Oldman River Basin Water Quality Initiative

About Us

The Oldman River Basin Water Quality Initiative was formed in 1997 in response to serious concerns expressed in the community about protecting water quality in the Oldman River Basin. The Initiative's 1998-2002 Action Plan (April 1, 1998-March 31, 2003) emphasized the importance of three types of activities to be carried out during that five-year period: collecting baseline information on water quality and how to improve it, classifying land use, and communicating the activities of the Initiative.

During the first four years of the Initiative's activities, efforts focused on collecting data (water quality and land use), interpreting and analyzing it (exploring land use and water quality relationships at a Basin scale), and pursuing work on beneficial management practices (with, until recently, an agricultural emphasis). This type of work will continue through the current 2002-2003 work year, the final year of the Initiative's first five-year plan. At the Stakeholder Meeting held with Initiative partners in September 2001, considerable support was expressed for continuing the Initiative for another five years after 2002-2003.

As set out in the 2003-2008 Strategic Overview developed by the Initiative, the emphasis of the Initiative during the next five years will shift toward understanding beneficial management practices and encouraging practice change. Equal priority will be given to rural areas and to urban areas (towns, villages and cities) across the Basin. The first component of this effort will involve two pilot areas (a storm sewer catchment area and an agricultural sub basin) where beneficial management practices will be applied, tested and refined. The second component will involve sharing results about successful practices and encouraging communities throughout the Basin to use them.




		ABOUT US > Mission & Goals > Partners About Us The Oldman River Basin Water Quality Initiative was formed in 1997 in response to serious concerns expressed in the community about protecting water quality in the Oldman River Basin. The Initiative's 1998-2002 Action Plan (April 1, 1998-March 31, 2003) emphasized the importance of three types of activities to be carried out during that five-year period: collecting baseline information on water quality and how to improve it, classifying land use, and communicating the activities of the Initiative. During the first four years of the Initiative's activities, efforts focused on collecting data (water quality and land use), interpreting and analyzing it (exploring land use and water quality relationships at a Basin scale), and pursuing work on beneficial management practices (with, until recently, an agricultural emphasis). This type of work will continue through the current 2002-2003 work year, the final year of the Initiative's first five-year plan. At the Stakeholder Meeting held with Initiative partners in September 2001, considerable support was expressed for continuing the Initiative for another five years after 2002-2003. As set out in the 2003-2008 Strategic Overview developed by the Initiative, the emphasis of the Initiative during the next five years will shift toward understanding beneficial management practices and encouraging practice change. Equal priority will be given to rural areas and to urban areas (towns, villages and cities) across the Basin. The first component of this effort will involve two pilot areas (a storm sewer catchment area and an agricultural sub basin) where beneficial management practices will be applied, tested and refined. The second component will involve sharing results about successful practices and encouraging communities throughout the Basin to use them.