Ecosystem-based management is not a new concept but its widespread acceptance and implementation by resource managers in Saskatchewan has just begun. It involves both conservation of resources to sustain the provision of products from the ecosystem to society, as well as the management and adaptation of human and natural events to protect or conserve the structures and functions of an ecosystem which conveys upon itself resilience and the capacity for renewal. The ecosystem management approach presents itself as a new paradigm that challenges the environmental, social and economic values of many of our past and present land, flora and fauna, and water use practices. Among the important ecosystem components which have been substantially altered by past practices are riparian habitats. This presentation attempts to identify the importance of riparian areas and their associated aquatic habitats, to identify the major causes of riparian habitat loss, and to provide some suggestions for maintaining and restoring riparian area structure and function in all watersheds of Saskatchewan.