North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance

Name

North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance

Legal name

North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance Society

Website

https://nswa.ab.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Watershed Management Services

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Quality & Watershed/Hydrologic Modeling (SWMM/HEC-RAS, Flood/Runoff/Nutrient) (EUAHAKAF), Water Resources, WASH & Integrated Water Management (BPADALAH), Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE)

Keywords

• Watershed management
• Environmental stewardship
• Riparian conservation
• Water quality monitoring
• Community engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

Edmonton

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Funding: NSWA receives funding from government programs including the Government of Alberta's Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program, Alberta Community Partnership Grant, and other provincial environmental initiatives.
2. Corporate and Foundation Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors fund specific programs and projects. Notable funders include TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, Enbridge Fueling Futures, Imperial Oil, Trans Alta, Sherritt International, and Pembina Pipeline for the Regional Lake Stewardship Project.
3. Donations: Individual donations accepted through ATB Cares program with 15% matching, credit card donations by phone, and cheque or money order. Tax receipts issued for donations of $10 or more.
4. Membership: Free membership program open to individuals and organizations that provides updates on watershed events and allows participation in governance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance (NSWA) is a non-profit Watershed Planning and Advisory Council that coordinates watershed-scale planning, monitoring, and stewardship across 57,000 km² of the North Saskatchewan River basin in Alberta. It delivers integrated watershed management services including riparian health assessments, water quality monitoring (SaskWatch, eDNA), wetland strategy, State of the Watershed reporting, youth education, and facilitation of three subwatershed alliances (Headwaters, Sturgeon River, Vermilion River).

Product overview

The North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance offers a portfolio of interconnected environmental stewardship programs, tools, and educational resources centered on watershed protection. The core offerings include the Riparian Web Portal (an online platform for riparian health projects and data), the Wetland Strategy (a comprehensive management framework), and the State of the Watershed Report (assessment and monitoring). Supporting programs include the Youth Water Council (educational initiative for high school students), the A River Runs Through Us documentary film, tributary monitoring programs like SaskWatch and eDNA, and various lake stewardship resources. The organization also facilitates three subwatershed alliances (Headwaters Alliance, Sturgeon River Watershed Alliance, Vermilion River Watershed Alliance) and provides tools and resources for teachers, scientists, municipal planners, and community members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Riparian Web Portal An online platform and community hub for project coordinators, landowners, and educators seeking to initiate shoreline health projects, showcase restoration work, and access online tools and resources. Includes access to riparian condition data, maps, summarization tools, a project showcase database, and education resources.
• Wetland Strategy A comprehensive strategy completed in 2024 to increase wetland areas in the watershed, improve their overall health, and enhance future wetland management through partnerships. Includes goals for collaboration, education, coordinated planning, policy optimization, and wetland monitoring.
• State of the Watershed Report A comprehensive assessment report on the condition of the watershed, providing a baseline understanding of watershed health, identifying knowledge gaps, and serving as a teaching tool for education and outreach. The 2025 report adopted the Freshwater Health Index framework.
• Youth Water Council Program A free environmental program for high school students that connects youth to their local watershed and empowers them to protect it through virtual learning sessions, in-person workshops, weekend camps, and innovative projects.
• A River Runs Through Us Documentary A 7-part documentary film about the North Saskatchewan River and its watershed, developed in collaboration with Panoramic Media and EPCOR, exploring the river's geology, water sources, ecosystems, and human influence.
• SaskWatch Tributary Monitoring Program A tributary water quality monitoring program operated as a collaboration between EPCOR, Alberta Environment and Parks, NSWA, and the City of Edmonton.
• eDNA Monitoring Program Environmental DNA sampling program across the watershed for biodiversity monitoring of aquatic species.
• Whitemud Creek Natural Asset Project A natural asset management project focused on the Whitemud Creek watershed, integrating natural science, economics, and social systems to support municipal watershed management.
• Lake Stewardship Resources and Programs Resources, information, and support for lake stewardship groups working to protect lakes within the watershed, including the Regional Lakes Project and Lake Stewardship Community of Practice.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.5 million residents served with drinking water from watershed
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Battle River Watershed AlliancemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Collaborative partner in the Riparian Web Portal project. Both WPACs work together on riparian health assessments and share the online portal platform for landowner and educator access.
• Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Key contributor to the Riparian Health Action Plan and Riparian Web Portal. Provides riparian specialist expertise for Youth Water Council programming and landowner education materials.
• Headwaters AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Municipal-supported watershed stewardship group for the western portion of the watershed, involving representatives from nine municipalities (Brazeau County, Clearwater County, Leduc County, Parkland County, Wetaskiwin County, Town of Devon, Town of Drayton Valley, Town of Rocky Mountain House). NSWA provides technical and organizational support.
• Sturgeon River Watershed AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipally-supported watershed stewardship group for the Sturgeon River subwatershed with a Steering Committee of elected municipal officials and Technical Advisory Committee. Partners on road salt management, water quality monitoring, and riparian assessments.
• Vermilion River Watershed AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipally-supported watershed stewardship group for the Vermilion River subwatershed, one of three NSWA-facilitated municipal stewardship groups. Works on subwatershed-specific priorities determined by local governance.
• Alberta Lake Management Society (ALMS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Lake Stewardship Community of Practice hosting, Carvel Lakes citizen science project, and youth education programs. ALMS provides lake monitoring expertise and data management for stewardship groups.
• EPCORcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-lead of the SaskWatch tributary monitoring program with NSWA, Alberta Environment and Parks, and City of Edmonton. Also partner in documentary film 'A River Runs Through Us' and Youth Water Council funding.
• Alberta Environment and Protected AreascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner in SaskWatch monitoring program and recipient of watershed assessment reports. Provides funding through Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program for wetland education and riparian projects.
• City of EdmontoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in SaskWatch tributary monitoring program. Collaborates on water quality framework for Industrial Heartland/Capital Region and receives watershed planning support.
• Lakeland CollegeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducational partner hosting Riparian Web Portal contests for students and documentary film screenings. Collaboration on riparian conservation projects and student engagement activities.
• University of AlbertamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing water science expertise for State of the Watershed assessment, eDNA research, and student involvement in monitoring programs. Faculty members contribute to Youth Water Council programming.
• ALUS CanadamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Modeste Natural Infrastructure Project evaluating natural assets in the Modeste subwatershed. Provides framework for municipalities to create natural asset management plans.
• Conservation InternationalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper of the Freshwater Health Index (FHI) framework that NSWA adopted for comprehensive watershed health assessment. NSWA was the first to use FHI in a developed country context.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Conservation International: International conservation organization that developed the Freshwater Health Index (FHI) framework which NSWA adopted. Connected to NSWA through methodology licensing and framework support rather than direct operational overlap.

Direct peers

• Battle River Watershed Alliance: One of Alberta's 11 designated WPACs covering the Battle River watershed. BRWA is a direct structural peer to NSWA, operates a comparable municipal-led subwatershed governance model, and actively collaborates with NSWA on the Riparian Web Portal.
• Athabasca Watershed Council: Alberta WPAC covering the Athabasca River watershed, including the oil sands region. A direct structural peer to NSWA that operates under the same statutory framework but with a heavier industrial-monitoring emphasis given its geography.
• Red Deer River Watershed Alliance: Alberta WPAC covering the Red Deer River watershed. Shares the same statutory WPAC mandate, governance model, and member-based nonprofit structure as NSWA, making it a direct comparable in scope and funding mechanisms.
• Alberta Lake Management Society: Alberta nonprofit providing lake monitoring expertise and stewardship coordination across the province. Collaborates with NSWA on the Lake Stewardship Community of Practice and Carvel Lakes citizen science project, and operates a closely related but lake-focused mandate.
• Oldman Watershed Council: Alberta WPAC covering the Oldman River watershed in southern Alberta. Operates the same WPAC planning and advisory council structure as NSWA, with overlapping funding sources, municipal partnerships, and State of the Watershed reporting obligations.
• Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society): Alberta-based nonprofit focused on riparian health assessment and landowner education. A core NSWA partner on the Riparian Health Action Plan and Youth Water Council programming, with a narrower but adjacent riparian-specific mandate.
• Bow River Basin Council: Alberta WPAC focused on the Bow River basin. Functions as a direct peer to NSWA in watershed planning and stakeholder coordination within Alberta's WPAC system, serving Calgary and surrounding communities with a comparable mandate.
• Milk River Watershed Council: Alberta WPAC covering the Milk River watershed in southern Alberta. A direct WPAC-system peer to NSWA with a comparable structure and mandate, operating at a smaller geographic and population scale.

Broad incumbents

• Ducks Unlimited Canada: Canada's largest wetland and waterfowl conservation nonprofit. Operates a broader national mandate that overlaps with NSWA's riparian and wetland work, with a much larger donor base and broader geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NSWAAlberta
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NorthSaskWatershedAlliance
• Facebookfacebook.com/NSWAAlberta
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/north-saskatchewan-watershed-alliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance