Who Are We?
The Moose Jaw River Watershed Stewards Inc. is a local non-profit charitable organization that serves to educate about and protect the waters in the Moose Jaw River Watershed. The main objective of the MJRWS is source water protection. The MJRWS assists in identifying threats and addressing opportunities to help protect waters in the Moose Jaw River Watershed.
MJRWS aims to educate and increase the public’s understanding of the environment and the importance of the protection of the water. Some of the ways we do this is by offering courses, seminars, conferences and meetings and by collecting and disseminating information on the topic. Another important way to accomplish our objective is to organize or participate in environmental projects designed to preserve and protect flora and fauna in the Moose Jaw River Watershed. We also partner with producers in our watershed and help implement more environmentally friendly agricultural practices. The MJRWS partners with numerous agencies to achieve the objectives and key actions addressed in the Source Water Protection Plan.
Why We Were Formed
In 2002 we partnered with local municipalities and interest groups to identify the threats and opportunities for the protection of water in the Moose Jaw River Watershed.The urgency of source water protection for the Moose Jaw Watershed sprung from the 2003 events of contaminated drinking water in the communities of Walkerton and North Battleford. In 2003 the Moose Jaw Creek Advisory Committee formed the Moose Jaw Creek Watershed Association #2 as a result of stewardship and conservation district cooperation. In 2006, the Moose Jaw River Watershed Source Water Protection Plan was the second in the province to be completed.The Advisory committee became incorporated to the Moose Jaw River Watershed Stewards Inc. (MJRWS) and was assisted by no less than 22 people on a technical committee.
To make a difference in the protection of the Moose Jaw area water supplies, a plan was put in place by the MJRWS Advisory committees named the Source Water Protection Plan. The partnership with the watershed and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (AAFC-PFRA) were instrumental to the process beginning with technical assistance in the forming of the plan, providing office equipment, to assisting with implementation of the Source Water Protection Plan through various initiatives the Stewards have begun.
