The Province of Alberta recognizes three types of non-governmental organizations through the Water for Life Strategy for Sustainability that help manage, protect, sustain, conserve, and steward our local watersheds.

Watershed Stewardship Groups (WSG)–Calgary River Valleys is a watershed stewardship group. Other local watershed stewardship groups in the area are the Elbow River Watershed Partnership, the Nose Creek Watershed Partnership and Friends of Fish Creek.

Watershed Planning & Advisory Councils (WPAC)–The City of Calgary and surrounding area fall within the Bow River Watershed.  The Bow River Basin Council is the WPAC for the Calgary and its watersheds. Map of the 11 Alberta WPACs.

Alberta Water Council (AWC)– Established in 2004 and incorporated as a not-for-profit society in 2007, the Alberta Water Council is a multi-stakeholder partnership with 24 Members from governments, industry, and non-government organizations. Its primary task is to monitor and steward implementation of the Alberta’s Water for Life strategy and to champion achievement of the strategy’s three goals:

• Albertans are assured their drinking water is safe
• Albertans are assured that Alberta’s aquatic ecosystems are maintained and protected
• Albertans will be assured that is managed effectively to support sustainable economic development

While there are many WSGs working on education and rehabilitation projects in relation to rivers, lakes and streams, CRV focuses on urban and suburban issues, primarily within Calgary’s city limits. In this sense, it’s fairly distinctive for its tremendous diversity of interests, conditions, demands, pressures and stakeholders.

Because of CRV’s context and primary audience, its activities follow a strong current of urban planning and civic engagement. CRV members have opportunities to participate as stakeholders and partners in a wide variety of activities, including awareness-raising initiatives, public forums, policy review processes, local interpretive tours, and regional planning discussions.

In Calgary, members of a well-connected water and riparian management network circulate ideas, thoughts and feedback. This network includes agencies responsible for research, policy decisions, implementation, management and philanthropy.

CRV is well connected to most of the these groups and our these organizations share links and information for mutual benefits. Many volunteers follow specific issues or projects for years and provide an invaluable continuity of personal dedication, passion and historical planning context. This is a key feature of how organizations like CRV benefit the environment and society in general.

Our committees, working groups and communications network combine to provide strong connections among local experts in river-related fields, people who have shared interests and priorities, and communities with complex environmental concerns. We also foster and facilitate integrative processes of review, analysis, dialogue, response and mutual support. Some of our greatest successes have involved cross-connections between different stakeholders who ordinarily do not have access to one another’s expertise or resources.

• Teams of volunteers carry out the bulk of CRV activities supported by staff.
• Volunteer Board of Directors
• Volunteer Committees