News Release: New Report finds Widespread Disturbance to Trout Critical Habitat from Logging in Alberta’s Eastern Slopes

April 15, 2026

Pelltier Creek cutblock. PHOTO © C.Hunter

Calgary, AB – April 15, 2026. A field review published by Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA) has documented widespread disturbance to critical habitat for Threatened trout species in the upper Oldman watershed, raising serious concerns about forestry practices and the effectiveness of regulatory oversight in Alberta’s Eastern Slopes.

AWA’s report presents evidence of impacts to habitats protected under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). These include inadequate or missing riparian buffers, ineffective erosion and sediment control measures, and sediment entering streams designated as critical habitat for Bull Trout and Westslope Cutthroat Trout. Under SARA, it is illegal to destroy any part of the critical habitat of listed species at risk.

The report found that 41 percent of crossings assessed showed evidence of erosion and sediment reaching mapped critical habitat, a well-documented threat to trout survival and recovery. Fine sediment can degrade spawning habitat, reduce food availability, and increase mortality in juvenile fish.

Our findings show a consistent pattern of disturbance in areas that are defined as critical habitat. “Buffers that were meant to separate streams from logging effects were found to be either cut over or not wide enough at sites throughout the watersheds assessed by the review. In addition, 87 percent of the stream crossings assessed had erosion and sedimentation controls that were either missing, ineffective, or lacked even basic maintenance,” said Matt Coombs, Director and Fisheries Biologist at Fintegrate Fisheries & Watersheds Consulting Ltd.

These findings add to a growing body of evidence from other conservation organizations, including the recent work by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – Southern Alberta Chapter (CPAWS SAB), which documented similar concerns related to erosion, sedimentation, and loss of critical habitat linked to forestry activities in the Eastern Slopes.

“This important work reveals a systemic failure to protect habitats in our headwaters. It should serve as a wake-up call that reform is urgently needed to prevent the loss of our threatened native trout species,” said Josh Killeen, Conservation Science & Programs Manager at CPAWS SAB. Together, these independent reports point to recurring shortcomings in the protection of aquatic species at risk across the region.

Observations from this review raise serious concerns as to whether the forestry industry is meeting even the minimal requirements of the operating ground rules. Therefore, AWA is calling for an independent review of timber harvest operating ground rules, as well as stronger regulatory oversight and enforcement to ensure compliance with federal and provincial legislation intended to protect native trout habitat.

“Protecting critical trout habitat is not optional — it is a legal requirement and a necessary condition for species recovery,” said Cameron Hunter, Conservation Specialist at Alberta Wilderness Association. “Without meaningful changes, we risk continued loss of habitat and further declines in Alberta’s native trout populations.”

For more information on the sites assessed, you can visit our Logging Review Assessment Sites Map.

For more information please contact:

Cameron Hunter, cs3@abwild.ca

Pamela Narváez-Torres, cs2@abwild.ca

Background and highlights from AWA’s report

Alberta Wilderness Association conducted a field review of timber harvest practices in the Livingstone River and Racehorse Creek watersheds in the upper Oldman headwaters.
The review assessed the impacts of logging at 496 sites within or around critical habitat for Threatened Westslope Cutthroat Trout and Bull Trout. Across these sites, 667 issues related to forestry activities were documented.
The assessment focused primarily on areas where logging occurred after the 2015 and 2021 critical habitat protection orders were put in place (see below).
The issues most commonly identified involved riparian buffers (57 percent) and erosion and sediment control (29 percent).
Both Westslope Cutthroat Trout and Bull Trout are designated Threatened species under Alberta’s Wildlife Act and Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA).
Under SARA, critical habitat refers to the habitat that is necessary for the survival or recovery of a listed wildlife species.
The critical habitats for Westslope Cutthroat Trout and Bull Trout were identified in 2014 (updated 2019) and 2020, respectively, with protection orders coming into place in 2015 and 2021.
SARA makes it illegal to destroy any part of the critical habitat of a listed species.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is the responsible authority for the protection, recovery and conservation of all listed aquatic species a risk in Canada.
In 2025, DFO issued a SARA permit authorizing the destruction of critical habitat at 62 crossings for planning timber harvest operations in the upper Oldman watershed.