Official publication of the Manitoba Conservation Districts Association 2015 Edition
Water Management, Erosion Control and Fish Enhancement
Wetlands Matter!
Environmental Farm Plans Demonstrate Farmers’ Commitment to the Environment Find us on:
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In This Issue From the Minister of Conservation and Water Stewardship.................................... 5 From the Chair of the Manitoba Conservation Districts Association........................ 5 Considering Bathymetric Surveys When Preparing CD Budgets ........................... 6 A Tribute to Conservation District Members Passed .............................................. 7 A Different Evil This Spring..................................................................................... 8 EICD leads the way with LiDAR mapping of Manitoba ......................................... 10 Water Management, Erosion Control and Fish Enhancement ..............................11
A Different Evil This Spring Pg. 8
Conservation Districts Critical Partners in IISD’s Cattail Research ...................... 13 Demonstrating Polycrops ..................................................................................... 14 Pelly’s Lake Watershed Management Area Operational At Last .......................... 15 Looking to the Future Through the Present .......................................................... 17 Ecosystem Services: Products of the Land .......................................................... 19 Seek and You Shall Find ...................................................................................... 20 PVCD Conducts A Water Quality Survey Of Swan Lake ...................................... 21 Local Farmers Initiate Grassroots Project ............................................................ 23
Water Management, Erosion Control and Fish Enhancement Pg. 11
Peak Flow Reduction with Earthen Dam .............................................................. 24 TMCD Water Storage Program ............................................................................ 26 Recognizing the Decision Makers ........................................................................ 27 Programs Delivered in 2015 ................................................................................. 28 Wetlands Matter!................................................................................................... 29 A Renewed Approach to Shale Management ....................................................... 31 Making the Best Use of Every Acre ...................................................................... 33 Environmental Farm Plans Demonstrate Farmers’ Commitment to the Environment ���� 34
The Current is published annually as the official publication of Manitoba Conservation Districts Association. It features editorials from many of the 18 Conservation Districts within Manitoba. Edited by Shane Robins, Executive Director Printing by PrintWest Enquiries can be submitted to info@mcda.ca, 204.570.0164, Manitoba Conservation Districts Association, Unit 4, 940 Princess Ave., Brandon, MB R7A 0P6. www.mcda.ca For permission to reproduce any material in The Current please contact MCDA.
PVCD Conducts A Water Quality Survey Of Swan Lake Pg. 21
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Unless indicated otherwise, or as part of an advertorial, all photos have been provided courtesy of the Conservation Districts.
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How to Contact Us •
The Pas
Kelsey
Swan Lake •
Swan River
•
Conservation District
Manager
Office Location
Office Number
Alonsa
Shawn Gurke
Alonsa
(204) 767-2101
Assiniboine Hills
Neil Zalluski
Baldur
(204) 535-2139
Cooks Creek
Colin Gluting
Bird’s Hill/Oakbank
(204) 777-2223
East Interlake
Armand Belanger
Gimli
(204) 642-7578
Intermountain
Jeff Thiele
Ethelbert
(204) 742-3764
Kelsey
Shawn Sexsmith
The Pas
(204) 623-3353
La Salle Redboine
Justin Reid
Holland
(204) 526-2578
Lake of the Prairies
Adam Kerkowich
Inglis
(204) 564-2388
Little Saskatchewan River
Colleen Cuvelier
Oak River
(204) 566-2270
Pembina Valley
Cliff Greenfield
Manitou
(204) 242-3267
Seine Rat River
Jodi Goerzen
La Broquerie
(204) 424-5845
Swan Lake Watershed
Brent Erlendson
Swan River
(204) 734-9550
Turtle Mountain
Yasemin Keeler
Deloraine
(204) 747-2530
Turtle River Watershed
Jody Tucker
Ste. Rose du Lac
(204) 447-2139
Upper Assiniboine River
Ryan Canart
Miniota
(204) 567-3554
West Interlake Watershed
Linda Miller
Lundar
(204) 762-5850
West Souris River
Dean Brooker
Reston
(204) 877-3020
Whitemud Watershed
Chris Reynolds
Neepawa
(204) 476-5019
Ethelbert
Intermountain
•
•
Inglis
Lake of the Prairies
Riding Mountain National Park
Little Saskatchewan
Upper Assiniboine •
Alonsa
Miniota
•
Oak River
Ste. Rose du Lac
Turtle River
•
Alonsa
•
Lundar
West Interlake
East Interlake •
Gimli
Whitemud
Neepawa •
•
Winnipeg
Brandon •
West Souris
• •
•
Deloraine
Turtle Mountain 4
La Salle - Redboine
Assiniboine Hills
Reston
The Current 2015
Oakbank
Cooks Creek
Holland
•
La Broquerie
Seine - Rat
Baldur
•
Manitou
Pembina Valley
From the Minister of Conservation and Water Stewardship
I
would like to congratulate the Manitoba Conservation Districts Association for organizing and hosting your 40th Annual Conference, celebrating their 40 years of collaboration in our watersheds. Forty years of working collaboratively to improve the local landscapes is a milestone to be proud of.
Manitoba’s long-standing watershed management partnership with the 18 conservation districts has provided an avenue for grassroots decisions-making to address community and watershed priorities. A watershed approach to better management of surface water is one of the strengths of the Conservation District Program. Keeping Water on the land when and where it is possible and practical benefits all Manitobans - through f lood mitigation, drought resilience, reducing nutrient loading to lakes and rivers, and enhancing aquatic and wildlife habitat.
Conservation districts have been leaders in advancing a watershed approach for over forty years, and pay a vital role in bringing communities and people together to identify opportunities to better manage our water resources. The continued success of the Conservation Districts Program is dependent on this ability to form partnerships and bring people together. I look forward to continuing our good work together with the conservation districts to keep water on the land and offer programs to both rural and urban landowners that benefit our watersheds. Once again, congratulations on your efforts in organizing and hosting the upcoming conference. Best wishes for a successful event again this year. Honourable Tom Nevakshonoff, Minister of Conservation and Water Stewardship
From the Chair of the Manitoba Conservation Districts Association
T
he Manitoba Conservation Districts Association (MCDA) is very pleased to be celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year. MCDA was formed in 1975 when the Turtle River and the Whitemud Conservation Districts, which had formed a few years earlier, realized there would be an advantage in having an organization to share issues, concerns and to host a fall convention /conference to showcase their achievements. This year’s conference title “A Celebration of our Watershed Successes” is a fitting title as we certainly do have much to celebrate. The CD program is a true Manitoba success story with thousands of projects completed and great programs being offered to our residents and agricultural producers, all to improve watershed health.
by many other environmental partners. To help us celebrate, this year’s conference committee has a great line up of speakers, with keynote presentations by Jay Ingram from Discovery Channel and the founder of Living Land and Water, Chad Pregracke . MCDA has grown to become a strong voice of the Conservation Districts under the leadership of great executives and board members over the past 40 years. In closing I would like to thank and congratulate all CD board members and staff, past and present for your dedication and hard work, which has made the CD program and MCDA the success that it is. I feel truly privileged and honoured to have had the opportunity to serve as Chair of such a great organization.
Our annual conference has grown from a gathering of Conservation District staff and board members to be one of the premier watershed events in western Canada, attended
Sincerely, Heather Dalgleish Chair of the Manitoba Conservation Districts Association WWW.MCDA.CA
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Assiniboine Hills Conservation District
Considering Bathymetric Surveys When Preparing CD Budgets Neil Zalluski, District Manager of Assiniboine Hills Conservation District
T
he Assiniboine Hills Conservation District (AHCD) were project leads partnering with Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship in conducting Bathymetric Surveys on Pelican, Rock Lake. The surveys were funded through the Manitoba Fisheries Enhancement Fund (FEF) and the work was contracted out to AAE Tech Services. Using BioSonics MX Echosounder with Visual Acquisition 6 Software was used to create high quality Bathymetric maps. The reason for the study on these two prairie lakes was to check the depths against previous surveys done in the 1980`s by the Province of Manitoba. Infilling of deposition resulting in dimensioning water levels hurting fish survival but, also providing the AHCD with possible areas of interest when preparing yearly budgets and work plans. Along with depth readings plant biovolume was also measured to show vegetation layer within the water body in June and August. A thick layer of biovolume on the lake has a direct correlation to nutrient loading which is a common issue with these prairie lakes. Photos of the shoreline showing general lake health were also taken and provided as visual evidence of possible project sites before even looking at the technical data. Bathymetric studies can be used to indicate issues upstream on the lake that need to be addressed if there are large deposits of shale or other sediment. That sediment is coming from somewhere this study can show where that shale is located within the water body and a look upstream of that area will usually identify an area that needs attention. The same can be said with biovolume readings if there is a high biovolume reading than most likely nutrient loading is an issue in the area upstream. Those are the two main areas that the CD can focus on mitigating.
Alonsa Conservation District
www.alonsaconservationdistrict.com 6
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AHCD has programming in place to help with protecting our water bodies from excess nutrient and increasing deposition. Those programs include; riparian fencing, off site watering systems, erosion control structures, shale traps, small dams, grassed runways, etc. For a full list of programming and to view the entire list comments/ suggestions within the reports go to www.assiniboinehillscd.ca
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Ph/Fax: 204.556.2346 Cell: 204.851.0145
Email: knottynuff@rfnow.com
A Tribute to Conservation District Members Passed
This page is dedicated to the many passionate members from our Conservation Districts who have passed away. We honor these individuals for their vision, leadership and as integral contributors to the very foundation of the CD’s.
Members Passed 2015 PVCD • Jack Peters
TRWCD • Victor Beasse
• Ken Schellenberg
WWCD Alonsa CD
• Dean Gwyer
• Bob & Margaret Campbell
• Harold Manns
• Leonard Ryznar
• Don Olsufka
LSRCD • Walter Sichewski and David Cooley
®
WWW.MCDA.CA
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Cooks Creek Conservation District
A Different Evil This Spring
Colin Gluting, District Manager of Cooks Creek Conservation District
I
n the spring of 2015 the Eastern portion of the province suffered a severe wind event that had a direct effect on the Cooks Creek Conservation District. Most of the worries around the CCCD are caused by heavy rainfall events that overwhelm our drainage network causing flooding to producers and residents. In this instance, it was the combination of extreme winds and a time of year where crops hadn’t been sown leaving topsoil vulnerable to wind erosion. The wind carried the topsoil into adjacent ditches both district and municipal. With limited funding, the CCCD does not have the ability to roll out machinery to correct the problem immediately on its own dime. With cooperation from local farmers and municipalities the District was able to provide some immediate response. The drift soil was mainly on the back slope of the drains. While it may not have caused immediate threat to water passage, the build up in the drain would only get worse as the grass and weeds would grow through in the summer. Removing the silt before any grass grew was also much easier for the contractor, which ultimately means more cost effective and a better finished product. The next board meeting after the wind event brought great discussion as to how the CCCD should be involved in such events. It was evident that the topsoil should be removed from the public drains and put back onto the adjacent field for the farmers to deal with at their convenience. The problem, of course, is who is going to pay for it and who is going to be responsible for determining which drains were top priority to get cleaned. The District maintains many of the drains already and should be involved to some degree with the coordination of the cleanouts. At the end of the day the biggest issue is the responsibility of the cost. The CCCD would like to develop a policy that will allow for immediate action in these events, one that is fair and clear to its residents. The CCCD has begun discussions with partnering municipalities on creating this policy and there seems to be a positive response thus far. The difficulty is going to be ironing out the specifics to make this initiative work effectively. Due to the nature of the erosion, it is going to be hard to determine at what state should the CD or municipality step in and determine what is too much, who needs to do something, and who will absorb the cost. The District would like to expand this idea into including other types of erosion from farmers fields. If a farmer or landowner’s field drain is eroding and creating silt beds in the District drain, someone has to remove it. The CD hopes 8
The Current 2015
it can work with its ratepayers and municipalities to create a policy that most will be in favor of. These public drains service all, and it is not in anyone’s best interest to have them plugged with silt and debris. The CCCD has benefited from its ongoing partnership with the municipalities of Springfield, Tache, Ste Anne, Brokenhead, and Reynolds. This is another opportunity to collaborate for the common good.
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9
East Interlake Conservation District
EICD leads the way with LiDAR mapping of Manitoba By Matt Allen, Interlake Publishing
T
he East Interlake Conservation District (EICD) is using Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technology to better map watershed elevation levels in the region.
LiDAR is collected by a plane with a GPS and laser unit. As the plane flies over the land it sends out a laser pulse, which then rebounds off the earth and tells the plane the elevation of the ground within centimeter accuracy. “LiDAR provides very accurate contour lines, so we know what the elevation is within each square meter within the watershed,” EICD manager Armand Belanger said in an Interlake Spectator Interview. “It’s like a 3D mapping source.” The EICD has teamed up with The International Water Institute (IWI) and the Province of Manitoba to develop a watershed planning tool that utilize this LiDAR data. “EICD with our project partners are currently creating a similar tool in the Fisher River and Icelandic River Watersheds that is successfully being used in the U.S. side of the Red River Watershed.” Belanger noted. “The International Water Institute (IWI), Houston Engineering Incorporated, the Red River Watershed Management Board, and MN’s Board of Water and Soil Resources have invested countless hours and well over $500,000 developing these innovative terrain analysis methods” Director of IWI
Charles (Chuck) Fritz explains, “Armand and the EICD team immediately understood the potential, and we have now demonstrated that the methods developed in Minnesota are totally transferable to other watersheds within Manitoba.” The next steps for the LiDAR mapping tool will be to designate personal to process all the LiDAR collected in Manitoba. “I hope that soon these products will be developed and applied across the entire Red River and Lake Winnipeg Basin. This would then empower local entities to implement meaningful water quality projects,” Chuck says passionately. “Our goal at EICD is to reduce nutrients from reaching into Lake Winnipeg,” he noted. “Lake Winnipeg is being overloaded with phosphorous, which is a nutrient, an element of life, everything needs it to grow. We’re taking this element for granted by flushing it down the drain, not trying to recycle it. It’s also a finite resource, there’s only so much to go around. Getting into Lake Winnipeg, the phosphorous promotes the growth of algae, some of the algae is toxic.” “If you get a really thick amount of algae, then in the wintertime when the lake freezes over, the algae falls to the bottom, by decomposing the algae breaks up and takes all the oxygen, which could then kill a lake,” he cautioned. “The EICD sees the potential of using this LiDAR mapping tool to help select the projects on the land that will improve Lake Winnipeg.”
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The Current 2015
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Water Management, Erosion Control and Fish Enhancement by Aron Hershmiller, Former Manager of The Assiniboine Watershed Stewardship Association
T
he Assiniboine Watershed Stewardship Association is one of 11 established ‘Source Water Protection’ organizations in Saskatchewan. They are based out of Yorkton, SK and work to protect the source waters of the Assiniboine River, its tributaries and aquifers within the watershed.
They recently completed a multi faceted project at Good Spirit Lake. Good Spirit Lake is a large shallow lake (23,000 acres) located inside a provincial park north of Yorkton, Saskatchewan. Spirit Creek is the main tributary that feeds the lake from the north with an outlet that controls the lake water levels located on the south-east part of the lake. The water at the outlet runs through a channel and into a tributary of the Whitesand River. The control structure releases water in high water years until the lake reaches its desired level. The outlet channel is approximately two meters in depth, but over the years a six meter deep washout 70 meters by 20 meters in diameter had developed near the outlet (due in large part to the flooding the lake experienced in 2010 and 2011). Fish in the Whitesand River travel up the tributary and channel to spawn in the spring, but as summer progresses, the lake reaches its desired level and the gates are closed, this causes the channel to dewater and adult fish and fry congregate to the six meter deep washout rather than migrating back to the Whitesand River. The fish become trapped in the washout and a huge fish kill takes place if they are not removed. Seine netting has occurred every summer since 2008, recovering in excess of 5,000 young and adult Pike, Walleye, Burbot, and White Sucker in addition to hundreds of thousands of bait fish from the washout annually.
The project turned out very well, thanks in large part to the great work of the equipment contractors involved and the dedication of the project team. A HUGE ‘Thank You’ to everyone involved!
Through funding obtained from Environment Canada’s Eco-Action Program, the AWSA, along with their partners: the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation, the Water Security Agency, Good Spirit Provincial Park and the Good Spirit Lake Watershed Association Board undertook a project in September 2013 to permanently fix the scour hole problem. The goal of the project was to apply geo-engineering to fill in and armor the washout area to prevent fish from congregating and future erosion from taking place. The actual project involved several steps: •
sealing a leaking gate and installing a new gate on the outlet structure
•
pumping the water out of the scour hole
•
seine netting fish out of the scour hole and releasing them into the lake
•
filling in the hole and sloping the banks using clay
•
applying erosion-resistant geo-textile fabric over top of the clay
•
spreading pit-run gravel over top of the geo-textile
•
applying rock/boulders on top of the pit run and geo-textile
Virden 204-748-3095
Supporting Our Communities WWW.MCDA.CA
11
WATER is one of our most precious resources.
We ALL benefit from water every day.
In CANADA we have access to 20% of the world’s freshwater.
International Institute for Sustainable Development & IISD Experimental Lakes Area are working together, marrying decades of policy research and recommendations with cutting-edge research into freshwater safety to come up with solutions to safeguard our water supplies.
IISDnews 12
The Current 2015
IISD_ELA
IISD_news
iisd.org
Conservation Districts Critical Partners in IISD’s Cattail Research By Karla Zubrycki, Project and Communications Manager, Water Program International Institute for Sustainable Development
F
or nearly ten years, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) has been researching how harvesting the wetland plant, cattail, can reduce nutrient loading in watersheds while also generating benefits such as bioenergy production. Collaborations, including those with conservation districts, have been key to the growth of this work says Dimple Roy, Director of the Water Program at IISD. “To do this kind of watershed management, it’s indispensable to have partners on the ground. That’s why we find it so valuable to work with conservation districts. They’re focused on cost-effective approaches that are good for ecosystems and landowners. That’s exactly what we aim to achieve.” One major research site is in the La Salle Redboine Conservation District (LSRCD). Since 2012, IISD has been harvesting cattail at the 640-acre Pelly’s Lake to capture phosphorus. Cattails are excellent at absorbing nutrients, and harvesting permanently removes these nutrients. Using regular agricultural equipment, IISD and its partners proved that large-scale harvesting and baling of cattails is possible, knowledge that is now leading to the commercialization of cattail bioenergy products such as pellets. Justin Reid, LSRCD manager, says that with electricity and coal being the main energy sources in the area, there is increasing landowner interest. “It’s grow your own fuel.” He also says that bioenergy and nutrient capture are just some of the benefits gained by the project. “It’s a project that does everything. It encompasses all the goals we have as a conservation district – erosion control, education, landowner partnerships, groundwater recharge, flood mitigation, source water protection, surface water management, pasture management and habitat enhancement.” The Whitemud Watershed and Alonsa conservation districts are taking a different approach to cattail harvesting in 2015. Given that they have to remove vegetation from drains to prevent larger vegetation such as trees from growing, they have decided to use a ditch harvester to remove the material. “Everything we’ve done up to this point left the mowed cattail debris in the drains. Using a ditch harvester actually removes the plants from the drain, and with it the nutrients,” says Chris Reynolds, manager of the WWCD. The harvested materials will then be offered to farmers for use as feed and bedding materials. IISD will help quantify the benefits.
IISD’s first cattail harvesting project fell partially within the East Interlake Conservation District (EICD) at Netley-Libau Marsh, a wetland at the south end of Lake Winnipeg. Here, IISD Senior Research Scientist, Dr. Richard Grosshans, conducted his PhD research on the benefits of harvesting cattail. Armand Belanger, Manager of the EICD says that CD is interested in seeing this management approach grow throughout the watershed. “Nutrients are finite resources that people are taking for granted. We need to recycle it and put it back on the fields,” he says. Belanger also sees possibilities for management of plant materials other than cattail. For instance, the Interlake includes considerable grassland areas. “There is less than one per cent of tallgrass prairie left. It would be great to have a proper management regime,” he suggests. IISD has already successfully turned prairie grasses into mixed cattail-grass bioenergy pellets through a project with the City of Winnipeg. Cattails alone offers immense possibilities in the province. IISD estimates that Manitoba has at least 270,000 hectares of cattail, representing up to 3 million tonnes of plant material. In other words, given that one large cattail bale weighs one tonne, the province could have enough cattail to create 3 million cattail bales. That represents a lot of bioenergy potential and nutrient capture!
There is potential to use the approach on 2,170 kilometres of drains in the conservation districts, though only a small number will be harvested in 2015. Reynolds estimates that the up to 10,000 kilograms of phosphorus could be removed each year if all ditches were harvested. WWW.MCDA.CA
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Kelsey Conservation District
Demonstrating Polycrops
By: Shawn Sexsmith, Kelsey Conservation District Manager
T
his year has seen Kelsey Conservation District (KCD) seeding down a total of 30 acres of something we are calling a “Polycrop”. Although this is not a new concept nor invented by KCD it is still a relatively new concept and is the first time that it has been attempted or demonstrated in this area. A polycrop, or sometimes called a “cover crop”, is a mixture of many plant species that are grown together that will provide a benefit to soil health and at the same time provide forage for summer, fall and winter grazing for livestock. Plant species selected for the poly crop can vary drastically depending on the desired results and the current soil conditions. In a conventional monoculture crop all the plants roots are at the same level, competing for the same nutrients and moisture. In a polycrop because there are many different species the roots do not compete with each other as each species has its preferred growing zone in the soil profile. Some species, like the tiller radish, will send down a tap root over a meter and is able to scavenge nutrients that are lost to other plants. When the tiller radish dies and decomposes those nutrients that were mined from deep in the soil profile will now be released near the surface
and be available to the next crop to be grown, which could be a conventional cash crop. Another species of plant that is commonly seeded as part of a poly crop are legumes such as soybeans, cow peas, and clovers. These plants are able to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form of nitrogen that will be available to the next crop that is grown. When plants like these and others are grown together it can greatly reduce the amount of artificial fertilizers that need to be applied to agricultural fields. Update on Soybean trials north of 53 In 2012 Kelsey Conservation District seeded the first field scale soybeans in The Pas as part of a three year trial to determine if soybeans could be grown this far north. An average of 25 acres were seeded each year of the trial and the results proved that soybeans have the potential to be a commercial crop in this area. As of 2015 soybeans can now be insured through crop insurance and over 1,100 acres were seeded this spring by local producers. Kelsey Conservation District is no longer involved in growing soybeans but is excited at the prospects of local producers incorporating this crop into their regular rotation.
WINNIPEG 39 Eagle Drive Phone(204)697-3120 Fax(204)779-3685
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The Current 2015
La Salle Redboine Conservation District
Pelly’s Lake Watershed Management Area Operational At Last Written by J. Reid (LSRBCD) & A. Kiers-North (MCWS)
T
he La Salle Redboine CD’s Pelly’s Lake Watershed Management Project officially reached the construction stage in the summer of 2014 with the signing of the last Conservation Agreement. Construction was completed by the fall of 2014 and in the spring of 2015 the project held back its first spring melt! The reservoir filled up and the fish passage channel in the spillway started to run on March 18, 2015, and continued to run throughout the spring right up until the Grand Opening release date on June 16.
On June 16, 2015 the La Salle Redboine CD hosted the 2015 MCDA Tour and treated the tour attendees to an in depth tour of the Pelly’s Lake project area, as well as the Grand Opening of the project. The tour attendees which included project partners, municipal members, conservation district members, project landowners, and local watershed residents all came out to help celebrate as Bruce Gray, Assistant Deputy Minister for Manitoba Conservation & Water Stewardship, and Roy Wood, La Salle Redboine CD Chairman, rolled up their sleeves and turned the gate key to open the culverts and release the stored spring run-off. Tour attendees were also able to take in a cattail harvesting information session that was put on by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI). The cattail harvesting session discussed the pilot project that is currently being carried out by IISD and PAMI at Pelly’s Lake, as well as the spin-off research involving energy values, fertilizer uses, and greenhouse gas emissions that is being carried out on site as well. The potential to retain and recycle nutrients within the Pelly’s Lake WMA is being studied in this pilot project. The pilot project involves harvesting and baling the cattails growing in the Pelly’s Lake area for use as a source of renewable energy. The cattail bales can be burned as biofuel to heat local buildings, replacing coal as an energy source. The phosphorus-rich residue can then be collected and repurposed as a fertilizer, thereby closing the phosphorus loop within the watershed. Under the first phase of the pilot project, PAMI demonstrated that cattails could be harvested using conventional grain and forage equipment. When compared to previous IISD harvesting research, harvesting in the Pelly’s Lake area has the potential to remove up to 5000kg of phosphorus annually from the basin. The Pelly’s Lake sub-watershed contributes approximately 1900kg of phosphorus to Lake Winnipeg each year. Pelly’s Lake is 630 acres of historical lake and wetland area located in southern Manitoba, just southeast of Holland. Due
to its location, Pelly’s Lake is an important area in terms of watershed health, as it sits at the headwaters of the Boyne River, a waterway which flows west through Stephenfield Lake towards the town of Carman. The project is designed to use two water control structures to hold back water in the spring, back flooding up to 627 acres. The downstream retention area was constructed as a part of Phase 1 in 2014, and is holding water for the first time this spring with potential storage of 780 acre-feet. In Phase 2 of the project, a second control structure will be constructed to retain an additional 420 acre-feet of storage in the upstream wetland area. In June of each year, the water will be released gradually to act as a late season recharge for Stephenfield Lake and other downstream reservoirs. Also included in Phase 1, was the construction of an overlook park and nature trail system where local school groups, residents, and tourists can go take in a short hike, learn about the Pelly’s Lake WMA and take in the beauty of the project area with a wonderful panoramic view. The Pelly’s Lake WMA exemplifies the unique ability of Manitoba’s Conservation Districts to garner support for and develop water retention projects with multiple benefits that meet both local and provincial priorities. Because of its location upstream of Stephenfield Reservoir, Pelly’s Lake WMA contributes to many of the management goals outlined in the Stephenfield Lake Watershed Management Plan, including detaining and managing run-off to alleviate flooding, improving wetland health, providing fish and wildlife habitat, increasing water quantity by becoming a reliable source of water to recharge downstream reservoirs, and serving to increase awareness of watershed issues among watershed residents. Pelly’s Lake WMA is also an example of the type of multi-purpose water retention and storage project that will have a positive impact on the agricultural sector and the health of our watersheds, as identified in the Province of Manitoba’s Surface Water Management Strategy. WWW.MCDA.CA
15
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The Current 2015
Lake of the Prairies Conservation District
Looking to the Future Through the Present By Adam Kerkowich, District Manager of the Lake of the Prairies Conservation District
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ach year most people would agree, water tends to be the topic of conversation. Everything from precipitation amounts, lake levels, drainage issues, erosion issues, and drinking water quality among many others. Whenever you hear of these issues, they are more often then not mention in a negative way. If I have learned anything over the years, it’s that water will never make everyone happy. A big part of that comes from a lack of knowledge, or in some instances ignorance. CD’s offer a lot of education to support or improve landowner and public knowledge to be better informed and understand the environmental big picture. Conservation Districts across Manitoba have implemented a teaching aid called Water Festivals. These one or two day events are designed to target young impressionable minds. Lake of the Prairies Conservation District held its second annual Water Festival on June 23rd of 2015. We invited all of the grades 4 and 5 students from the schools within our district. Each year, the goal of the festival is to introduce kids to the importance of water, while creating a fun learning environment. We have averaged 120 students each year, for the last two years. The schools are very cooperative with us in splitting the children up. Half attend the morning session, the other half follows in the afternoon. Each student receives two hours to cycle through 8 different stations. We like to introduce a new station or two each year, as students will attend in their grade 4 and 5 year. Not every station has an educational climax. Its important to give the kids a learning break and keep things fun and active. Teachers Kay Mansell and Chris Friesen attended this event, they both indicated that this was a great experience and opportunity for so many local youths to learn about their contribution to Water Conservation. “It was brought to them in such a fun way, that we don’t know if the kids realized they were learning! We hope that our children have a chance to be involved in this program in the future.”
“As a new Watershed Planner with Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship it was quite refreshing to help out with LPCD water festival. To see the excitement and enthusiasm in the kids as they moved through each of the learning stations and interacted with support staff on various conservation topics was great to experience. The outdoor setting of the event in Asessippi Provincial Park next to Lake of the Prairies just added to the overall experience and significance of messages being delivered. And by the wetness of some of the kids cloths, they put the word water into the festival alright”, said Dale Timmerman. This year our stations were as follows: RBC Water Awareness – The Royal Bank discusses how to limit everyday water use Animal Bingo – A fun way to learn about animals Enviroscape – A visual demonstration of landscape drainage Fill your Bucket – An intense relay race Nature Scavenger Hunt – An environmentally friendly hunt, allows kids to explore nature Critter dipping – A hands on activity teaching the importance of aquatic invertebrates Boat Racing – Make your own boat and race it to the finish line Erosion Table – Another hands on activity demonstrating waters erosion capability.
Conserving good ideas. At the Manitoba Co-operator, we write about ideas. But ideas are one thing. Putting them into action is another. That’s why we’re proud to sponsor the Conservation District Awards, which recognize the Manitoba farm families who are putting ideas into action to improve their farms, their community and the environment. Information and inspiration for the Manitoba farmer since 1925. www.manitobacooperator.ca
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Responsible water stewardship is everyone’s business. Wetlands provide natural flood and drought protection as well as many other benefits to Manitobans. But these benefits are lost when small sloughs and potholes are drained. Ducks Unlimited Canada provides cash incentives to landowners and partners with Conservation Districts to restore these areas. Curious about your land’s potential? Contact Ducks Unlimited Canada today to explore your options.
1-866-251-DUCK (3825) du_brandon@ducks.ca
18
The Current 2015
Little Saskatchewan River Conservation District
Ecosystem Services: Products of the Land By: Colleen Cuvelier, Little Saskatchewan River Conservation District Manager
W
e have the mindset that land is to be used in the production of food; the meat laid out on the meat counter at the supermarket and the bread bought at the bakery. However as you drive down the highway past the golden fields of grain waving in the wind and the content cattle grazing in the pasture, recognize that the bluffs of trees and the prairie wetlands are producing goods and providing services also. Collectively called ecosystem services, natural areas provide us with everything from a glass of cold water, a scenic landscape as we drive to the lake, and not being forced from our homes during a flood. The Alternative Land Use Services program, developed by Delta Waterfowl and Keystone Agricultural Producers, has returned to its roots in the Little Saskatchewan River Conservation District. Funding announcements were made in 2014 and the work of defining the local program started in the winter of 2015. Those responsible for steering the program are a group of people comprised of representatives from the LSRCD, Delta Waterfowl, Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation, former RM of Blanshard, and the local farming community. The partnership advisory committee, as this group is called, have among their duties, the challenging tasks of setting payment rates, reviewing landowner proposals, and identifying fundraising opportunities.
the producer. Maintaining the wetlands means that the water in them will not be passed on to neighbouring landowners or affect municipal roads. The wetlands provide habitat for wildlife and recharge groundwater aquifers in an area where wells are people’s main source of water. Attitudes can change. The LSRCD, with its partners, is delivering the ALUS program, with its payment for ecosystem services to demonstrate that the land does provide more than food and fibre. To learn more about ALUS in the LSRCD visit our website, www.littlesaskatchewanrivercd.ca. Contributions to support the delivery of ALUS in the LSRCD are accepted. You will be issued a tax receipt. Please contact the LSRCD office at 204-566-2270.
Program funding was secured by Delta Waterfowl from The W. Garfield Weston Foundation and Environment Canada’s Lake Winnipeg Basin Stewardship Fund. The Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation is also contributing funding towards the annual payments made on wetlands. Priority areas are wetlands, riparian areas, and marginal cropland. A farmer submits a proposal that identifies projects that would improve the environment while fitting in with their working farm plans and what areas they want to enroll in the program. A requirement, for landowner proposals in the program, is the provision of new ecosystem services in addition to existing ones. This requirement shows the evolution of the ALUS program since it was delivered in the RM of Blanshard. Landowners, whose proposals are accepted, receive costshare funding in the establishment of new ecosystem services and an annual payment for the wetlands, riparian areas, and marginal cropland enrolled. During the 2015 field season, a project underway is the seeding down of an island of land once used for annual crop production. Surrounded by a large wetland complex the field was difficult to access and kept shrinking as the wetland expanded during the wet years. The perennial grasses and legumes will store carbon and increase biodiversity, while generating revenue for
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Seek and You Shall Find
B
lyss Pickering is a passionate advocate for nature and protecting the vital relationships between the urban and natural environments that surround us. She studies the ecological health of riparian forests around the City of Brandon, and is adding to the social and scientific knowledge associated with municipal development in these areas.
Having graduated in May, Blyss now plans to pursue a Master of Geography in Planning at the University of Saskatchewan with a focus on the social aspects of watershed planning. She is also very interested in the technology used to manage and treat waste water.
Riparian ecology, the study of land and its relationship with a river or stream, is an important consideration in Brandon’s flood-prone landscape. Through her research, Blyss is considering the health of local riparian forests, and the impact recent ecological changes have had on these regions.
Blyss credits her experience at BU with preparing her to confidently pursue graduate studies, or to embark on an interdisciplinary career path that explores the interactions between nature and our urban environments.
“The riparian forest is changing and my research will provide baseline data on the ecological integrity of these areas,” said Blyss. “My research also evaluates what the people of Brandon think and feel about this important area. I’m using a two-pronged method by approaching the area of study from both scientific and social angles, and I hope to share my findings with the City of Brandon.” Through her research in the Brandon area, Blyss has developed a keen interest in how scientific considerations interplay with social dialogue. By actively researching in the city, she has witnessed the interaction of many factors when assessing and striving to understand riparian forests.
“I can’t think of a better way to take everything that I learned in the classroom and to apply it in a practical way and in a situation where I had all the resources and support I needed to successfully complete my project,” said Blyss. “I now feel confident to pursue either graduate school or a career because I have experience working independently on a project of my own design, and seeing it through to completion.” This article first ran in the Spring 2015 issue of Alumni News, a bi-annual publication produced by the Department of Institutional Advancement.
“In its practical application, riparian ecology is one part of a broad, interdisciplinary area,” said Blyss. “In addition to getting to work with other people, I also have the opportunity to learn about a lot of different things from social issues to economics. I appreciate how challenging it is, and that it requires patient observation, humility and imagination.” Blyss’ undergraduate experience actively researching and studying this locally relevant issue has also led her to consider the value of riparian ecosystems, and how this value can, or, in many cases, can’t be quantified. “Brandon has experienced record flooding for the past few summers,” said Blyss, “and riparian ecosystems in particular play an essential role in flood mitigation and erosion control with healthier ecosystems more able to provide those ecosystem services. So even though we can’t qualify these services, we are still deriving benefits from them.” Her honours thesis supervisor, Dr. Pamela Rutherford, echoes the impact of Blyss’ research which is especially relevant locally. “Blyss’ honours project provided a unique perspective of the impact of flooding on the Assiniboine River corridor in Brandon, and our attitudes toward these changes,” said Dr. Rutherford, Assistant Biology Professor at BU. “These kinds of interdisciplinary projects are extremely important for urban conservation biology.” 20
The Current 2015
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Pembina Valley Conservation District
PVCD Conducts A Water Quality Survey Of Swan Lake By Cliff Greenfield, District Manager of the Pembina Valley Conservation District
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n partnership with the Fisheries Enhancement Fund, Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship, Pembina Valley Conservation District hired AAE Tech Services to carry out surveys on the bathymetry (the study of “beds” or “floors” of water bodies), substrate composition, vegetation, water quality and riparian habitat on Swan Lake. The study provides scientific information that help Conservation Districts and other leaders in the watershed make informed decisions intended to improve Swan Lake for all stakeholders, including residents, recreational visitors, and the aquatic inhabitants themselves. “Swan Lake is one of the three large Pembina River lakes in this region facing similar challenges the lake. In conjunction with the survey, water quality testing and visual documentation of the lake’s riparian areas have also provided key information about the current state of the lake. The data on lake bathymetry and substrate will be used as a baseline to monitor sedimentation and infilling over time. Baseline information collected in this study will be used to:
to Lake Winnipeg, as they are relatively shallow lakes in a prairie landscape and have excess nutrients. Fishing has been great at these lakes at times and challenging at other times and we want to work with stakeholders to improve that. To move forward you need some baseline information to know where you are and some expert advice on steps to take and this study gives us that.” comments PVCD Manager Cliff Greenfield. The main component of the survey was to provide maps of the key characteristics, including water depth, substrate, and vegetation characteristics in high detail across
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Summarize current conditions
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Determine the most effective restoration efforts
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Enable monitoring of progress during restoration
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Allow assessment of sedimentation rates
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Provide bathymetric maps to lake users
For a list of recommendations as per the Study, or to review or download the study, visit www.pvcd.ca.
West Souris River Conservation District www.wsrcd.com
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Seine Rat River Conservation District
Local Farmers Initiate Grassroots Project By Alan Wiebe, Watershed Assistant of the Seine-Rat River Conservation District December Site Visit The windows of our truck are starting to get frosty by the time we get to our project site north of Ste. Anne, Manitoba. It’s an icy morning and a blast of winter air stings my face as I step out of the cab. The rumble of diesel engines echoes across the prairie landscape as Fast Brothers Ltd. of Blumenort excavate the Edel water retention project. The Edel Retention will be a kilometre-long dike constructed in a low area of land belonging to Grant and Ralph Edel. Last week, a sense of urgency swept through our office when our previous contractor pulled out of this project at the last minute, leaving our staff and board scrambling to retender the contract. The Fast brothers stepped up in time when a sudden break in the weather gave us a window of opportunity to complete the project just days before Christmas. The push to meet our deadline now looked hopeful, much to the satisfaction of our project partners, including landowners Grant and Ralph Edel. Grant and Ralph Edel The Edels have operated a family-run farm here for nearly 20 years. They have always held a deep respect for the environment because their livelihood is closely connected to the health of their land. The Edels completed a voluntary manure management plan and were part of the first Environmental Farm Planning workshops in 2013. They continue to work hard to follow these plans to make sure their land is sustainable for future generations. In 2014, the Edels also recognized an opportunity to use some of their land to store water. The Edel Water Retention Project Comes to Fruition The water that flows over the 320-acre area of Edel land drains into a tributary of the Seine River, known as the 48 North Waterway. This major drain commonly overflows in spring and during floods in the summer, washing out roads, threatening homes, eroding the shoreline and picking up debris along the way. The Edel Retention is designed to hold water back on their pasture and hay land for 72 hours before slowly releasing it into the 48 North Waterway. The project will reduce the risk of flooding by controlling how much water is being carried through the drain. The Seine-Rat River Conservation District (SRRCD) has identified water flowing into the 48 North Waterway as an issue of concern.
“We were looking for water storage options when Grant approached us with the idea to hold water on his land,” said Art Bergmann, Reeve of the RM of Ste. Anne and chair of the Lower Seine River Watershed District. This project was funded by Growing Forward 2, a federalprovincial-territorial initiative and implemented by the SRRCD board and staff with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Victoria Day Deluge Response to the Edel Retention project has been positive. A deluge of rain over the Victoria Day long weekend put the retention to task after a dry spring. We were relieved to see that the retention had performed as designed under the stress of this flood that would have otherwise inundated the local area and washed out Road 48 North. Skeptical onlookers and curious neighbours saw the retention exceed their expectations and appreciated having access to their homes throughout this flood. Grassroots Success Completing the Edel Environmental Farm Plan opened the door for more project funding opportunities, including erosion control on the Edel Retention, riparian fencing and an offsite watering system. Grant and Ralph Edel are enthusiastic innovators with expert knowledge of their local landscape and farming operation. The SRRCD is pleased to do the legwork behind the resource planning and management needed to secure project funding for landowners, allowing them to focus on doing what they do best. Grant and Ralph Edel began a sustainable grassroots project that transformed their landscape to benefit downstream neighbours, improved the health of their watershed and increased the production capacity of their farming operation. The Edel project site gives meaning to the value of cultivating strong relationships through well-designed projects. The site is something to be proud of. We hope it will inspire sustainable innovation through similar grassroots projects. WWW.MCDA.CA
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Swan Lake Watershed Conservation District
Peak Flow Reduction with Earthen Dam
By Brent Erlendson, District Manager of the Swan Lake Watershed Conservation District
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he Swan Lake Watershed exhibits steep topography, at times resulting in very fast flows. This means the design and construction of water retention structures in the watershed need to be of considerable size. According to Provincial data provided for our Integrated Watershed Management Plan for the Swan Lake Watershed, reducing peak flows for a 1 in 10 year flood event would require 11,770 acrefeet of water storage. Increased land values and reduction in smaller to medium sized livestock operations has resulted in more land clearing and less forage acres resulting in increased flows with spring runoff and higher rainfall events. The District was very fortunate to receive funding from Lake Winnipeg Basin Stewardship Fund to construct a large dam in a marsh wetland area that has high flow volumes at spring runoff and higher rainfall events and has an upstream drainage area of approximately 758 acres. The wetland, lowland area is significant in size on the site as seen in picture #2 looking upstream from the top of the dam. Picture #1 shows the dam and the line on the top to more clearly define from surrounding landscape. Top of dam is 85 meters in length and 4.7 meters in height from bottom of intermittent riverine wetland. The structure at full capacity is designed for 37 ac feet retention. It has an overflow located above the 1100 mm culvert and can hold back peak flow for 14 ½ hours before going over overflow. The option exists to hold back up to 37 ac feet in dryer years by holding back flow to full storage. We were fortunate to have East Interlake Conservation District assist in GNSS survey and digitizing data on a few sites to arrive at the material volumes and acre feet of storage. C
It is difficult to find locations that are suitable and cost M effective. The District was fortunate to locate a site less Y than 1 km away where 6240 yards of excellent clay could CM
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The Current 2014
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Turtle Mountain Conservation District
TMCD Water Storage Program
By Kristine Buhler, Resource Technician for the Turtle Mountain Conservation District
T
he Turtle Mountain Conservation District works with landowners to create water storage areas that support our Surface Water Management objectives. Some examples include: small dams for water storage; backflood dams to relieve downstream pressure and to increase soil moisture; and small control structures to aid with downstream flooding and heavy rains. Several large and high benefit structures were built when the Conservation District was new and the construction costs were low such as: The Ramsay Dam was constructed in 1994 and holds 55 acre-feet of permanent storage. It was built to benefit local wildlife, to provide a water reservoir for the local residents as well as a water storage area for livestock use, recreation, domestic and industrial supply. The storage area is drained in fall to allow for new water storage volumes in spring; located in the Waskada Creek Sub-Watershed and is situated on the Waskada Creek tributary. The Adair Dam or formerly known as Dooley’s Coulee Retention Facility was constructed in 1985 within the Chain Lakes Sub-Watershed. Designed as a water retention facility to provide flood protection, erosion control and wildlife habitat, it boasts 850 acre-feet of maximum storage. There were some minor repairs on the spillway required in the previous year, 2014; however, after substantial rainfall the spillway was in dire need of repair once again. The storage area was drained last fall to alleviate further pressure on the spillway and the valve was found to be needing repairs; spillway repairs also took place this spring, 2015. Derksen-Heide Reservoir, located in the Whitewater Lake Sub-Watershed, was constructed in 1990 for run-off regulation of the Zetterstrom Creek. It also serves as a raw water supply tank load facility; with about 300 acre-feet of water storage covering 36 acres of land. There is public access to the reservoir. Aerators have been installed recently to increase oxygen levels and to support a sport fishery. The reservoir will be stocked with Northern Pike in Spring 2016. L6 is a dry dam built to the south of a municipal road in the Medora Creek Sub-Watershed; its purpose is flood mitigation and erosion control within the Medora Creek tributary. It temporarily stores up to 325 acre-feet of water which is emptied via a drop-inlet culvert. This design is the basis of a similar 2015 project proposed in a ravine located in the Whitewater Lake Sub-Watershed. It will be a temporary water storage area that will serve as a flood mitigation tool with the Municipality of Deloraine-Winchester. This structure will also slow down the flow of water from the Turtle Mountains
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The Current 2015
into the Medora Creek, acting as flood protection for the Town of Deloraine. With storage capabilities ranging in size from as little as 3 acre-feet of water, to over 1000 acre feet, water storage basins provide a host of benefits and possibilities; including: round water recharge, irrigation, stock watering, domestic water use, fire protection, wildlife and fisheries, recreation, flood and erosion control
Turtle River Watershed Conservation District
Recognizing the Decision Makers
By Lisa Lepla, Administrator for the Turtle River Watershed Conservation District Joe Felix - Board and Sub District #46 Member 1989 – 2014 Victor Beasse - Board and Sub District #45 Member 2000 – 2014 Throughout my many years with the Turtle River Watershed Conservation District, I have witnessed vast changes not only to the actual program but also with our dedicated group of individuals responsible for the grassroots decision-making that enables the program to exist on the landscape. Yes, we are all aware of the importance of our provincial counterparts in all aspects of support; however, it is the group of individuals appointed to our respective CD’s by our local member municipalities that provide the “cog in the wheel” so to speak. Without their involvement, there simply would not be a CD program. For the past 25+ years, as in all of the CD’s, there have been a number of members who have been with the program for long periods and those who have only been involved for a short time; but the dedication and vested interest in the program by all of them is duly noted. One of the most well-used phrases in the CD program goes something like this – “Local DecisionMaking by Local People”. This has always been something that the Turtle River CD has strongly promoted and supported. These are men and women who have taken the initiative and responsibility to put in that extra time and effort required.
Photo Taken at Treeplanting on June 8, 2015 L to R - front row: Victor Beasse, Lisa Lepla, Denis Maguet, Kelvin Code, Joe Felix L to R - back row: Paul Brunel, Armand Verhaeghe, Richard Kutcher, Jody Tucker
gentleman. He will be sorely missed but also remembered by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. Our members and staff were very fortunate in early-June to have the pleasure of spending an afternoon with Victor and his family, in the planting of an ornamental tree at our local park. This tree will stand as a reminder of Victor himself as well as his commitment and dedication to the CD program in its entirety.
This past year, the Turtle River CD experienced some change with our member base, due to the amalgamation process as well as some long-term members deciding the time had come to take a step back from the program. It is two of these members that we would like to highlight in this short article. Between these two gentlemen, we were lucky to have their vast knowledge and involvement on our Board for many years.
“I’m empty without you.”
Firstly we would mention Joseph Felix of Dauphin, Manitoba. Joe was an active member on both the Sub District #46 committee as well as the main Board for 25 years. Throughout this time, he also represented the TRWCD on various other advisory committees including the Dauphin Lake Basin and Riding Mountain National Park. This past fall, Joe made the decision to “pass the torch”. His vast knowledge of the program and contributions to both the sub district and board will be missed by all involved in our program. The second individual we would like to pay tribute to is Victor Beasse of Ste. Rose. Victor sat on both the Sub District #45 committee as well as the main Board for a total of 14 years. With Victor present for discussions, we were always assured of a well-thought, reasonable approach to any situation that arose. Due to health issues, Victor stepped down from the Board in the fall as well. We were very saddened in June of this year with the passing of this very kind and generous
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West Interlake Watershed Conservation District
Programs Delivered in 2015
By Linda Miller, District Manager of the West Interlake Watershed Conservation District
W
est Interlake Watershed Conservation District (WIWCD) continued to provide residents with multiple programs. In 2014-2015 the WIWCD provided financial assistance to 54 applicants through our Forage Seed Assistance, Sod Seeding Assistance, Off Site Winter Watering System, Well Head Protection and Low Flow Toilet Rebate Programs. In addition WIWCD transported 178 water samples and completed well inventory of 200 wells. WIWCD also accepted 215 applications for the Community Tree Nursery Program and covered the cost of 5121 tree seedlings. As the WIWCD has a limited budget some of the projects are funded with help from external funding from Lake Winnipeg Basin Stewardship Fund, Growing Forward Two Hometown Green Team and Fisheries Enhancement Fund. The WIWCD organized a Water Festival which took place on September 17, 2014. The Festival saw 160 students from Grade 1-8. This event was filled with fun and interactive stations that focus on water issues to teach through the use of games and models. There were also many volunteers that made the water festival possible. Thanks to Nature Conservancy Manitoba, Oak Hammock Marsh, East Interlake Conservation District, Shane Robins, Pat Dunlop, High School students from Ecole communautaire Aurele-Lemoine and Lundar School and Manitoba Trapper’s Association. This event was partially funded by the Lake Winnipeg Foundation. With a help from the federal Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnership Program, we were able to restore fish habitat at the Burnt Lake Drain. This Drain is a major spawning ground for many fish species, including Northern Pike, Walleye, White sucker and yellow perch. Ducks Unlimited installed the weir during 1970’s to improve the habitat for waterfowl. The fish that were upstream of the weir became trapped and spawning fish from Lake Manitoba were unable to enter the quarter section size lake created by the weir’s installation. 28
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The WIWCD constructed a three-step ladder which was designed by Mark Lowdon, Fisheries biologist for AAE Tech Services. This ladder will allow fish WIWCD board members N. Brandstrom and from Lake Manitoba H. Rosing and Selkirk-Interlake MP James to easily swim Bezan at the Ducks Unlimited weir into marsh-lined, nutrient rich lake. The ultimate goal of the WIWCD Project is to promote population growth of the various fish species. The nature-like (ladder) fishway (rock riffles and pools) will also create approximately 300 square metres of additional spawning habitat for Walleye or other fish species by utilizing the gravel and cobble substrates. The carp gate is designed and will be installed in 2015 to protect the marshland and lake area upstream from the weir. Carp are an invasive species, and they reduce water quality in smaller lakes and ponds by muddying the water due to their bottom feeding habits: the result is a decline of aquatic plants essential to waterfowl and fish.
Constructed nature-like ladder
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Wetlands Matter! By Rick Searle
F
rom one extreme to the other, from unprecedented flooding to persistent drought, climate change has got a lot of people on the prairies talking about the urgent need to start managing water differently. This is especially so in southern Manitoba. Perhaps more than any other region of the Canadian prairies, this one has bore the heaviest costs of trying to manage surface and ground water at a community or district level. This management approach ignores the reality that generally everybody lives downstream from somebody else and that what happens upstream greatly determines what happens downstream. A better approach is to manage on a watershed basis which recognizes that a local creek, river or lake is just part of a larger system that cuts across and through many jurisdictions. It has been embraced by the Red River Basin Commission and by the recently formed Assiniboine River Basin Initiative. However, there is a risk with this approach that may not be obvious. The temptation to only focus on the whole rather than the parts, if given in to, can make matters worse. As noted conservationist, Aldo Leopold, observed more than 65 years ago, the first rule of intelligent management is to keep all the pieces. One of the pieces that we haven’t done well at keeping is wetlands. Across the Canadian prairies, they have been reduced by as much as 70% to 90% with an average rate of loss around 80 acres a day. The primary cause is agricultural production, mainly for crops.
Many farmers understand and appreciate the value of wetlands and strive to be good stewards of their lands. But market forces to maximize production and minimize costs are relentless and intense. As a consequence, wetlands are too often viewed as wastelands until drained and plowed under.
But nothing could be further from the truth. Wetlands provide several extremely valuable ecological services that benefit a great many people. Members of the Manitoba Conservation District Association know this and, in part, it explains why they invest countless hours in the hard work of protecting and restoring wetlands. But the effectiveness of their labour is greatly determined by the kinds of regulations developed by senior governments as well as by the level of financial support they provide. At present, the governments of prairie provinces are in the process of developing new regulations to better manage surface water and wetlands which could make some of the work done by conservation and watershed organizations, like the MCDA, a little easier if properly enforced. However, the lack of adequate financial support remains a critical challenge for them. The political will to carry out enforcement and to provide financial support really depends on the will of the electorate. If enough voters care about an issue, elected representatives generally will listen and act on it. The problem for wetlands is that not enough voters are concerned about them, particularly among city folk. Because they do not live as close to the land, urban dwellers typically do not see or appreciate how essential wetlands are to their quality of life, whether it be clean water to drink and swim in or protection from flooding. And so it is that I’m now producing a video intended to motivate the public to become more engaged in the development of regulations for wetland protection and restoration as well as in pressing for proper enforcement and adequate funding to support the work done by organizations like the MCDA. To learn more about the production: https://www. facebook.com/pages/Saving-Canadas-Vanishing-PrairieWetlands/314524578583785 To support the project: gofund.me/prairiepotholes
40th Annual Manitoba Conservation Districts Conference December 7, 8 & 9th, 2015 Keystone Centre, Brandon, Manitoba
A Celebration of Our Watershed Successes Early Bird Conference Tickets: Includes Keynotes - Price: $235
Extra tickets: Keynote Only, Jay Ingram and Chad Pregracke - Price: $20
Ticket Deadline: November 20th, 2015
Jay Ingram
Author and host of Quirks and Quarks on CBC radio and Daily Planet on Discovery Channel Canada.
Harry Stoddard
Author of Real Dirt: An Ex-industrial Farmer’s Guide to Sustainable Eating in 2013.
Chad Pregracke
Chad was CNN’s 2013 Hero of the Year and founder of Living Land & Waters organization in Illinois.
To Register Or For Further Information Please Contact Shane Robins: Phone:(204)570-0164 • Email: info@mcda.ca • www.mcda.ca MCDA.ca 29
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Canexus Corporation 8080 Richmond Avenue East Brandon, MB R7A 7R3 204-728-3777
For 47 years, Canexus Corporation has been proud to play an important role as one of North America’s prominent chemical manufacturers. Our products are part of a multitude of goods adding to the quality of life for people around the world and we work hard to ensure the environment is protected because the earth’s air, water and soil must be safeguarded for the generations who come after us. Our success in this global industry is the result of our drive to meet the needs of our customers and is deeply rooted in the talents of our employees and the communities where we operate.
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The Current 2015
Whitemud Watershed Conservation District
A Renewed Approach to Shale Management Chris Reynolds, Manager of the Whitemud Watershed Conservation District Why would a CD maintain drainage ditches?
Tools for managing the system:
Drainage has allowed much of the prairies to be livable and workable; our society requires drainage to thrive. Unfortunately, drainage during settlement times was often carried out without fully understanding the impacts to the environment or the people.
Mowing: Mowing is the most economical form of maintenance. Mowing removes vegetation which could create snow and ice blockages, and cause more sediment deposition (resulting in the need for a more expensive cleanout). In any given year, the WWCD will mow approximately 800km of waterways.
The Whitemud Watershed Conservation District (WWCD) was formed in 1972 to manage the existing system of manmade drains within the watershed, and provide programming that could help to mitigate the problems of erosion, flooding and drought. Between 1975 and 1979, Alonsa, Cooks Creek, and Turtle River Watershed were also established with the same mandate of maintaining the man-made drainage system. Together, the four CDs became known as the “Infrastructure CDs”; managing a total of 3765km of waterways, as well as 2650 crossings. Two sides to Management: Proactive and Reactive The management of the drainage system and associated crossings is primarily a reactive approach. The system is constantly changing, so the CD must repair and replace infrastructure as necessary. However the CD also uses proactive programs to help prevent the issues, such as water storage, erosion control, and land protection programs. The advantages of CD management The main advantage of having a CD-maintained system is that water is managed consistently across jurisdictional boundaries. As the CD boards are comprised of representatives from all affected municipalities, decisions can be made with input from people upstream, downstream, and everyone in between, ensuring that our work will not have negative impacts to others; a true watershed approach. There is also the advantage of cost savings. CDs have the ability to foster many partnerships with government, landowners, and other agencies. These partnerships assist the CD financially and through in-kind work; stretching the most out of taxpayer’s dollars.
Hay Leases: Hay leases are agreements which allow landowners to cut and bale hay in the WWCD right-of-way. These agreements reduce mowing costs for the WWCD, remove nutrients from the waterway, and the lessee benefits from an economical source of feed. Cleanouts: Each year, sediment and organic material builds up in the waterways, eventually reducing capacity. A cleanouts is then necessary to restore the waterway to original condition. Small Dams and Gradient Control Structures: The WWCD has approximately 100 structures, providing different functions such as reducing velocity, preventing erosion, and recharging aquifers. It is estimated that WWCD’s structures hold back approximately 4300 acre-feet of water. Crossing Maintenance: The WWCD is responsible for approximately 1400 crossings, including 100 bridges. The WWCD has a 3-man construction crew to maintain most of the crossings. Thoughts for the Future: Although current CD Program funding is a major limiting factor to expansion into infrastructure maintenance, many other CDs have expressed their interest. Managing waterway infrastructure as part of a Conservation District’s programming makes sense both ecologically and economically. Imagine what could be accomplished if more CDs were involved.
The third advantage is that the CD can strategically manipulate the flow of water; dams and culvert crossings can be used to slow the velocity of water, and reservoirs can be created to hold excess runoff. Water can also be conveyed from areas of high erosion risk; preventing excess sedimentation and nutrient loading in lakes and rivers downstream. The effects of this management compound through the watershed; peak flows and erosion can be reduced, damages to properties and lands are reduced, and water quality can be maintained or improved. All this adds up to savings of both taxpayer dollars and protection of ecological values. MCDA.ca 31
Help tell the real story of Canadian agriculture
Be an AGvocate
Envirothon
Our industry needs more agvocates To reach its full potential, agriculture needs everyone in the industry to speak up and speak positively. Agriculture More Than Ever is an industry-driven cause to improve perceptions and create positive dialogue about Canadian ag. Together we can share the facts and stories about this vibrant and modern industry, and tell the world why we love what we do. It’s up to all of us to be agvocates and it’s easier than you think – visit AgMoreThanEver.ca and find out how you can get involved.
Manitoba Conservation Districts Association is a proud partner
Upper Assiniboine River Conservation District
Making the Best Use of Every Acre
Ryan Canart, District Manager of the Upper Assiniboine River Conservation District
W
e cannot drain and develop every acre across watersheds without significant impacts. It’s simply cause and effect. You alter a watershed enough and eventually you reach a point where severe hydrological and ecological repercussions are easy to see and to measure. You move water out of a wetland and it has to go somewhere. When you remove all of the natural vegetation, you dramatically alter where and how much snow deposits. This then affects how much moisture the ground can absorb, store and release. As with any system, when you push it past its limits, systems break down. The social and economic impacts of this system breakdown are becoming more apparent with bigger storms. We seldom attribute the costs of these breakdowns back to their root cause, and we continue to make ourselves more vulnerable in the face of a changing climate. Rural Manitoba cannot afford to choose the status quo or continue on without a plan. Digging billion dollar ditches around the province may save Winnipeg but it doesn’t address the ecological wreck we are moving towards. The silver lining exists! There are many ways to store and manage surface water within a watershed, but we will have to rethink some of the current practices and come up with a new approach. Holdback dams hold drain water on farms, and can act as shock absorbers reducing peak flows. This practice has been proven right here in Manitoba (Tobacco Creek). Sadly we do not have enough creek bottom to get the job done. We need to look at other non-traditional methods of water storage. Holding water in the soil profile is an interesting idea. In some cases, cover crops used to improve agricultural yields also increase water holding capacity. Forage and grassland acres excel at this. They can hold much more water on the landscape than typical cultivated land. This platform opens the door for further non-traditional agriculture uses that can provide revenue and assist in flood protection. Of course “traditional” and “non-traditional “are a matter of perspective. Pioneers across the prairies would have considered an orchard as a common feature of the farmstead. Lucky for us, the varieties of fruit have been improved and expanded over the past 75 years. Apples, cherries plums and apricots, to name a few, are now readily available, winter hardy and better varieties are coming out all the time. So if bulldozing every last tree down is off the table, what then is the strategy to: 1) increase water holding acres, 2) maximize the productivity and outputs from the watershed and 3) create ecological services including cleaner water and wildlife habitat? Maybe non-conventional agriculture will play an ever increasing role in the supply of environmental goods as well as salable commodities.
Agroforestry practices such as intercropping (rows of trees within crop land) can address the three goals stated above. With interest, I have followed non-traditional or niche production models for many years. From biomass harvesting to permaculture. These models often strive to maximize biological synergies and offer much increased conservation benefits over other systems. Upper Assiniboine River Conservation District has been exploring this opportunity and I would like to highlight a couple of projects that fit within this general concept. Agricultural Greenhouse Gases Program Canada, along with over 30 other countries has collaborated on agricultural research aimed at reducing the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions. UARCD was one of 6 organizations funded to demonstrate agroforestry projects which will reduce GHG’s and improve a mixed farms bottom line. For more information I suggest researching AGGP. Growing Forward 2 – On-Farm Innovation UARCD set up an alley cropping demonstration site. The goal of the project is diversifying farm income/revenue streams and increase conservation/ecological goods and services. Store bought chemistry cannot replace healthy soil indefinitely. The ultimate goal is to increase the productivity of the per acre output, while mimicking nature’s design. Creating a more resilient farm in the face of weather and market variations. My own experience I own and manage a forage based livestock back-grounding operation. Portions of our land base have extensive wetland acres. After making the conscious decision not to drain our water onto downstream landowners, I have chosen to employ various agroforestry principles to intensify production. Planted in rows spaced to maximize their influence, tree/ shrub species were chosen for fruit production, nitrogen fixation, nectar and pollen production and growth habit. These features will help maximize my forage production, provide a larger window of pollen and nectar supply for our apiary, as well give us the opportunity to harvest fruit such as cherries, Saskatoon berries, apples and sea buckthorn berries, to name a few more. Soil data was bench marked earlier this year, as were forage yields. Intensive ‘mob grazing’ management is carried out, and will be continued for a number of years, at which time samples will be collected again. Cultivation and sowing crops between the tree rows will be employed at some point in the future, but for now I am trying to build soil and capture the synergies that occur from having the opposite of a monoculture. Ryan Canart is the manager of Upper Assiniboine River Conservation District, with an office based in Miniota. He is also the owner/operator of a farm near Elkhorn. MCDA.ca 33
Environmental Farm Plans Demonstrate Farmers’ Commitment to the Environment Courtesy of Keystone Agricultural Producers
S
ince 2004, over 6,000 producers have participated and completed environmental farm plans (EFPs) in Manitoba, assessing over 9.3 million acres of land.
So what’s the attraction? First, an EFP benefits the farm, making it more sustainable through the implementation of beneficial management practices (BMPs). Second, it provides value to society by protecting the natural resources that everyone shares. And third, it shows the non-farming public that farmers are doing their part to protect our environment. So how does the EFP program work? According to Alanna Gray, Keystone Agricultural Producer’s policy analyst who has worked with the EFP program for several years, it’s a fairly easy process where a farmer first enrolls in an EFP workshop put on by Manitoba Agriculture Food and Rural Development. These workshops are held regularly, and are listed on the EFP website, as well as advertised in farm and social media. At the workshop, the producer will receive a take-home workbook, which once completed becomes his/her environmental farm plan, identifying BMPs that can be undertaken on the farm. The farmer then contacts a reviewer provided by KAP. Once the review is done, KAP issues a statement of completion – and it’s this statement that allows the producer to apply for funding offered by the federal and provincial governments to implement select beneficial management practices. However, many producers implement non-funded BMPs without ever receiving a dime. Lorne Rossnagel, a forage and cattle producer who farms with his wife Debbie near Plumas, is one of the people KAP hires to review EFPs. The Rossnagels have also completed an EFP for their own farm.
Lorne Rossnagel, an EFP reviewer and holder of his own EFP, utilizes beneficial management practices on his forage and cattle farm.
erosion. When these smaller acreages are in the mix with the larger operations, it all adds up across the province.” Gray notes the provincial government’s focus has been on water quality when funding BMPs. “In fact, since 2013, the majority of funding in the province for BMPs has been water-related, and for the most part aimed at livestock producers,” says Gray. “We at KAP have been working hard to find a BMP that would provide incentives and funding for crop producers.” That work has paid off with the recent federal/provincial announcement of a BMP that will help producers put into place improved fuel storage. Eligible farmers will receive up to 30 per cent of the cost of installing new double-walled, onfarm fuel storage systems, to a maximum of $5,000 – on a first-come, first-served basis. These systems will help reduce the risk of contamination to soil and water that is present with older units, and will help farmers better protect the environment. For information on EFPs, google “Environmental Farm Plan Manitoba,” or call the KAP office at 204-697-1140. For information on BMP funding, google “Growing Assurance Manitoba.”
“I am always amazed at the amount of work done and money spent by farmers on projects that have no [immediate] financial benefit to their own farm operations,” says Rossnagel. “You find me one other segment of society that would spend five thousand dollars out of their own pocket fencing a riparian area that has zero financial gain for them. Yet, they do it because they see the benefit for the environment and water quality, and they bear the cost on themselves. That has always impressed me.” “No farm is too large or too small to undertake an EFP; size doesn’t matter,” says Rossnagel. “The smaller acreages can utilize BMPs around areas such as shelterbelts and river bank 34
The Current 2015
KAP asked the province for a BMP to fund improved fuel storage, and the province recently announced funding for producers to install doublewalled, on-farm fuel storage systems.
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MLAs Celebrating
Manitoba Conservation Districts
Brian Pallister MLA for Fort Whyte
1.204.489.0828 info@brianpallister.com
Cliff Graydon MLA for Emerson
1.204.324.9901 graydonc@mymts.net
Wayne Ewasko
MLA for Lac du Bonnet
1.204.268.3282 wayne@wayneewasko.com
Heather Stefanson Cliff Cullen MLA for Tuxedo
1.204.487.0013 tuxconst@mymts.net
Shannon Martin MLA for Morris
1.204.945.3525 shannon.martin@leg.gov.mb.ca
Ralph Eichler MLA for Lakeside
1.204.467.9482 mlalakeside@mymts.net
MLA for Spruce Woods
1.204.827.3956 cliff.cullen@leg.gov.mb.ca
Myrna Driedger MLA for Charleswood
1.204.885.0594 myrnadriedger@shaw.ca
Bonnie Mitchelson Ian Wishart MLA for River East
1.204.334.7866
bonnie.mitchelson@leg.gov.mb.ca
Blaine Pedersen MLA for Midland
1.204.745.2203 midlandmla@mymts.net
MLA for Portage la Prairie
1.204.857.9267 ptgemla@mymts.net
Dennis Smook MLA for La Verendrye
1.204.424.5406 dennis.smook@leg.gov.mb.ca
Reg Helwer
MLA for Brandon West
1.204.728.2410 reghelwer@wcgwave.ca
Doyle Piwniuk
MLA for Arthur-Virden
1.204.748.6443
doyle.piwniuk@leg.gov.mb.ca
Stu Briese MLA for Agassiz
1.204.476.3736 stubriese@mymts.net