Our Work

Our work is guided by our mission to protect and restore the Bow River watershed.

Policy Initiatives

We champion proven and effective legal and policy tools that achieve sustainable watershed management in the Bow River Basin and across southern Alberta. [MORE]

Outreach & Education

Our Friend of the Bow Campaign works with communities and citizens in the Bow River watershed. We are encouraging individuals like you to make commitments to reduce your water consumption. [MORE]

In 2005, we embarked on the The Big Bow Float: A Centennial Canoe Voyage, a four-week 657-kilometer continuous canoe trip spanning the entire length of the Bow River. A key part of the Big Bow Float was a public outreach and education campaign that occurred prior to, during, and after the trip. Our outreach efforts increased awareness about water scarcity in the Bow River Basin. [MORE]

Our Big Bow Float movie documents our trip, and draws attention to the issue of water scarcity in the watershed. Learn more about our movie, upcoming showtimes, and how you can acquire a DVD.

Bow Riverkeeper conducts presentations throughout the watershed, and beyond. We provide awareness about key issues facing the Bow River watershed. Please contact us if you are interested in scheduling a presentation in your community.

Partner Groups & Affiliations

Bow Riverkeeper is proud to be involved with many wonderful groups and organizations at the local, regional, provincial, inter-provincial, and international levels. [MORE]

Active in the Bow Watershed and Beyond...

To be effective locally, often means engaging with stakeholders and decision makers outside our watershed. We are actively involved at several levels:

In the Bow River Watershed
  • We are involved in watershed planning efforts coordinated by the Bow River Basin Council (BRBC). The BRBC is responsible for watershed planning for the provincial government.
  • We regularly conduct outreach to local citizens, promoting on-the-ground efforts by citizens to take action in their households and communities.
  • We promote actions to protect source waters and foster healthy aquatic ecosystems in the Bow River Basin.
At the Regional Level

We are engaged in the South Saskatchewan River Basin (SSRB) planning process which seeks to adopt more progressive water management practices on the Bow, Oldman, and Red Deer rivers. We bring an ecological voice to the table to promote sustainable water management practices that will ensure the long-term health of basin.

Provincially
  • We participate in Alberta's Water for Life Strategy, where we promote sustainable watershed management practices and policies, and ensure that the Strategy's stated goal of "ecological protection" is upheld.
  • We help coordinate and support Alberta's non-governmental watershed advocates through the Alberta Environmental Network (AEN) and other venues.
At the Inter-provincial Level

We work with other organizations across the prairie provinces - such as the Saskatchewan Environmental Society and the Manitoba Eco-Network - to evaluate inter-provincial water management issues, and to promote sustainable watershed management across the prairie river systems.