The river valley visitor centre was the location for the North Saskatchewan River Basin Council to hold their open house Thursday afternoon.
The event helped to mark the anniversary of the organization. It came into being Sept. 22, 2008, almost 10 years to the day of the open house. The organization was founded to support and direct implementation of the Source Water Protection Plan for the area’s watershed.
It was an opportunity for those in attendance to mark the growth of the organization over the decade. A plaque was presented to Katherine Finn, general manager, for her 10 years with the organization.
The event also highlighted some of the current issues facing the North Saskatchewan River.
A big focus was the Husky oil spill into the North Saskatchewan River in July 2016. Chris Meloche of Husky Energy provided a presentation on the oil spill, providing an overview and update on the efforts.
The presentation focused largely on the Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique that was employed to do the cleanup.
Meloche described it as a “systematic methodological approach” to not only determine the extent of the oil leak, but also provide cleanup recommendations. That occurred throughout 2016 and included the use of containment booms as well as of first-of-its-kind use of canines to sniff out the oil.
Another presentation of note came from the organization’s agri-environmental technician John Kindrachuk on “Clean Drain Dry,” the effort to keep aquatic invasive species out of Saskatchewan.
The spread of aquatic invasive species such as zebra and quagga mussels was an obvious concern. A map of North America was shown outlining the extent of the problem across the continent, with the issue having extended to states and provinces along Saskatchewan’s borders.
The presentation included photos of the damage caused to pipes and beaches from the proliferation of zebra and quagga mussels, as well as examples of proper ways to clean, drain and dry boats. The need to further educate the public on the issue was also raised.
