Canadian Heritage Rivers

Canadian Heritage Rivers in Alberta

Alberta became a member of the Canadian Heritage Rivers Board in February 1994.

Alberta has three rivers that have all achieved Canadian Heritage River status

• Athabasca River in Jasper National Park
• Clearwater-Christina River (from Fort McMurray to the Saskatchewan border)
• North Saskatchewan River in Alberta

The governments of Canada and Alberta officially designate Alberta section of the North Saskatchewan River as a Canadian Heritage River.

Nominating and Designating a River

• Parks Division coordinates and guides the Canadian Heritage Rivers System (CHRS) nomination and designation process in Alberta.
• Local stakeholders have the opportunity to nominate a river for CHRS designation.
  • For information on developing a nomination document for an outstanding river in Alberta, contact  [email protected].
• Once a river nomination is accepted, local stakeholders prepare a management plan for the river's potential CHRS designation.
• Parks Division provides the stakeholder group with:
  
  • may provide technical support for the CHRS nomination process if capacity permits.
• Development and implementation of the management plan is driven by stakeholders, not government.
• Management actions must be developed and implemented by local stakeholders in cooperation and partnership with public, industry and government.
• The management plan provides a valuable framework of recommendations and guidelines. Public, industry, government and other agencies can consider these recommendations in planning development and activities that affect river users and values.
• The management planning process is meant to foster interaction and cooperation among recreation, industry and government stakeholders that value the river.

Alberta's CHRS Management Plans

• Athabasca River in Jasper National Park - management guided by the Jasper National Park Management Plan
• Clearwater-Christina Rivers Management Plan (14.3 Mb)
• North Saskatchewan River in Banff National Park - management guided by the Banff National Park Management Plan