Funding has been approved for 10 projects related to watersheds in southern Alberta. (Photo: Roussien | Dreamstime.com)

By David Opinko

Over $1.8 million to increase flood and drought protections in southern Alberta

Jul 11, 2025 | 10:58 AM

The Government of Alberta has announced funding to better protect communities, residents and ecosystems from floods and droughts.

A total of $3.5 million will go to 20 initiatives aimed at restoring riverbanks and watersheds, stabilizing streambanks, and improving the natural movement of water.

Associate Minister of Water, Grant Hunter, who also serves as the MLA for Taber-Warner, says funding will support one city, two counties and 17 non-profits.

“Our government is proud to fund and support our local partners who play a vital role in restoring wetlands and riparian areas while fostering stewardship to protect Alberta’s water systems for future generations,” says Hunter.

Among the total provincial dollars are $1,883,088 for 10 projects in southern Alberta. They are:

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• City of Medicine Hat – $677,000
  • EcoGuard River and Treatment Protection. Utilizing bioengineering to stabilize riverbanks, and will train college students in bioengineering projects alongside trained staff.
• Environment Lethbridge – $126,850
  • Every Drop Counts: Facilitating Urban Watershed Stewardship in Lethbridge. Working with urban homeowners to reduce water use and improve water retention on their properties.
• M.D. of Pincher Creek – $182,500
  • ALUS Pincer Creek WRRP (2025-28). A best management practices project and an extension of Pincher Creek’s Alternative Land Use Services’ existing landowner programming.
• Miistakis Institute of the Rockies (Calgary) – $64,100
  • Prioritizing Bow River Region Wetlands for Protection and Restoration. Complete a wetland prioritization framework. It meshes federal lands, Indigenous lands and urban areas with provincial data.
• Milk River Watershed Council Canada – $190,000
  • Milk River Water Use Conservation and Metering. Quantify water use in the Milk River region and work with landowners to design optimized irrigation plans in the face of drought.
• Nature Conservancy of Canada – $93,638
  • Milk River Tributary Upland/Grassland Restoration. A restoration project for degraded cropland back to native plants. This will contribute to the downstream water cycle of the Milk River through better upland absorption, decreasing sediment runoff and improving water filtration.
• Oldman Watershed Council – $123,000
  • Calculating the Economic Value of Natural Assets. Create a tool to assess the economic value of investing in watershed management projects.
• South East Alberta Watershed Alliance – $149,000
  • Adapting to Future Climate Extremes. A best management practices project, working with landowners and agricultural producers to adopt on-farm and ranchland practices, improving the watershed function.
• Southern Alberta Land Trust Society – $207,000
  • Southern Alberta Riparian Enhancement Project. Restore riparian areas, improving watershed health and supporting conservation.
• Trout Unlimited Canada – $70,000
  • Cutthroat in Porcupine Hills Ecological Reserve. Restore critical habitat for cutthroat trout in the Eastern Slopes.

Kathleen Sheppard, executive director of the Environment Lethbridge Council, says the grant their group received will help residents to implement long-term strategies to address drought in Lethbridge.

“By transitioning to water-wise, drought-resilient landscaping, homeowners can put plans in action today that will lead to water conservation success in the future,” says Sheppard. “Environment Lethbridge is thrilled to be able to use this funding to help urban residents achieve their outdoor water conservation goals.”

Applications are now open for another $3.5 million in funding to support for watershed resilience and restoration projects. Organizations, non-profits, Indigenous communities, and municipalities can apply until September 15, 2025.

The full list of approved projects is available here.

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