Riparian Health Action Plan

Riparian Health Action Plan

WHAT IS THE RIPARIAN HEALTH ACTION PLAN?

In 2016, the Headwater Alliance asked NSWA to bring together different groups with programs that help riparian areas. This led to the Riparian Health Action Plan (RHAP), which has three phases:

Phase 1  Assess the condition of riparian areas in the North Saskatchewan watershed.

Phase 2  Create a Riparian Strategy that lays out goals for riparian health and gives tips on policies and by-laws. Develop tools to guide riparian management.

Phase 3  Support landowners to conserve and restore riparian areas. Showcase the riparian programs that already exist to do this on-the-ground work by creating the Riparian Web Portal.

Learn more about the 3 Phases

WHAT ARE RIPARIAN AREAS?

Riparian areas are the transition areas between the aquatic (water) and terrestrial (uplands) lands, where the extra water creates moist soils that support water-loving vegetation. They are the green belts you see around rivers, lakes, wetlands, and streams.

Shoreline showing transition from aquatic plants to riparian plants to upland areas.

Explore riparian resources

WHY ARE RIPARIAN AREAS IMPORTANT?

Riparian lands are vital natural infrastructure in watersheds. Riparian areas play a significant role in maintaining water quality and aquatic ecosystem health. They also affect water quantity (e.g. instream flows and lake levels) and interact with groundwater. Riparian areas perform a myriad of ecosystem services as shown in the image.

"Where Land Meets Water" is one of our five-part video series about riparian areas

Back to all

Project Details

The Riparian Health Action Plan has sparked a variety of projects to enhance and support local riparian work.