Water connects every part of life
From mountain headwaters to farms, towns, and cities downstream, the Bow supports drinking water, food production, businesses, wildlife, and the places people call home. What happens along one part of the river can affect communities and landscapes much farther downstream.
Bow & Beyond follows the Bow River and nearby watersheds, bringing landowners, communities, and partners together around the water and the lands connected to it. Western Sky explores voluntary, practical options that help keep these places intact, connected, and working over time.
Bow & Beyond follows the Bow River and nearby watersheds, bringing landowners, communities, and partners together around the water and the lands connected to it. Western Sky explores voluntary, practical options that help keep these places intact, connected, and working over time.
Bow & Beyond at a glance
These figures show the range of places, relationships, and natural features connected through Bow & Beyond.
Bow & Beyond has grown through voluntary relationships with landowners and communities.
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Much of the work focuses on land close to rivers and streams, where vegetation can slow runoff, hold riverbanks together, shade water, and connect habitat.
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About 60 acres of shifting river islands near Carseland show why healthy rivers need room to move.
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Recorded at the 59-acre Nutrien Nodwell Nature Preserve, these plants support wildlife throughout the year.
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What healthy river systems make possible
A river is shaped by more than the water between its banks. Wetlands, grasslands, floodplains, forests, farms, ranches, and communities all shape what happens upstream and downstream.
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After heavy rain Wetlands, floodplains, and low-lying areas can temporarily hold rain and snowmelt. When water moves more slowly, creeks, roads, fields, and drainage systems have more time to carry it. Around farms and ranches Farms and ranches depend on healthy soil, dependable water, and room to adapt. Caring for riverbanks and grasslands can reduce erosion, support pollinators, and help keep working lands productive. |
Between rains Healthy soil, deep roots, and shaded riverbanks can hold moisture longer and release it gradually. This helps grass remain productive and keeps water available to livestock and wildlife between rains. For wildlife and people Connected river corridors give wildlife room to feed, nest, shelter, and move. They also carry family memories, local knowledge, and places people value, even when much of the land remains privately owned. |
Many places, one connected system
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What happens on one property can influence neighbours, wildlife, and communities downstream. Keeping a river healthy does not depend on one parcel or one standard solution. It grows through many voluntary choices made over time.
Western Sky starts by listening to what matters to each landowner and learning how the land and water function together. We explore practical options, complete the research and agreements required, and remain involved through ongoing relationships and care. |
Stories along the water
Bow & Beyond is not one project or one stretch of river. It is a growing network of relationships and places, each with its own history, purpose, and path forward.
Bruce Islands
Shaped by the river Three islands in the Bow River near Carseland are continually reshaped by powerful currents. Trees, shrubs, and native grasses provide habitat for pelicans, songbirds, waterfowl, deer, beaver, and amphibians. Accessible only by water, Bruce Islands shows why caring for a river can also mean giving it room to move. |
Nutrien Nodwell Nature Preserve
Where prairie meets the river Beside Wyndham-Carseland Provincial Park, 59 acres of mixed-grass prairie, river slopes, and riverbank habitat connect with a much larger landscape. Nearly 300 native plant species have been recorded here, alongside wildlife present throughout the year. |
Grace Upon Grace
Where working lands meet the river valley Grace Upon Grace brings grazing land, naturalized grasslands, and forest together within an active farming region. Upper grasslands descend through aspen, Saskatoon, and chokecherry to spruce, pine, and balsam poplar near the river. |
Alequiers
Where land and history remain connected Near Longview, Alequiers includes 75 acres of river habitat, mixed forest, grassland, and an original homestead cabin dating to 1900. Elva and Paul Dennis gifted the property to Western Sky in 2019, carrying forward its agricultural value, natural features, and Alberta history. |
Highwood Ridge Farm
A working farm beside the Highwood Highwood Ridge Farm combines productive hayland with riverbank forest, coulees, and grass- and shrub-covered slopes. It remains an active agricultural property while providing habitat for grassland birds and other wildlife. |
Along the Ghost River
A family legacy In the MD of Bighorn, 55 acres of mountain forest, steep river slopes, and riverbank habitat were cherished by the Manning family for generations. Their gift carries forward a family connection shaped by hiking, fishing, and horseback riding while providing habitat for wildlife. |