Chapter President: Kelly Riehl
Contact: tuoldmanchapter@gmail.com
Area of Interest
The Oldman River Chapter’s primary areas of interest include the Oldman River drainage, from the headwaters of the Oldman, Crowsnest, Castle, Waterton, and St. Mary’s rivers. Many of the Oldman River Chapter’s projects are in Westslope Cutthroat Trout and Bull Trout country and involve work to help protect and restore habitats for these threatened fish. The Oldman River Chapter has “adopted” Hidden Creek a tributary of the upper Oldman River. Hidden Creek has been documented as an important spawning tributary for migratory Bull Trout and is also critical habitat for federally listed threatened species, Westslope Cutthroat Trout. In 2015, the Chapter was instrumental in completing restoration work along two degraded reaches of the creek. The work involved bioengineering and live willow staking to improve riparian health.
Chapter Description
The Oldman River Chapter is made up of members and volunteers from a wide variety of backgrounds ranging from agriculture and industry to education. The Chapter is largely project-driven, and prides itself on its ability to respond to needs on and along the waterways, within their abilities and means, and to work with other stakeholders with similar interests. Working in southwestern Alberta allows the Chapter to carry out projects in a wide variety of landscapes, from mountains to the foothills and into the grasslands.
Chapter History
The Oldman River Chapter historically was a loose-knit group whose primary activities were assisting TUC with fundraising and helping with smaller projects around southern Alberta. Since 2000, the chapter has been much more involved in fisheries advocacy – and has submitted several letters to Alberta premiers and ministers over the years. Another major undertaking for the chapter has been the stewardship and maintenance of the Burmis and Hillcrest leases via a contract with the provincial government to take care of 4 km of Crowsnest River frontage.
TROUT UNLIMITED CANADA OLDMAN RIVER CHAPTER RESEARCH IN CONSERVATION SCHOLARSHIP
To provide an incentive for research in the area, TUC’s Oldman Chapter is offering up to four annual scholarships of up to $1500 to researchers at the University of Lethbridge or Lethbridge College who demonstrate a commitment to furthering our knowledge of freshwater ecosystems. Please click here for more information.
