Riparian 101 course offered in Brazeau County later this month

Brazeau County is educating County landowners on how they can protect the ecologically sensitive areas of their property.

The County is hosting a workshop called Riparian 101 – Where the Water Meets the Land, in conjunction with Cows & Fish, the Agroforestry & Woodlot Extension Society, and ALUS Brazeau.

Riparian areas are the regions between a body of water and the land, similar to a shoreline or riverbanks. ALUS coordinator Nancy Chambers explains that a healthy riparian area is a great benefit to the ecosystem.

“A healthy riparian area is going to provide an ample supply of clean water, and build healthy soils and healthy plants, provide habitat for fish and wildlife, and basically just an overall aesthetic,” says Chambers.

In the workshop, landowners will learn how they can develop and protect their riparian areas. For example, Chambers suggests building a fence to keep grazing cattle away from a nearby creek, and getting water to the cattle through a solar-powered waterer.

“The cattle are no longer going into that creek. They are drinking clean water, therefore the cattle themselves are going to be healthier, and there is a lot of benefits to the community just by protecting that water.”

The workshop also covers the sources of funding available for such projects. One such source is ALUS Brazeau, formerly known as the Alternative Land Use Services, which helps landowners protect environmentally sensitive areas of their land. ALUS is a Canada-wide program, and Brazeau County is one of 15 municipalities in Alberta that participates.

“Through the ALUS Program, we can help farmers and ranchers with 50 per cent of their establishment costs to put the project in the ground, and then we also provide them an annual payment to manage and maintain the project,” shares Chambers.

Riparian 101 – Where the Water Meets the Land is being held at the Brazeau County office on June 21 at 7 p.m. The event is free, but you do need to pre-register. Pre-register on Eventbrite, or by calling Chambers at the Brazeau County office, 780-542-7777.