Pearl Lorentzen

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeside Leader

In 2024, the Lesser Slave Watershed Council (LSWC) published a 200-plsu page document called the Swan River State of the Watershed Report, which is available on lswc.ca. This is the first of an initiative to create more in-depth reports on the watershed.

“Swan River was just the first one that we tackled,” says Jess Sutherland, LSWC science and stewardship coordinator.

The aim was a report that is scientifically accurate and accessible, she adds. LSWC is also working on a summary report, which should be available soon.

LSWC is one of 11 Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils (WPAC) in Alberta. Part of this is making watershed reports. LSWC is the WPAC for all the land that drains into Lesser Slave Lake in Northern Alberta. From west to east, this includes High Prairie, Peavine Métis Settlement, Kinuso, Slave Lake, and most of the M.D. of Lesser Slave River and the communities and First Nations in between. Most of this area is south of the lake.

Each year, LSWC makes some reports, but these larger ones happen less often.

The first one was for the whole watershed in 2009, says Sutherland. In 2015, LSWC did a technical update.

These reports revealed “quite a few data gaps,” she adds.

This led to the LSWC starting a water monitoring program in 2017.

The Swan River study took about two years, says Sutherland, and included Swan River First Nation members, Swan River Watershed Initiative, industry and non-profits connected with the environment.

“A whole bunch of people were involved in this project,” says Sutherland.

What were the results?

“Water quality was found to be in a good state,” says Sutherland.

However, she adds, “there are still quite a few significant data gaps.”

The data gaps include not enough information on wetland health, biodiversity, and ground water quality.

“The information just is not there,” says Sutherland.

LSWC has also done a riparian health assessment on the Swan River. The riparian area is the land and plants next to a body of water.

A few people within that basin have received grants through the Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program (WRRP). LSWC has funding through this provincial program to help property owners in the Lesser Slave Lake watershed with projects that improve wetland health or protect riparian areas.

“We’re always happy to work with other groups,” says Sutherland.

The LSWC does water quality testing on several rivers that flow into Lesser Slave Lake, including the Swan River. On this river, they do a bit of extra testing. In partnership with Swan River First Nation they are testing for fecal coliform. This has been ongoing for several years.

In 2025, LSWC is testing for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), adds Sutherland. This is to check to see the effect of the large wildfire near the headwater of the Swan in 2024.

“They (PAHs) are quite dangerous,” says Sutherland.

The water testing is May to October and the analysis will be after that.