Cumulative Effects of Watershed Disturbances on Fish Communities in the Kakwa and Simonette Watersheds: The Northern Watershed Project Study 3 Progress Report
Author(s)
Trevor Thera and Allan Wildeman
Summary
The Northern Watershed Project is a four-year, multi-stakeholder initiative consisting of three individual research sub-projects, they are:
1. Riparian - Upland Forest Communities - Project leader: Phil Lee, University of Alberta.
2. Relationships Between Landscape Characteristics and Fish Communities - Project leaders: Trevor Thera, Alberta Conservation Association; Garry Scrimgeour, Alberta Research Council.
3. Modelling Cumulative Effects of Landscape Disturbances on Fish Communities in the Kakwa - Simonette Watersheds - Project leader: Garry Scrimgeour, Alberta Research Council.
A provincial stakeholder committee (Northern Watershed Project Stakeholder Committee) represented by members from government and non-government organisations, forest and oil and gas industries, and Alberta Research Council provide funding support and direction to the research program.
The goal of the Northern Watershed Project is to develop predictive models relating the cumulative ecological effects of a suite of watershed disturbances to fish community structure. Establishing linkages and associated levels of risks allows managers to address immediate resource development concerns as well as aid in long-term planning.