Saskatchewan Association Of Watersheds

What Saskatchewan Association Of Watersheds does

The Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds (SAW) is a Canadian non-profit organization headquartered in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, operating as the provincial association representing Saskatchewan's watershed districts. Founded in 2021, the organization delivers a portfolio of watershed stewardship, environmental monitoring, climate adaptation, and education programs targeted at agricultural producers, rural and urban communities, students (Grades 7-12), and Indigenous communities across Treaties 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10. Core programs include the Saskatchewan Watersheds Environmental Agriculture Program (SWEAP), Tree for Life (annual seedling sales), Caring for Our Watersheds (youth education), Climate Change Adaptation Planning (CCAP), Hydrologic Drought Response Planning, Aquatic Invasive Species Monitoring (using eDNA and veliger sampling), Protecting Species at Risk, Stewardship for Shorelines, and the ALUS-SAW Carrot River collaboration.

Technically, SAW operates conventional environmental science tools — environmental DNA monitoring, tow-net veliger sampling for mussel detection, riparian habitat assessments, and community-based climate adaptation planning. It has no software product, no mobile application, and no public API; delivery is conducted through field staff (Agri-Environmental Coordinators), school presentations, and direct community engagement. The organization runs an 18-year annual conference series and a SAWCast podcast as community-facing channels.

SAW's business model is almost entirely grant-funded. The dominant revenue event is a CAD $40 million award from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's On Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) for SWEAP, running February 2022 through March 2028 with per-producer caps of CAD $100,000. Secondary funding flows from Environment and Climate Change Canada (CCAP and Environmental Damages Fund), Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk), and the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency. The only disclosed commercial revenue stream is annual tree seedling sales through the Tree for Life Program. End-customers (producers, students, communities) receive subsidized services rather than paying for them; concentration risk therefore sits at the funder level rather than the end-customer level.

Name

Saskatchewan Association Of Watersheds

Legal name

Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds

Website

https://saskwatersheds.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds is a Saskatchewan non-profit delivering watershed stewardship, agricultural beneficial-practice funding, environmental monitoring, and youth education programs for producers, communities, students, and Indigenous groups across the province.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Watershed Management Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Support Activities for Forestry (11531)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Watershed Protection & Water Quality Services (AFAMAMAB), State/Provincial Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration (BPAIABAL), Forestry, Land Use & REDD+ Programs (BPADALAF), Natural Resource Inventory & Forest/Woodland Assessments (Timber, Vegetation, Invasives) (EUAHAHAG)

Keywords

• Watershed stewardship programs
• Agricultural environmental services
• Aquatic invasive species monitoring
• Watershed education programs
• Climate change adaptation planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Moose Jaw

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding and Grants: Primary funding from government sources including Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's On Farm Climate Action Fund ($40M for SWEAP), Environment and Climate Change Canada (CCAP funding), and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk).
2. Tree Seedling Sales: The Tree for Life Program sells tree seedlings to the public each winter and spring to support watershed health and generate program revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds (SAW) is the provincial non-profit association representing Saskatchewan watershed districts. SAW coordinates and delivers watershed stewardship programs across the province, including agricultural stewardship (SWEAP), tree planting (Tree for Life), biodiversity improvement, species at risk protection, climate change adaptation planning, drought response planning, aquatic invasive species monitoring, shoreline stewardship, and youth/community education programs.

Product overview

Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds operates as a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of environmental stewardship programs and initiatives rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include SWEAP (agricultural environmental programming), Tree for Life (seedling sales), Landscape Biodiversity Improvement, Species at Risk Protection, Climate Change Adaptation Planning, Hydrologic Drought Response Planning, and Stewardship for Shorelines. Educational programming includes Caring for Our Watersheds for students and the SAWCast podcast. The organization also organizes an annual conference for watershed stakeholders. These programs function independently while sharing the common mission of protecting Saskatchewan's freshwater resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SWEAP: Saskatchewan Watersheds Environmental Agriculture Program - agriculture stewardship programming for Saskatchewan producers to implement beneficial land management practices.
• Tree for Life Program
• Caring for Our Watersheds
• CCAP

Products and services

• Saskatchewan Watersheds Environmental Agriculture Program (SWEAP) A voluntary, incentive-based agricultural stewardship program that supports Saskatchewan producers in implementing beneficial management practices (BMPs) on their farms and ranches to improve watershed health, including per-acre payments for practices such as riparian management and watercourse crossings.
• Tree for Life Program A tree planting and seedling distribution program that provides native tree and shrub seedlings to landowners, communities, and the general public for riparian and upland planting to support watershed health.
• A Landscape Approach to Improve Biodiversity A landscape-level biodiversity improvement initiative focused on enhancing habitat connectivity and ecological function across Saskatchewan watersheds through targeted conservation actions.
• Protecting Species At Risk A species-at-risk protection program that coordinates habitat conservation efforts for vulnerable and threatened species within Saskatchewan watershed districts.
• Climate Change Adaptation Planning (CCAP) A community-based climate change adaptation planning service that helps Saskatchewan communities assess climate vulnerabilities and develop adaptation strategies for watershed resilience.
• Caring for Our Watersheds An education and community engagement program for Grades 7-12 students and teachers across Saskatchewan that invites participants to develop proposals answering the question, "What can you do to improve your watershed?"
• Aquatic Invasive Species Monitoring Program A province-wide monitoring program that detects and tracks aquatic invasive species in Saskatchewan waterbodies using methods such as eDNA sampling and veliger (zebra mussel larvae) sampling.
• Hydrologic Drought Response Planning A hydrologic drought response planning service that assesses drought vulnerability and coordinates response planning for communities and watershed districts across Saskatchewan.
• Stewardship for Shorelines (SOS) A shoreline stewardship program that engages landowners and lake communities in protecting and restoring riparian and shoreline areas around Saskatchewan lakes and waterbodies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sampled 47 waterbodies for aquatic invasive species monitoring in 2022
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Water Security Agency (WSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Water Security Agency to complete Hydrologic Drought Response Plans for communities at risk. SAW partners with WSA to identify communities and develop drought preparedness planning. Jointly conducted drought response planning for 17 Saskatchewan communities.
• ALUScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerALUS SAW-Carrot River is a collaboration between SAW and ALUS bringing the ALUS model to farming and ranching communities in the Carrot River watershed, with goal of expanding across Saskatchewan.
• Invasive Species CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for aquatic invasive species monitoring and education. Joint effort to sample waterbodies for zebra and quagga mussels and share species identification resources.
• Saskatchewan Ministry of EnvironmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in aquatic invasive species strategy and monitoring program. Collaboration for veliger sampling and mussel prevention across Saskatchewan waterbodies.
• NutrienminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper of the Caring for Our Watersheds program which SAW delivers as the delivery agent in Saskatchewan. Program asks students to submit proposals to improve their local watershed.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ducks Unlimited Canada: Ducks Unlimited Canada is a major Canadian wetland and watershed conservation non-profit delivering habitat restoration, stewardship programs, and conservation policy across all provinces. Closely comparable to SAW's watershed stewardship mandate, government-funded program model, and on-the-ground delivery with landowners.
• Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation: SWF is a provincial conservation organization in Saskatchewan with similar mandate on habitat, watershed, and wildlife stewardship. Comparable to SAW on provincial scope, member/community engagement, and advocacy for water and habitat protection in the same Saskatchewan geography.
• ALUS Canada: ALUS (Alternative Land Use Services) Canada delivers nature-based solutions programs with farmers and ranchers across multiple provinces. Directly comparable to SAW through their joint ALUS SAW-Carrot River partnership, sharing a model of compensating agricultural producers for stewardship practices that generate ecosystem services.
• Evergreen (Canada): Evergreen is a Canadian non-profit focused on school-based and community urban nature education programs. Directly comparable to SAW's Caring for Our Watersheds youth education stream in terms of audience (Grades 7-12), classroom delivery model, and watershed/environmental literacy goals.

Broad incumbents

• WWF-Canada: World Wildlife Fund Canada is a national conservation non-profit with freshwater, species-at-risk, and climate programs. Overlaps with SAW on aquatic species protection, freshwater stewardship, and policy advocacy, though at much greater scale and with broader international mandate.
• Nature Conservancy of Canada: NCC is Canada's largest private land conservation organization, managing nature reserves and biodiversity projects nationally. Overlaps with SAW on species-at-risk protection, riparian restoration, and partnership-based conservation delivery, though operates at a much larger national scale.
• Canadian Wildlife Federation: CWF is a national conservation organization focused on wildlife habitat, freshwater, and conservation education. Comparable to SAW on watershed/habitat education, species protection, and community engagement, but operates at national scope with a broader wildlife mandate.

Regional players

• Alberta WaterSMART Society: Alberta WaterSMART delivers watershed management, drought response planning, and water literacy programs across Alberta. Functionally equivalent to SAW's hydrologic drought response planning and community engagement model, but operating in the neighboring province.
• Watershed Watch Salmon Society: Watershed Watch Salmon Society is a BC-based non-profit focused on salmon-bearing watershed protection and community engagement. Comparable to SAW on watershed stewardship mission and community-based monitoring approach, but operates in a different region and species focus.

Emerging players

• Invasive Species Centre: The Invasive Species Centre is a Sault Ste. Marie-based non-profit focused on invasive species prevention and management in Ontario, including aquatic species. Directly comparable to SAW on aquatic invasive species monitoring (eDNA, veliger sampling) through their existing partnership, though narrower in program scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SAWatersheds
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCI2xzWCUQN_us_B747Jngvg
• Facebookfacebook.com/skwatersheds
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saskatchewan-association-of-watersheds
• Instagraminstagram.com/saskwatersheds

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Saskatchewan Association Of Watersheds