Duncan Purchase 2008-09

Habitat acquired on property located on SE 1-4-21 in the Whitewater Lake area in the Regional Municipality of Morton, Manitoba (Photo courtesy of Mark Francis, Ducks Unlimited Canada)

Duncan Purchase Final Project Report 2008/2009 (pdf; 625 KB)

Goals and Objectives

The goal and objective of this project is to secure the native habitat and ensure its protection and management for wildlife purposes in perpetuity and to effectively manage planted permanent cover to ensure value as nesting cover for waterfowl and other ground nesting birds.

Activities

Purchase of land, assessment for management needs and application of any appropriate management actions such as weed control or stand enhancement.

Specific Habitat Products/Results to be Supported by WHC’s Contributions

This project consists of 160 acres of land which has both planted forage (106 acres) and native upland (54 acres) components. The area lies in the floodplain of Whitewater Lake and experiences periodic flooding which has largely naturalized even the tame forage area. This area was sown to a Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) tame forage mix in 1992 and has remained in a grassed state since. Some of the land was reseeded with a larger alfalfa component after the expiry of a long-term DUC lease but repeated flooding resulted in these lands becoming naturalized to species such as brome grass Bromus spp., western wheatgrass Agropyron smithii, switch grass Panicum virgatum, and quack grass Agropyron repens, etc, which tolerate these conditions.

This purchase is located in the Killarney Target Area of DUC’s Brandon Field Office. It incorporates the marshlands of Whitewater Lake – a Manitoba Heritage Marsh, a Globally Significant Important Bird Area and a marsh of Great Significance as per the Manitoba NAWMP Implementation Plan. Research predicts breeding waterfowl pairs to be 50-60 pairs per square mile. It also lies within the area of highest pintail production in southwestern Manitoba.

Benefits to Waterfowl, Wetlands-Associated Species, and/or Other Wildlife

The grasslands that make up this land purchase provide vital undisturbed nesting areas for local waterfowl. These same grasslands are occasionally inundated with water in the spring and therefore are part of the globally significant staging capabilities of Whitewater Lake. Many species of migrating birds annually funnel their way to Whitewater Lake to rest and recharge. The area is also significant to molting waterfowl. Whitewater Lake provides important food resources to waterfowl during these stages as well as during the breeding, nesting and brood rearing stages of “local waterfowl”. Typical waterfowl species present to the area include mallard, northern pintail, blue-winged teal, green-winged teal, gadwall, northern shoveler and American wigeon.

The grasslands that offer habitat benefits to waterfowl are also vitally important to over 100 species of ground-nesting birds and mammals including jackrabbit, ground squirrel, pocket gopher, meadow vole, muskrat, coyote, red fox, raccoon, skunk, weasel and white-tailed deer.

Relevance to Habitat Planning, Decision Making and/or Management

Benefiting agencies/groups include:

Ducks Unlimited Canada – our mandate is “to conserve wetlands and associated habitats for the benefit of North America’s waterfowl, which in turn provide healthy environments for wildlife and people”. The threat to this parcel of land, indeed to Whitewater Lake, is acute. During times of high water levels the pressure to construct an outlet on Whitewater Lake and control the water levels is extremely strong. Securing this habitat is one step in ensuring the long-term health of the lake itself.

Turtle Mountain Conservation District will benefit as their mandate includes the conservation of valuable habitats and protection of important watershed features.

Manitoba Water Stewardship will benefit as the protection of the property will help protect surface water quality and reduce pressure to drain.

Manitoba Conservation will benefit as the property will be submitted to be included as a Protected Area under the province’s Protected Areas Initiative.

Project Location

The project is located on SE 1-4-21W1 in the Regional Municipality of Morton.

A project location map (pdf file) is available.

Project Contact

For more information on this project, please contact Robert Grant, Manager of Provincial Operations, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Brandon, Manitoba.