The North Saskatchewan River watershed in Alberta is made up of 12 sub-basins. Total area - about 57,000 square kilometres. The river elevation is 1,390 m above sea level at Saskatchewan Crossing, near the Banff National Park boundary, and 500 m above sea level by the time it reaches the Saskatchewan border, north of Lloyminster. The North Saskatchewan River joins the South Saskatchewan River east of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Together these two rivers flow into Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba. From there water from the two rivers empties into the Hudson Bay by way of the Nelson River.

As part of the larger Saskatchewan River watershed system, the North Saskatchewan River is subject to the 1969 Prairie Provinces Water Board (PPWB) Master Agreement on Apportionment which states that Alberta must allow 50% of the natural flow of east-flowing rivers to enter Saskatchewan. It also prescribes minimum flow required and water quality objectives.

Water quality in the North Saskatchewan River is affected by 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 dams in the headwaters: the Brazeau Dam on the Brazeau River, and the Big Horn Dam on the main stem of the North Saskatchewan River upstream of the Big Horn River. The Big Horn Dam created Abraham Lake along the David Thompson Highway.

These impoundments redistribute river flow to a higher than average flow in the winter and a 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, check out the State of the Watershed Report (2005).