Swan River Watershed Initiative
A collaboration between industry, governments, Swan River First Nation, NGO's and the Lesser Slave Watershed Council.
The Swan River Watershed is part of the traditional territory of Swan River First Nation.
In addition to traditional Indigenous land-based practices, it provides habitat for many species of plants and animals including Grizzly Bears and Arctic Grayling. The LSWC is supporting stewardship efforts in the Swan River watershed by industry, government and Indigenous communities.
The ongoing stewardship efforts in the Swan River watershed were recommended in the Lesser Slave Integrated Watershed Management Plan, and the LSWC is proud to support the incredible work being done there. Many people have an interest in the Swan River watershed, including communities, governments, industry, non-government agencies. The LSWC recognizes a need for focused communication and collaboration between the many stakeholders involved, and supports on-the ground work and collaboration whenever possible.
Project Components
The LSWC has a water quality monitoring program on tributary rivers across the watershed. Swan River First Nation has contributed funding to support additional water quality measurements throughout the field season. Their support allows us to sample for metals across sites on the Swan River.
Culverts are used to cross various waterways, and hanging culverts are those that hover, or hang above a stream. To protect our aquatic ecosystems, stream crossing assessments are being undertaken in the Swan River Watershed. Hanging culverts are being identified and corrected where possible.
Swan River First Nation has begun to survey fish in the area, to monitor the health of fish populations. Their monitoring allows for both the detection of various species within the watershed and to assess the levels of potential contaminants in the fish.
Arctic Grayling are a species at risk in Alberta. The Lesser Slave Watershed is the southern most reach of their habitat, and they can be found in the Swan River. Protecting their habitat also means protecting community water sources, and traditional Indigenous practices on the land.
Resources
www
Arctic Grayling Fish Sustainability Index
The Fish Sustainability Index (FSI) uses both scientific and local knowledge to assess the health of Arctic grayling in Alberta.
www
Arctic Grayling – Swimming upstream in the Swan River
Collaborators with the Swan River Watershed Initiative were joined by Michael Short of the Let’s Go Outdoors YouTube Channel.
www
LSWC Tributary Monitoring Program Data
View the data collected on the Swan River by the LSWC and our partners from 2017-2020 on Mackenzie Data Stream.
pdf
73 MB
Swan River Watershed Stream Crossing Assessment Catalogue
This appendix is an attachment as part of the Swan River Arctic Grayling and Watercourse Crossing Assessment final data report
pdf
2 MB
Swan River Arctic Grayling and Watercourse Crossing Assessment
Report summarizing data on the distribution, relative abundance, and population structure of Arctic grayling and on the level of fragmentation in the watershed associated with stream crossings.
pdf
1 MB
Aerial Video Assessment of the Swan River System, Alberta (2011)
Low-level aerial videography, and the accompanying Riparian Health Score Sheets (assessed from collected aerial video) and GIS mapping were used to collect and display the Swan River and 2 tributaries’ riparian habitat.
pdf
455 KB
Stream Crossing Inventories in the Swan and Notikewin River Basins of Northwest Alberta
About the Swan River Watershed
Swan River Arctic grayling and watershed connectivity assessment study area, 2015.
The Swan River watershed sustains Swan River First Nation (hunting, fishing, trapping), provides important aquatic habitat for Alberta species at risk ( Arctic Graying, Grizzly), a diversity of upland vegetation that supports upland wildlife, forestry industry, oil and gas activity and recreation.
Land Use
- Agricultural land (near LSL, Swan River valley)
- Parks – 2.5% of sub-basin
- Oil & gas –
- Forestry –
- Swan Hills waste treatment facility
- Livestock Density: LOW RISK
- Fish Populations:
- 13 species
- Low flows and non compliant crossings restrict fish populations in smaller drainages
- Sediment contamination- approximately 538,000 tonnes/year
- Water Allocation
- Surface –4,317,185m3 – primarily for oilfield injection
- Ground – minimal
Habitat Fragmentation in the Swan
The Swan River Arctic grayling population has decreased drastically because of habitat fragmentation and degradation from extensive road networks and high densities of stream crossings associated with industrial development in the watershed. Road density in the Swan River watershed is estimated to be between 1.10 and 1.21 km/km2.
From June 28 to July 31, 2015, the ACA assessed 218 stream crossings in the Swan River watershed, of which 195 crossings were previously assessed in 2002. A total of 66 (30%) crossings were dry, likely due to the historically low stream flows that occurred in 2015; 10 additional sites were ephemeral and non-fluvial. Of the remaining 142 fluvial sites, 131 crossings were impassable to fish; only 11 (8%) stream crossings permitted fish passage. Approximately 737 km of stream (25% of the total stream length in the Swan River watershed) have been fragmented due to damage or poorly installed crossing
structures, predominantly in low-order streams. (ACA 2015)
Project Partners
Acorn Environmental Thompson Aquatic