Just because you live in a town or city, does not mean you can't do your part to protect your local water source, and the larger surrounding environment.

Wherever you are, you are in specific watershed.

Justin Reid, Manager of the Redboine Watershed District, says typically the majority of the focus of the watershed districts tends to be on the larger agricultural base. Reid says however, there's so much everyone can do, whether it's just reducing your water use. "Like people in Morden have been asked to do this year. When that becomes a habit, then sometimes, when we get into these drought situations, we aren't hit as hard because everyone already has the habit of reduced water use."

Reid says there are all kinds of things people across the watersheds can practice to do their part, including using rain barrels to water flowers and gardens, instead of using treated water from the tap.

Of course, Reid says a larger scale project with huge benefits within a watershed, is the establishment of shelterbelts.

Keeping the ground clean of litter and waste is also important, wherever you are. Reid says in the situation of well water, things that can leach into the soil can affect ground water and can get into well water. "Everything is connected, and every little step usually has big benefits."

Of course, Reid says a larger scale project with huge benefits within a watershed, is the establishment of shelterbelts. He says the big thing with shelterbelts is that they give wildlife a habitat, they are great places for pollinating flowers so pollinators can help crops along. Shelterbelts can help with wind erosion, they can help catch snow so when we get into some of these drought conditions, there's a little bit more moisture in the field to start with in the spring time, which can help start groups off earlier.

Reid feels more people are becoming aware of the importance of watershed districts. He says there has always been an underlying push from groups similar to the watershed districts, but they are now seeing a real push from governments as well. Municipal, provincial, and federal.

"There's a lot of politicians who are kind of listening to the message and realizing that they need to help." Reid says they are seeing that in some of the new funding through the Conservation and GROW Trusts. "There's a lot more dollars available that allows groups like the watershed district to do the programming that's needed to help landowners to have the healthier land and healthier watershed."