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April 23, 2025 - Caring for My Land

A Clearwater County funding program.

Do you have a project in mind that would improve water quality and biodiversity on your land? We have a program for you. 

Clearwater Landcare is the conservation arm of Clearwater County Agriculture and Community Services and continues to help others become the best possible caretakers of land and water, with a focus on education and awareness of beneficial practices, communication of ideas and demonstration of techniques and technologies. 

Rural landholders – both farm and non-farm – often have creative and resourceful ideas for protecting the environment around them. Unfortunately, funding a project is often a limiting factor which prevents landowners from making positive practice changes. That has the potential to change with the Caring for My Land program.

Recognizing the costs associated with on-the-ground practice change, Clearwater County’s Caring for My Land program is a cost share program intended to assist producers by reducing the financial burden that comes with implementing beneficial management practices on their land. 

Funding for the program is provided by the Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program (WRRP) and delivered by Clearwater County staff. The goal of the program is to help improve upland and lowland areas, making watersheds more resilient to seasonal runoff or high-water events and periods of drought or water deficiency. 

If you live along, or near, a stream, creek, or river or adjacent to a spring, pond, or other water body such as a wetland, you meet the first criteria. 

Eligible Clearwater County landowners will receive 75 per cent cost share funding for riparian fencing along streams, creeks, rivers, springs, and surface water bodies, 25 per cent cost share funding for eligible dugout fencing and offsite watering systems, and 50 per cent cost share funding for all other approved projects and expenses – up to $5,000 reimbursement per project. 

Determining the environmental need and benefit will help with project selection and planning. Whatever project you may be thinking about doing this year, it is important to keep in mind that ALL projects must directly or indirectly protect natural surface water. This does include fencing off dugouts for the purpose of excluding livestock using it as a water source. 

Projects that qualify include (but not limited to): off-site watering systems, bridge material for livestock crossings, beaver co-existence structures, riparian or streambank fencing (with a grazing plan), cross fencing for rotational grazing to distribute nutrients, portable windbreaks/shelters for winter feeding and bedding sites to help distribute nutrients away from runoff areas, development of berms, catchments or filtering buffers to catch runoff and the establishment of eco-buffers, shelterbelts and deep rooted perennial forage to filter and retain water. 

Implementing these projects – when associated with nearby water bodies or water sources – can significantly improve water quality, biodiversity and improve fish and other habitat by reducing contamination or sediment loading into streams. Projects like these also help to enhance ecosystems services and support diverse plant and wildlife communities on your land. 

In receiving several applications over the years, some of the more popular projects on the land we have seen include riparian or stream fencing and off-site watering systems, beaver co-existence structures (pond levelers), cross fencing, and eco-buffer and shelterbelt plantings. 

Finding landowners who want to lead by example and have a willingness to share their ideas and successes with others are admired and often advocates of the community. Caring for My Land is essentially a partnership between the landowners and Clearwater Landcare. 

Every rural resident influences the environment in some way, whether they are involved in agricultural practices or not. How they manage their water and wastewater, soil and vegetation, livestock or natural features on their land is the key to healthy land and water. 

If you are a landowner in Clearwater County who is interested but not sure how to get involved or if the project you have in mind will apply, Landcare staff are happy to help and discuss your project ideas. 

For more information, contact Clearwater County staff at (403) 845-4444 or landcare@clearwatercounty.ca