Head out to the Wheatland County municipal office today as Wheatland County is celebrating water week. Today from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. there will be a booth display, along with county staff to answer questions about programs and services offered through the county.

There are refreshments on hand and great tips about how to conserve water in your home and about provincially, or federally funded water programs for ratepayers.

Water Week, the third week in March, coincides with World Water Day on March 22.

According to Wheatland County’s Sarah Schumacher, “At our water week celebration at Wheatland County we have information about the watersheds that Wheatland County falls within, as well as some of the issues that are of concern in the watershed.”

She explained that there are programs available to landowners like the Crowfoot Creek Watershed funding, or Wheatland Safe Water Wells Action Program, and the Wheatland Agriculture Stewardship Program.

Schumacher explained that the county has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the ALUS Canada Program.

ALUS, or Alternative Land Use Services Canada is a program that pays for marginal farmland.

“This is a program that funds ecological goods and services on agricultural farm land. It’s funded by the Weston Foundation and about 50 other sources as well,” she said.

“It’s funding the conversion of marginal farm land into productive ecological areas, either using offsite watering systems, for livestock, or replanting saline areas, pollinator habitats, protecting riparian areas, or wetlands,” she said.

The program pays landowners annually per acre at fair market value.