Agencies and Watershed Stakeholders
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Many government departments, volunteer organizations and individuals share our concern about the future of Sylvan Lake.
We work with many of them and coordinate activities to help the watershed. So can you!
Here is a list of additional agency and stakeholder websites:
Critically Important Government Agencies as Stewards of Sylvan Lake’s Clean Water and WatershedLocal Governments: Lacombe County, Red Deer, Sylvan Lake, Summervillages of Half Moon Bay, Norglenwold, Jarvis Bay, Birchcliff, Sunbreaker Cove are responsible for landuse policy related to shared governance and protection of water bodies. Provincial Ministries: Municipal Affairs – Oversees municipal landuse planning. Challenge: Environmental science reveals that an inappropriate development density in the Sylvan Lake watershed could destroy the lake’s water quality. Alberta Environment (AEN) - Oversees licensing of developments including new boat launch facilities. Challenge: Pollution loads to the lake could increase; water surface could be rendered unsafe; habitat and fisheries could be impacted and wildlife disturbed. AEN has the authority to manage cumulative impacts. Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (SRD) – Oversees the use of Sylvan Lake’s shoreline protection efforts. Encourages balanced and responsible use of Alberta's natural resources through the application of leading practices in management, science and stewardship. Alberta Transportation - Administers grant programs that provide financial assistance to municipalities for capital-related transportation, water/wastewater systems. Challenge: Apply science to determine if the “trade off” decision to invest $100 million of public funds for a regional sewage collection system is a net benefit to Sylvan Lake’s future. Concerns related to aquifer depletion due to water export out of the watershed and foreseeable human pollution footprints from 20,000 additional people in the watershed. The trade off decision is: does the reduction of an undefined “current pollution load” via a regional sewage system result in a net benefit when the future pollution load and impact of an additional 20,000 people and related infrastructure is considered? Federal Ministries: Department of Fisheries and Oceans - delivers programs and services that support sustainable use and development of Canada’s waterways and aquatic resources. This ministry can protect Sylvan Lake’s fish habitat and the remaining highly valued riparian shoreline zones. |