Legacy has identified some properties along the Little Red as important targets for current and future watershed resiliency, water quality and biodiversity conservation. We are contacting these landowners and offering more detailed stewardship and conservation information.
Didn’t hear from us and are interested in more information? We want to hear from you. Please contact us.
The Little Red begins its 200-kilometre journey on the Eastern Slopes of the Alberta Foothills west of Cremona.
Fed by tributaries that include the Grease, Big Prairie and Dogpound creeks, the Little Red has a drainage area of just over 2,350 square kilometres. It travels through lands that are used for recreation, grazing, logging and forage production on its way to meet the Red Deer River west of Innisfail, Alberta.
The Water Quality and You 2.0 program was launched in 2022 to promote land stewardship practices along the Little Red Deer River and its tributaries—and to promote the benefits of land conservation and conservation easements.
Whereas WQY1.0 focussed on the Red Deer River within Mountain View County, WQY2.0 is focussed along the Little Red Deer River.
The rich tapestry of riparian areas, where diverse vegetation thrives along the water’s edge, creates essential transition zones between the river and upland vegetation.
These riparian zones have many ecological functions including protecting water quality, providing wildlife habitat and offering natural areas for enjoyment and recreation.
A healthy, functioning Little Red Deer River subwatershed provides resistance to drought and flooding as well as good water quality that supports the communities around it. It also supports natural functions and processes including wildlife habitat, water filtration and soil stability.
We gratefully acknowledge funding for this project from
Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program
View two of Legacy’s conservation easements on the Little Red here and here.
An Introduction to Water Quality & You 2.0
Headwaters of the Little Red Deer River
Gravel-bed rivers like the Red Deer River and its floodplains are a ribbon of biodiversity. They play an essential role in overall health and function of the surrounding and downstream landscape and communities.
The shorelines of rivers—known as riparian areas—provide an abundance of vegetation and wildlife habitat to the region. Conserving and stewarding this land is essential to the health of the Red Deer River.
Water Quality and You (WQY) 1.0 was created to promote voluntary land conservation and land stewardship practices along the upper reaches of the Red Deer River and its tributaries through conservation easements.
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