Diving into Alberta’s Watershed with Dr. Uldis Silins

In this episode of Forestry Talks, host Aspen Dudzic sits down with Dr. Uldis Silins, Professor of Forest Hydrology at the University of Alberta, for a fascinating conversation about one of the most important and often underappreciated parts of forest management: water.

Dr. Silins shares how Alberta’s forests play a critical role in storing, filtering, and delivering water across the province, and why disturbances like wildfire, harvesting, and recreation can all influence watershed health in very different ways. From mountain headwaters to downstream communities, this episode explores how complex water systems really are and why long-term research matters.

Aspen and Dr. Silins also dig into the lasting effects of wildfire on streams, sediment and aquatic ecosystems, the role of best management practices in forestry, and how Alberta’s geology creates very different watershed responses than other regions like Colorado. It’s a thoughtful, science-driven look at how forests, fire, and water are deeply connected in Alberta.

The Alberta Forest Products Association (AFPA) is a non-profit association that has been the voice of the sustainable forest industry in Alberta since 1942. Alberta's forest industry supports over 31,500 jobs and generates $5.8 billion in provincial GDP.

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