Report will Help Province Protect Watersheds

Nova Scotia will be better able to protect water resources with a watershed assessment report released today, June 22, by the province and Dalhousie University.

Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau said the report is a first step to assess watersheds such as rivers, lakes and groundwater. The report identifies potential risks to water quality.

"Water is an important resource for all Nova Scotians," said Mr. Belliveau. "This study meets a goal in Water For Life, our water resource management strategy, and it will help us focus our efforts on the water supplies that are at the most risk to protect them today and for future generations."

The provincial watershed data inventory in the report is the first of its kind in Nova Scotia. The province invested $29,000 in the Dalhousie University research project, and staff from the departments of Environment and Natural Resources participated in the study.

"What is particularly exciting about this work is, for the first time, we have a provincewide summary of watershed health," said Shannon Sterling, assistant professor of earth science and environmental science at Dalhousie University. "The collaborations in this project have allowed us to assemble watershed information from a wide variety of sources and identify what information is still needed. This is a valuable foundation for integrated watershed management in Nova Scotia."

The second phase of the project will gather more data that reflects the province's good water management practices and report on the information at a local level.

To learn more about Water For Life, visit http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/water.strategy/ .