Oldman Watershed Council

What Oldman Watershed Council does

The Oldman Watershed Council (OWC) is a charitable non-profit organization incorporated under Alberta's Societies Act since 2005 and designated as the Watershed Planning and Advisory Council for the 23,000 km² Oldman basin in southwestern Alberta under the province's Water for Life strategy. The organization convenes municipalities, agricultural producers, Indigenous communities, academic institutions, environmental NGOs, and provincial and federal government agencies to support collective action on water quality, sustainable land use, and water security across the watershed spanning from Crowsnest Pass and Waterton in the west to Taber in the east, and from Milo and Nanton in the north to the Crowsnest Pass in the south.

OWC's deliverables include the Watershed Assessment Program (water quality, quantity, and ecosystem health monitoring), the Headwaters Action Plan and its implementation team (formed 2014 under the province's Wetland Replacement and Restoration Program), the Ecosystem Services Calculator (an online tool built with Green Analytics that estimates the annual dollar value of ecosystem services for parcels of Alberta land), citizen science initiatives including an iNaturalist bumble bee project, the Dutch Creek Pilot Project for native trout habitat restoration, and a portfolio of education and engagement programs delivered through a 3,100+ subscriber newsletter and in-person events. The Ecosystem Services Study accompanying the calculator was released in March 2026.

OWC is funded through provincial seed funding (approximately 16% of budget, deliberately capped), more than 80 additional government, grant, and partnership sources, individual and organizational donations as a CRA-registered charity (840029078RR0001), and significant in-kind support valued at $503,200 from 167 partners and volunteers in 2024-2025. The membership program includes 760+ members split roughly evenly between organizations and individuals. OWC operates a 7-9 person staff with an interim Executive Director transition underway and a 19-seat Board of Directors representing diverse sectors; there is no traditional pricing or revenue model beyond voluntary donations, grants, and partnership agreements.

Name

Oldman Watershed Council

Legal name

Oldman Watershed Council

Website

https://oldmanwatershed.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Oldman Watershed Council is a charitable non-profit serving as the designated Watershed Planning and Advisory Council for the 23,000 km² Oldman basin in southwestern Alberta, delivering watershed monitoring, restoration, education, and ecosystem services valuation to government, agricultural, Indigenous, and community stakeholders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Watershed Stewardship and Water Resource Management

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE), Watershed Protection & Water Quality Services (AFAMAMAB)

Keywords

• Watershed stewardship
• Water resource management
• Environmental restoration
• Conservation education
• Citizen science monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Lethbridge

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: As one of eleven Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils in Alberta, OWC receives provincial government seed funding which makes up about 16% of their budget. This seed funding is used to leverage additional funding from other government programs, grants, and partnerships.
2. Donations: The OWC accepts donations from individuals and organizations, with CRA charitable tax receipts issued for eligible contributions (CRA 840029078RR0001). In 2025, 77 donors contributed, and 409 people have made donations between 2007 and today (204 organizations and 205 individuals).
3. Grants and Partnerships: OWC receives funding from over 80 different sources including government programs, grants, and partnerships. The organization also received $503,200 of in-kind support from 167 partners and volunteers in 2024-2025.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Oldman Watershed Council is a charitable non-profit that acts as the official Watershed Planning and Advisory Council for the 23,000 km² Oldman basin in southwestern Alberta. It delivers watershed monitoring and assessment, science-based education and engagement programs, riparian and headwaters restoration projects (e.g., Dutch Creek Pilot), and tools such as the Ecosystem Services Calculator, while convening governments, Indigenous communities, agricultural producers, and watershed residents to support collaborative stewardship and water security.

Product overview

The Oldman Watershed Council is a charitable non-profit organization operating as the Watershed Planning and Advisory Council for the Oldman basin under Alberta's Water for Life strategy. Rather than offering a unified software platform, OWC provides a portfolio of programs and tools including the Ecosystem Services Calculator (built with Green Analytics), watershed assessment and monitoring services, education and engagement programs, and strategic frameworks like the Headwaters Action Plan. These services work together to advance basin-wide watershed health through science-informed decision-making, practical implementation of restoration projects, and community education and engagement. The organization also runs citizen science programs enabling public participation in watershed monitoring.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ecosystem Services Calculator Online tool that estimates the annual dollar value of ecosystem services (water filtration, air purification, flood control, wildlife habitat, recreation) provided by a piece of land in Alberta; free for watershed residents and stakeholders.
• Watershed Assessment Program Science-based water quality, quantity, and ecosystem health monitoring service across the Oldman watershed that produces trusted data to support planning and land-use decisions by governments, agricultural producers, and partners.
• Citizen Science Programs Community-based monitoring initiatives that enable watershed residents to contribute scientific observations (including tracking bumblebees and other species via iNaturalist) for use in watershed assessments and biodiversity conservation.
• Dutch Creek Pilot Project Restoration initiative in the Dutch Creek sub-watershed focused on protecting critical habitat for native trout species and addressing cumulative impacts from linear features and recreation; delivered with partners such as Trout Unlimited (Oldman Chapter).

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully facilitated voluntary water sharing agreement in 2024 signed by major users of the Oldman River during drought conditions, demonstrating the organization's ability to bring parties together for collaborative water management.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Alberta Conservation AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACA is a co-tenant on land in a shared stewardship ownership model with OWC. They work together on conservation projects, wildlife research, and land stewardship initiatives including the shared stewardship ownership model pioneered by rancher Kelly Hall.
• Cows and FishcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCows and Fish works with OWC on riparian restoration, riparian area inventories, and fencing projects to protect creek banks from livestock while allowing wildlife passage. They co-develop educational content and restoration strategies.
• Government of AlbertacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs a Watershed Planning and Advisory Council, OWC receives provincial government funding through the Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program (WRRP) active from 2014-2026. Government partners are represented on the Board of Directors.
• Regenerative Agriculture LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOWC participates in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab community which focuses on shared stewardship and innovative agricultural practices. The group includes five committees working on shared stewardship models to connect landowners with young people committed to responsible stewardship.
• Trout Unlimited (Oldman Chapter)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrout Unlimited has taken initiative to work on riparian restoration and sedimentation issues in Hidden Creek, a sub-watershed home to bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout.
• Alberta Ecotrust FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOWC is part of the Alberta Coalition for Water Security steered by Alberta Ecotrust Foundation, which advocates for proper funding for watershed work at provincial and federal levels.
• Nature Conservancy of CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCC collaborates with OWC on watershed events and conservation initiatives, including their annual Eat and Greet community gathering.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bow River Basin Council: Another Alberta Watershed Planning and Advisory Council serving the Bow River basin. Operates under the same provincial Water for Life framework as OWC, with a comparable mandate, governance structure, and stakeholder convening role — the most direct organizational peer.
• Red Deer River Watershed Alliance: WPAC for the Red Deer River basin in Alberta. Engages in watershed assessment, restoration, and stakeholder convening under the same provincial framework, providing near-identical operating context to OWC.
• North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance: Designated WPAC for the North Saskatchewan River basin in Alberta. Functions as a non-profit, multi-stakeholder watershed planning body with structure, mandate, and funding model directly analogous to OWC's.
• Battle River Watershed Alliance: Designated WPAC for the Battle River basin in east-central Alberta. Closely matches OWC's structure as a non-profit watershed council with provincial mandate, member-driven governance, and community education focus.
• Peace River Watershed Council: Designated WPAC for the Peace River basin in northwestern Alberta. Directly comparable as a multi-stakeholder watershed planning council operating under Alberta's Water for Life strategy.
• Athabasca Watershed Council: WPAC for the Athabasca River basin in northern Alberta. Shares the WPAC mandate, multi-stakeholder governance, and science-based assessment function that define OWC's role in southern Alberta.
• Cows and Fish (Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Society): Alberta non-profit focused on riparian health and grazing management, with whom OWC actively partners. Directly comparable mission (riparian restoration, landowner education) and similar non-profit, Alberta-based operating model.

Emerging players

• Alberta Ecotrust Foundation: Environmental funder and coalition convener that OWC partners with through the Alberta Coalition for Water Security. Comparable as a non-profit environmental stewardship organization, though focused more on grantmaking than on-the-ground watershed work.
• Alberta Conservation Association: Co-tenant partner with OWC on a shared stewardship land model. ACA has a broader fish, wildlife, and habitat mandate across Alberta but overlaps with OWC on conservation delivery, landowner engagement, and stewardship funding channels.

Broad incumbents

• Nature Conservancy of Canada: Larger national land and water conservation organization that partners with OWC on community events. Operates with substantially greater resources and geographic scope, but shares a non-profit, science-based conservation mission and donor-supported model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oldman-watershed-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Oldman Watershed Council