There are thousands of watercourse crossings (e.g., culverts and bridges) across Alberta, and they are more than just a way to let water flow. When poorly constructed or improperly maintained, these crossings put fish at risk by preventing fish passage and fragmenting fish habitat.
To help restore fish habitat and protect some of Alberta’s most-at-risk fish species, the AER and the Government of Alberta (GoA) have created the Watercourse Crossing Management Directive, an approach to managing watercrouse crossings.
Participating in the Directive
Companies with watercourse crossings, including oil and gas, forestry, municipalities, and landowners, can voluntarily participate in the watercourse crossing inspection and remediation program. By participating in the program, crossing owners can ensure their crossings comply with provincial regulations and help to restore fish habitat.
The directive includes a system of inspection standards that allows watercourse crossing owners, the AER, and the GoA to work together on remediation activities for priority crossings. The inspection standards also ensure consistent data collection, provide cost-saving opportunities, and offer the flexibility to work with other crossing owners.
How to Submit Inspection Data
Crossing owners can collect data using their own system or can directly submit data by using the Alberta Watercourse Crossing Inventory (Ab WCI) App ArcGIS Survey123.
Information or technical questions can be directed to FP.WCCrossing@gov.ab.ca.
All watercourse crossings (compliant and noncompliant) should be included so remediation activities can be planned on a watershed-based scale.
Email spatial data to AER.WCC@aer.ca in a zipped folder.
Who do I contact for more information?
For more information or to learn how you can participate in the watercourse crossing inspection and remediation program, email AER.WCC@aer.ca.
