The Trust is pursuing two avenues for the acquisition of in-stream flow: as an independent organization participating in the water transfer system and as a facilitator for the transfer of instream flow water to the Government of Alberta.
We Are Independent
The Water Conservation Trust has received a donation of water from a prominent Calgary-based oil and gas firm. The Trust applied for a transfer of this allocation from the company to an instream flow licence. The transfer is currently with the Environmental Appeal Board as we continue the application process. For any water license transferred to the Trust, the water would retain the priority date of the original licence and stay instream for that period.
We Facilitate
In the role of facilitator, the Trust would pursue conservation water, and work with license holders to transfer the available water through purchase, donation or lease to the Government to be held as a Water Conservation Objective License. This method will benefit both parties as the Trust is a flexible organization able to secure funding more readily than the Crown for these activities and the Government will be able to return instream flow to our stressed surface water systems.
These two methods of acquisition create opportunities for the public to participate in the conservation of water and restoration of a public good in a flexible, responsive manner.
