experiences. Over 90 per cent reported that they gained knowledge.

-The OWC network grew to 217 partners across southern Alberta, who contributed $503,000 in in-kind support, significantly amplifying its collective impact.

 “To continue this critical work, we are requesting your municipality’s continued support for the fiscal year of April 2025 to March 2026. A contribution of $3,961 will directly support our ongoing efforts to improve water security, restore habitat, educate the next generation of watershed stewards, and strengthen our neutral and trusted voice in watershed management,” Kaupp wrote.

 CAO Derrin Thibault introduced the letter by saying that no motion was necessary because “Council has already provided the budget for this letter of request.” Council was therefore free to receive the letter as information and review the OWC’s 2024-25 annual report which was attached.