The WaterPortal Society is an inclusive and credible online resource that provides free access to comprehensive and timely water information. By focusing on research and community engagement, we will continue to be the “go to” source for all those seeking to expand their water knowledge and decision-making capacity. The WaterPortal Society is an inclusive and credible online resource that provides free access to comprehensive and timely water information. By focusing on research and community engagement, we continue to be the “go to” source for all those seeking to expand their water knowledge and decision-making capacity.
Leverage partnerships to conduct leading-edge RESEARCH
- Lead multi-sectoral and inter-jurisdictional stakeholder projects (e.g. Alberta Water Nexus project)
- Design replicable and innovative water management tools (e.g. Watershed Adaptation and Resilience project)
Actively share water news and insights to ENGAGE COMMUNITIES
- Provide a multi-platform reporting service (e.g. water news and events service)
- Strengthen stakeholder input and dialogue (e.g. “The Bog” blog posts and social media)
Our current impact statistics include;
- 914 subscribers receive our free newsletter twice weekly
- 3,194 subscribers on Twitter and Facebook receiving our curated daily water newsfeed
- 1,800 is the average number of website users accessing our information each week
Extreme flood and drought events have firmly established water as a high priority area in achieving economic, social and environmental resiliency. Now, more than ever, it is critical that the public has an accessible way to stay up-to-date with the latest water news, studies, reports and events.
The WaterPortal Society’s news and events service is a response to this need and includes:
- a bi-weekly newsletter
- social media posts
- a website news feed
- a calendar of events
- informational blog posts
The water news and events is a free, unbiased service that effectively uses the WaterPortal’s established web presence to connect diverse interests and content sources, encourage dialogue, and ultimately support informed decision making that benefits all communities.
The WaterPortal Society conducts inter-jurisdictional projects involving both research and community engagement. Successful past projects include:
- The Alberta Water Nexus project, which explores the inter-connections between agriculture, energy, Albertan communities, and water resources. The project results include a stakeholder engagement workshop, development of two separate online simulator tools, creation of an animated video, and publishing example case studies and a variety of online information resources.
- Climate Impacts on Watersheds project, resulted in a number of focused webpages on specific topics including history of climate in Alberta, drought resilience, understanding flood insurance, urban resiliency, and low-impact development among others.
- The cumulative effects on water project, which included research and development of an interactive online model that quantifies the water quantity and quality impacts of individual daily decisions.
- The “What’s in Your Water” water quality project, which resulted in an interactive website with information about substances and activities that impacting water quality in our local rivers and lakes. The information from the website was also developed into an interactive public exhibit that was presented at 4 events.
Collaborators contribute to the success of WaterPortal Society by providing funding and partnering on projects, providing online content, and serving as conduits to larger stakeholder bases. The WaterPortal Society collaborates with a wide range of organisations including:
- Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils (WPACs)
- Watershed Stewardship Groups (WSGs)
- Alberta Water Council (AWC)
- Academics
- Irrigation Districts
- Environmental NGOs
- Companies
- Municipalities
There are numerous ways you can support the WaterPortal Society:
Share knowledge
- Help us share information: Support research, promote collaboration, and enhance understanding of water issues and challenges by sharing facts, information and news about water in Alberta. Look for the Facebook, Twitter or share this page buttons on our web pages. Thank you for sharing!
- Write for our blog: We invite guest bloggers to help share knowledge, research, and raise awareness on various water issues, challenges, and opportunities. The aim of the blog is to share discussions and inform decisions for a better water future, we invite you to share knowledge or report on current or controversial water topics relevant to Albertans.
Donate
- A one-time or monthly donation to the sustainability fund will help us to continue to provide an inclusive and credible online resource that supports and improves the public’s understanding of water
- A one-time or monthly donation demonstrating appreciation for the free news and events service will help us maintain and improve this service for our subscribers
- We are developing new project ideas all the time and we are always seeking funding support to make these great resources a reality
Volunteer with us
- As a board member: Individuals who value providing credible, online information about local water issues to enhance decision-making are welcome to apply to join the board at any time
- Online support: If you have experience managing websites and/or developing digital resources please contact us, your volunteer time would be greatly appreciated
- Event support: The WaterPortal Society participates in local events related to water, contact us if you would like to help out as a volunteer or invite the WaterPortal to an event you are hosting
