A water-expert from Alberta says more attention needs to be paid to a river-system that partially flows through Saskatchewan.
The McKenzie River-System was the subject of an environmental conference in Vancouver.
At that forum a call went out for provinces to begin strict monitoring efforts over the system.
The McKenzie River flows through B.C. Alberta, the Northwest Territories and the northwest corner of Saskatchewan.
Bob Sandford is the EPCOR Chair of the Canadian Partnership Initiative in support of United Nations “Water for Life” Decade.
He says provinces need to start monitoring the health of the watershed more closely:
“What is at stake is the ultimate state of one of the world’s most important northern rivers. A river-system that has been described as being a lynch-pin of the waterized climate’s interactions that create relative climatic stability.”
Meantime an official with the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority says a bi-lateral agreement is being struck with Alberta to manage the system.
Patrick Boyle confirms though that no one from the department attended the conference:
“Saskatchewan decided not to participate in this Rosenberg Forum because we are represented on the McKenzie River Basin board and remain informed on the outcomes in Vancouver. We’ll be keeping informed with that. But we decided not to participate.”
He says they are determined to ensure the system is managed wisely and are also included in a multi-lateral agreement with the other provinces.