One of the most delightful sights during summertime in St Albert is the colourful splash of kayaks, paddle boards and canoes gliding along the dark green water of the Sturgeon River. Part of the delight is the surprise of seeing the river being used for recreation, being enjoyed. This pleasure ripples out to the observer nearly as much as to the paddler, I suspect. It hearkens back to a time of health for this little river, a time when people swam, splashed and skated on the river too. I swear I’ve seen archival photos of such frolicking.
Sadly, for decades we have complained of the little river’s stench and the clog of algae inhabiting it by mid August. We call it the Mighty Sturgeon with tongues fully in cheeks.
"One of the many tributaries to the North Saskatchewan, the Sturgeon has poor water quality and low flows throughout its length, and has seen general declines in flows over the last two decades..." (‘Sturgeon Watershed Plan One Year Away, Says Chair," Gazette, February 2, 2018). Much of this is due to pressures from agriculture, mining, invasive species and population growth in the area.
We all seem to agree that the river valley is a top attraction in our city; that resuscitating this "little river that could" should be a top priority. We do have initiatives. We have an Environmental Master Plan with a goal to reduce nutrients, pesticides and bacterial levels by 2020. We have ongoing funding for sedimentation and erosion control (think grit interceptors). We have public works committed to minimize use of road salts and sands. We are annually monitoring stormwater and river water quality. We are in partnership with Sturgeon River Watershed Alliance to study the ecological health of the watershed and enhance its health through riparian enhancement projects.
Thankfully, we are not in this alone. We are anticipating the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance’s 2019 draft summarizing what can be done to restore, preserve and enhance the Sturgeon River watershed.
We won’t be the first working towards a watershed success story. Thirteen Indigenous tribes came together in the 1990s with the vision to resuscitate a section of the Columbia River basin. They worked with local communities, farmers, ranchers, loggers and industries. Don Sampson, Head of Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission said they’ve become “the most recognized success story in the whole Columbia Basin.” The salmon are back and spawning and they are seeing a diversity of species, including eagles, bears and cougars that had not been in the area for years. The economy is buzzing as people come to fish and enjoy the restored habitat. Stakeholders are standing shoulder to shoulder, in community, fishing in their blossoming vision.
I think it might be hope that I feel stirring inside when I see the colourful activity on our Sturgeon River in the summer. I hope that regenerating our precious little river is more than a pipe dream.
Jill Cunningham grew up in St. Albert, has a Bachelor of Education from University of Alberta and is passionate about nature, the environment, and building community.
