The Ghost Watershed Alliance Society (GWAS) will hold its annual general meeting on Saturday, November 23 at The Crossing at Ghost River located 20 km northwest of Cochrane, just off Highway 40.
The meeting will review GWAS’s work over the past year including the dissemination of the Ghost River State of the Watershed (SOW) report, the guided Walks in the Watershed, stream bank restoration events, successes and challenges.
The report is a significant project that took three years to complete and was released in May 2018. The purpose of this report is to provide an objective, science-based overview of available data and information to assess the current condition of the watershed. The report outlines data and knowledge gaps, and provides recommendations on ways to improve our understanding of the watershed.
Since the release of the report, GWAS has also been actively working on its dissemination. GWAS received support from the Land Stewardship Centre to undertake a series of workshops engaging stakeholders, decision makers, educational institutions and the public in discussing opportunities and options to move forward on the recommendations of the SOW Report. Two workshops have been held to date with two more to follow in the new year. The complete Ghost River SOW report as well as a synopsis are available for download from the GWAS website at www.ghostwatershed.ca.
GWAS has also completed two stream bank restoration projects in 2019 and has actively engaged with schools in the Cochrane area to increase awareness about watersheds and how to keep them healthy. To continue its work in 2020, GWAS is looking for volunteers interested in helping out with its school program, stream bank restoration events and watershed monitoring efforts. GWAS is also looking for new volunteers to join its Board of Directors.
The Ghost Watershed is almost 1,000 km2 in size. Situated along the eastern slopes, west of Cochrane and within the Municipal District of Bighorn, the Ghost River and its tributaries flow through a diverse landscape, discharging into the Bow River via the Ghost reservoir near the Ghost dam.
For the AGM on Saturday, November 23, doors will open at 9:15 a.m. with fresh muffins, coffee and tea being served. The meeting will take place from 9:45 a.m. until noon. Admission is free and everyone is welcome. Donations are greatly appreciated. Attendees can also purchase a membership for the 2020 calendar year. Memberships are $20 for families and $10 for individuals.
For more information and to RSVP for the event, please visit the GWAS website www.ghostwatershed.ca and send an email to [email protected].
