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Michael talks with Shannon Frank, Executive Director of the Oldman Watershed Council, about water conservation. Shannon shares surprising local water facts, and how you can do your part to protect this precious resource.
Michael is on a quest to get his environmental footprint as low as humanly possible. So he built his own off-grid Tiny House. But downsizing and minimizing weren’t enough. He had to take more drastic measures, altering his lifestyle in some extreme ways, all in the name of saving the planet. But when it comes to his goal, he still feels in over his head. He doesn’t know if all the downsizing, minimizing, reducing, reusing, recycling, and sacrificing make a difference. It’s time to bring in the experts.
Join Michael as he sits down with scientists, policymakers, industry leaders, and environmental experts to figure out how to effectively reduce his footprint in all aspects of life. From food and fast fashion to cars and caskets, he gets into what the worst culprits really are and how we can all make more informed choices when it comes to the impact we have on the planet.
If you have feedback or would like to be a guest on In Over My Head, please email: info@inovermyhead.com
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This program was produced with a support of Storyhive creativity, connected by Telus. For more information, please visit storyhive.com
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Well, I'm in over my head. No one told me, trying to keep my footprint small was harder than I thought it could be. Tryin’ to save the planet. Oh, will someone please save me. Tryin’ to save the planet, oh will someone please save me?
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Welcome to in over my head. I'm Michael Bartz. My guest today is Shannon Frank. Shannon has been the executive director of the old man watershed council for over nine years. She holds a bachelor of science and environmental science from the university of Lethbridge and has volunteered for many local community groups, including the committee that founded the nonprofit environment. Lethbridge, welcome to in over my head. Shannon, how are you?
Speaker 4 (00:57):
I'm good. Thank you very much for having me for sure.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
So I brought you in because, so I built a tiny house. I live off grid and I wanted to talk about water today. So you are the expert to talk about water. So with my tiny house, I've actually got a fresh water tank and a gray water tank. And so I haul the water, actually filled it up today. And I find that like every time I do that, I watched the water go in. I think so much about it. And I want to talk about how water impacts climate change. So what impact does water conservation have when it comes to saving the planet?
Speaker 4 (01:31):
So the most important thing about water conservation is knowing the watershed that you live in because depending on the river or lake that your water is coming from, you can be in completely different situation, right? So it's really important to know what's happening locally, where you live. So here in last bridge, we withdrawal our water directly from the old man river. And municipal use is less than 5% of water use in the old man watershed as a whole. The largest use is for irrigation, which supports our agriculture sector, of course, and our economy. So water conservation is really important, but it's important at multiple levels. Like individuals can certainly do a lot and that's important and, you know, we should all pitch in, but it's also important that irrigation and, you know, others that are using the water, do their part because they use about 90% of the water.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
Wow. Yeah. The so that's first, I think it's really important that people get to know their local watershed and it really depends on the river. And the other thing that that's really important to think about is not just how much water use, but what impact is your lifestyle having on the quality of the water that we don't back into the river. And that's where it gets. In our case in Lethbridge, probably more important is the outdoor water use on the stormwater runoff that happens outdoors. So indoors, you know, we can do things like having low flow, shower heads and low flush toilets, and that's all great. We should do those things for sure. But it's the outdoor water that is much more significant. So it's the lawn watering that makes up the vast majority of our water use in Lethbridge.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
And being that we're in a dry area that can be a challenge, right? Because we don't when the fish are stressed and the trees are stressed because the water level and the river is very low. That's when conserving really counts. And that happens in late summer and early fall. Okay. And so our stormwater runoff is anything that's running off when it rains or the snow melts or say we over-water our lawn and there's water running down the street. That runoff is highly polluted. We've done studies with the Lethbridge college and agriculture and AgriFood Canada, and found that there's really high levels of fecal coliform. He Cola from pet waste, some could be from wildlife, but a lot of it's from pet waste. There's high nutrients from fertilizers pesticides. And so we really, where an urban person can have an impact in Lethbridge is on reducing those inputs.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
So water and chemicals and bacteria. And so a lot of the programs that you see from the old man watershed council and the city of Las bridge will be actually focused on storm water, not like indoor conservation. And so we have a, there's a several programs that we work together on to actually educate people about storm water, like the yellow fish road program you might've seen on your street, there's yellow fish painted. And it says rainwater only that's a big one that's across Canada actually. And then we also promote xeriscaping, which is about using indigenous plants that are native to this area that don't use a lot of water and they don't require chemicals and fertilizers and a lot of upkeep because they grow here naturally. And so there's a lot we can do in our yards and around our homes outdoors to make sure we're conserving water and protecting the water quality. Because the main thing that people don't realize is any water that's running off our parking lots, our streets, our yards is not treated, it's going directly into the river. Okay. And so anything it's carrying any pollutants straight in the river,
Speaker 3 (06:09):
That's, that's very helpful. So it's less about turning off the taps and those are all good things, right? The low flow shower heads and such, but more about the runoff and your government recommending people, perhaps if they can, don't have regular lawns. Right. They have more,
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Yeah. Minimize, minimize how much long you have and instead use native plants.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Yeah. You talked about a building to know about where they're located and how that impacts the water use. So you said that a lot of like 90% is from agriculture, you said
Speaker 4 (06:41):
Yeah. About, about 90% of the total water in the entire old man watershed. So Southwest Alberta is used for irrigated agriculture. And so it's growing crops and it's feeding cattle and other farm animals, you know, pigs, chickens, you name it. So that's the number one use. And so they've been doing a lot to conserve water as well, of course. And that makes a bigger difference. But that doesn't mean we all shouldn't pitch in and do what we can. Right. And you know, a lot of the things we can do, like a low flush toilet doesn't really impact us in a big way, so why not do it right? And it's a good step.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
And if, and I guess if, if the agriculture use is so high, are people able to find out if that's being used effectively or is that on a different level entirely?
Speaker 4 (07:33):
So there's certainly a lot of studies and monitoring like the government of Alberta does quite extensive water quality monitoring of our irrigation canals. And they, you know, they report on, on that and there's guidelines for each type of thing, right? So there's a guideline for phosphorous as a guideline for nitrogen, for Ecolab, et cetera, et cetera. And so what we're monitoring for is to see are we exceeding those guidelines and is the guideline going to be a problem for humans, for livestock, for crops or for the aquatic environment, which is primarily fish was the, if the indicator that is used. And so we're very fortunate in our watershed, like the, the monitoring that is done, it has shown that overall we have very good water quality. We don't exceed the guidelines very often, but we do exceed them sometimes.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
And it's usually in those late summer, early fall periods where it's really dry. So the water levels dropped, you know, we've, we've used a lot of the water all summer to water the crops. So the river's low the Fisher stress, the cheese are stressed. And so that's when it counts. That's when, you know, conserving water makes a big difference. And when you know, there's, if there's more water, there's more dilution. And so then the water quality will be better as well. But we certainly do have some challenges. One of them is also natural. Like there's a geese and ducks around highway three. And so sometimes fairly often, not always, but there has been certainly a lot of cases where in in winter there's a really high fecal coliforms and Nikolai the highway three bridge. And you can see when you drive by there's large flocks of geese and ducks there. And so, you know, they're pooping in the water. Yeah. So, yeah, there's, there's a lot going on.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
Yeah. So from what you're saying, if I feel like it's less about personal responsibility, when we talk about water and more about the job that you're doing and, and the work that scientists and researchers are doing to try to regulate those things and to make them safe and such, am I understanding that correctly?
Speaker 4 (09:58):
Yeah, like certainly in last bridge, like, you know, there's irrigation is the big player. And so that's really important that we work together with the agriculture sector to you know, conserve and, and maximize what they can do. And there's a lot of government support for that. And grants and whatnot. Like for example, they use low pressure pivots and they get rid of open canals and they use pipelines. And so that's all been happening in order to conserve water and withdrawal less from the river. And when we have seen that improve a little bit, for sure. And then like at the personal level, though, as an urban person, your biggest impact and, you know, something we should definitely address is our storm water pollution that is on par with agricultural runoff, like urban runoff is, is bout as equal to agricultural runoff. It's not a lot less, so weed can have a big impact there.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
And, and so that those pollutants are coming from people washing their cars or mowing, or watering their lawns, those kinds of things. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
And just when it rains, it just every, you know, everything on our parking lots and lawns and everything just runs off. And so it carries with it, anything that we've put on our lawns or not taken off our lawns like poop. And so it all just gets carried into the river.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
And so what would you recommend folks do to counteract that?
Speaker 4 (11:38):
Well pick up your pet poop is a big one. You know, it sounds like almost silly, like, of course, so you should do that, but a lot of people don't and you actually notice that in our parks, especially, there's a lot of pet waste in our parks, which are all near the river. So again, when it rains, it's right close by, it's all washing into the river. You'll minimizing your chemical use like pesticides and fertilizers and minimizing your water use by planting drought tolerant or native grasses and plants. There's. we actually have a God book of the 10, 10 best flowers, ground covers, grasses, trees, and shrubs for Southern Alberta. And so there's 50 choices there in that book, and we recommend those cause they're Joe tolerant and they're low maintenance and perfect for Southern Alberta
Speaker 3 (12:38):
And working folks get that guide, books it on your website.
Speaker 4 (12:41):
It is, it's on our website at oldmanwatershed.ca. And we have like actual copies that people can have for two bucks each. And yeah, it's a really, it was developed by a plant expert from Lethbridge college and he really knows what he's talking about. So he developed that with us and it just helps get people started and, you know, a lot of greenhouses will be able to help you as well to tell you what stroke tolerant.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Nice. Yeah. I guess that will be the next question is where people can find those things, but if the greenhouse is offered to them, that's, that's great.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
Yeah. They're actually a little more common than you think they're not impossible to find. But the other thing is there's also a lot of weeds you can buy that you don't want to buy, so you gotta kinda know what you're looking for and make sure you don't buy anything. That's invasive.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
Yeah. Check the guide book, I think is the, is the first step for sure. And do you, and on, on that note with the, what was the word I know I have it written here, zero escaping with zero escaping. Do you feel like that is a trend that's on the rise or is it popular?
Speaker 4 (13:48):
So we used to do garden tours every year and we would take, you know, a hundred to 150 people around a day and show these different gardens. And I would say it was on the rise and I think it is, as people are more environmentally conscious. Also I think vegetable gardening is on the rise, which is also good, really cuts down on greenhouse gases and shipping. We definitely support local gardening. That's that is important too. Does use water, but you know, you can use rainwater collect rainwater in barrels that's important, but yeah, I think it is like, we definitely see a lot of interest in the books that we have and, you know, people asking questions. So,
Speaker 3 (14:36):
Yeah. And I think, and with, you're talking about gardening, you know, at least they're, at least they're making something that they're eating potentially, or that's good for the bees or other things. Right. I, I guess that's a question for you is my perception is that a traditional lawn is not a great thing, right? It's not a very useful thing environmentally, right. It uses a lot of resources. And, and as far as the, the ecosystem is that the case that a regular lawn is probably not the best thing to have if you're looking to save the planet.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
Yes, very much so. Because nature is diverse and we call it biological diversity or biodiversity. And that's really the critical thing. And that's what you need. You need a bunch of different types of plants you want, you know, ground covers, shrubs, trees grasses, all mixed together. You want something unique. You don't want just like a monoculture of Kentucky bluegrass. That's not gonna help bees. And I know like a lot of people are complaining right now about deer eating their daffodils and tulips and stuff. And and that's because that's where they can access. You know, if we had more local, you know, native gardens that, you know, supported nature, they would not look like one species. They would be more messy, more, more diverse.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
No, that's exciting. I think, cause in my mind is like we have to save all the water and count every drop and, and that's great, but I think it's also exciting that cause people love gardening. They love landscaping. They love, you know, shopping for those things, do some shopping and you get to, you know, save the planet and make your place look beautiful because, because he, I think a very natural landscape looks really great in a, in a house, right.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
Oh, for sure. And like a lot of people do seed swaps environment. Lethbridge does seedy Saturday, you know, you can you can share plants by like most plants. If you caught a small chunk off and plant it at your friend's house, it'll grow, plants are very resilient as long as, you know, make sure you water them whatsoever. If they're don't tolerant, they'll be fine. They're used to are less than ideal soils. They're, they're okay with that. And they'll grow really, really, really long roots to get a water and moisture in the soil. Whereas if you over-water them, they will actually, the roots will stay very small because they haven't needed to grow. So you actually want to be very careful to basically train them up to be resilient and grow those long roots.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
Okay. Is information like that in the guidebook? Or do you have information on the website about yeah.
Speaker 4 (17:21):
Yeah, for sure. And like garden again, garden centers are usually very helpful. Like green Haven for example, has a lot of native plants and now like nowadays you can order a lot of stuff online too, like native plant. So yeah. I have to think about like, what would nature do and then do that and you'll have great success because you're acting in a way that supports what would be here normally that, you know, kind of paved over and taken away. But we can put a lot of it back if we want to.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
And will that have a difference on climate change if everyone replaced their lawn with indigenous plants or is it, is it, is that not effective enough? We do. We need to go somewhere else with that? Well, I think
Speaker 4 (18:08):
It would have some impact on resilience, right? Like, you know, when we're expecting a lot more droughts with climate change in Lethbridge, so your blondes like probably going to die or you're going to have to really water it a lot, which probably don't want to do so if you have a native ecosystem going on in your yard instead, that will be really resilient and it will also soak up water and like say you had a flooded yard. It would be resilient to that. It wouldn't rotten and you know, it wouldn't have to replace it. The plants would be more resilient. And they, they wouldn't like wash away or get moldy. But in terms of like reducing greenhouse gases, it's probably not like a huge impact, but again, if you're growing your own food there, you could have a big impact because a lot of greenhouse gases come from the shipping of our food around the whole
Speaker 3 (19:06):
World. Okay. So talk, tell me more about that. So would you just recommend everyone has their own garden then? Oh,
Speaker 4 (19:13):
Certainly. I think the benefits of that are enormous. Like not just for you know, saving greenhouse gases, but like for mental health, like it's shown, you know, spend time outdoors doing stuff like gardening perfect for our own benefit. Nevermind the planet. And so he was like a win-win you can't lose.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
Yeah. Yeah. We love gardening. It's great. Just the whole experience. And I love just the taste of it. You know, the freshness of it, like you said, it's not traveling long distances, so
Speaker 4 (19:40):
Yeah. Yeah, exactly. And like, you can grow what you like, you have lots of it. Get some rain barrels to maximize how much rain you can use on your vegetables. So you're not using treated water and it's better for the plants. Like rainwater is like a magic elixir for plants.
Speaker 3 (19:59):
And why is that?
Speaker 4 (20:00):
I don't know exactly. I haven't looked at that up, but it's like just the, something, the, the stuff in the rainwater is, is different than like our chlorinated treated water. It's it's you can tell the difference when you use it.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
Yeah. Because my assumption is that water that's meant for drinking is treated, so it's safe to drink. That isn't necessarily good for the plants.
Speaker 4 (20:25):
Yeah. Like it's fine for the plants, but it doesn't have all those like natural compounds in it that we take out because they may not be safe to drink, but they're perfectly fine for your plants. Yeah. And there's some magic in nature, right. Like that we can explain.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
Yeah. And like you talked about like nature doesn't have any waste. It just, it, it works in, in, in harmony as well. Right. Where we kind of just mow things over and do our things. So, yeah. So I think based on what we've talked about today, people can get more back to nature, right. Have more indigenous plants, plant some food as well, grow some of their own food that would help as well. And runoff water. We don't want that. We don't want that going into our rivers.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
So yes. Pick up your pet poop. There
Speaker 3 (21:08):
We go. Well, yeah, that's been very informative. Shannon. Thanks so much for talking to me today and you're welcome. Thank you for sure. All right. That was my conversation with Shannon. Frank. Two things stood out for me in talking with her. One was the runoff from the streets. It goes right into the river. What's that all about? And also how much water agriculture uses. I had no idea. So those are my two things. What were your favorite parts? All right. That's all for me. I'm Michael Bartz. Here’s to feeling a little less in over our heads when it comes to saving the planet. We'll see you again. Soon.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
[Inaudible]
Speaker 3 (22:06):
In over over my head was produced and hosted by Michael Bartz. sound engineering by Rodrigo Henriquez. Original music by Gabriel Thaine special, thanks to Lisa Pruden and Jessica Gibson.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
This program was produced with a support of Telus.