The “Creeks, Dams and Dugouts of Kneehill County” landowner information session, held on April 22, 2026, at the Swalwell Community Hall, brought together provincial regulators, and local residents to discuss surface water management in Alberta. Presenters from Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (EPA), the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER), and the Red Deer River Watershed Alliance (RDRWA) shared information about water allocations, licensing, monitoring, drought conditions, and available support resources for landowners. The event focused on helping residents better understand how water is regulated and how they can access public information and assistance. To view the compiled resource sheet, go here. 

Representatives from Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (AEPA), including speakers from both approvals and compliance divisions, provided an overview of Alberta’s water management framework. The presentation outlined the differences between water licences and approvals, recent updates to the Water Act, and circumstances where exemptions may apply. Presenters explained the process of priority calls during times of water scarcity or flow falling below an instream objective. Attendees were encouraged to transition their licences to the Digital Regulatory Assurance System (DRAS) to enable automated reminders and improve administrative tracking. AEPA also noted that, due to limited capacity for direct monitoring, the system relies in part on self-reporting by licence holders and input from concerned citizens to support compliance and enforcement.

The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) outlined its responsibilities in regulating water use associated with energy development, clarifying the division of oversight between AER and AEPA. The presentation emphasized regulatory requirements related to compliance and reporting, and described tools available to the public for accessing information. These included the Environmental Records Viewer and the Public Notice Viewer, which allow users to review applications, approvals, and related documentation. The speaker also explained how members of the public can monitor regulatory activities and submit input on proposed projects through established processes.

 The Red Deer River Watershed Alliance shared regional summary information on surface water hydrology and allocation from its recently published State of the Watershed report chapter https://rdrwa.ca/state-of-the-watershed/. The State of the Watershed report is underway and is a public resource for watershed information, and supports collaborative water management across the basin. The session also shared resources supporting best management practices and agricultural environmental stewardship, including Environmental Farm Plan assistance, funding opportunities through the On-Farm Climate Action Fund and Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, grazing and water management support from the Foothills Forage and Grazing Association, and tools for farming in dry conditions. 

Overall, the event shared how to access information and collaboration in managing Alberta’s water resources.