You are invited to join the discussion!

The NSWA is engaging with community leaders who live and do business within the North Saskatchewan Watershed. Discussion began in February 2009 with Rural Municipalities. A second meeting was held with this group in December 2009. We are now opening up these meetings to other community leaders in the watershed. You are invited to join the discussions taking place in each of the Headwaters, Central and Downstream sub-regions.

Please go to our Planning Forums section for more details...

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About the North Saskatchewan Watershed

The North Saskatchewan River watershed in Alberta is made up of 12 sub-basins, in a total area of about 57, 000 square kilometres. The river elevation is 1,390 m above sea level at Saskatchewan Crossing, near the national park boundary, and 500 m above sea level by the time it reaches the Saskatchewan border. It joins with the South Saskatchewan River just east of Prince Albert, flows into Lake Winnipeg and from there empties into the Hudson Bay by way of the Nelson River.
 
As part of the Saskatchewan River basin, the NSR is subject to the 1969 PPWB Master Agreement on Apportionment which states that Alberta must pass 50% of the natural flow of east-flowing rivers into Saskatchewan. 
 
Water quality in the North Saskatchewan River is affected by input from natural, human, non-point and point sources. Nutrients, bacteria and chemicals accumulate as water flows downstream. Dissolved oxygen decreases downstream of major urban areas.
 
Flow in the North Saskatchewan River is affected by two headwaters dams: the Brazeau on the Brazeau River, and the Big Horn on the main stem near the mouth of the Big Horn River. The effect of these impoundments is to redistribute flow to a higher than average flow in the winter time and lower than average flow in the summer.
 
Land use in the North Saskatchewan River Watershed includes: agriculture; resource exploration and extraction; forestry; recreation; and municipal use. The upper region of the watershed is sparsely populated; the greatest population base is found in and around Edmonton.
 
To learn more about the Watershed, please see the State of the Watershed Report (2005).
Devon area