Conservation Projects Manitoba Waterfowl and Watersheds 2008-09
Waterfowl and Watersheds: A Conservation Synthesis Final Project Report 2008/2009 (pdf; 47 KB)
Goals and Objectives
Project partners share a vision of sustainable agricultural landscapes with a richness of natural features capable of sustaining diverse and abundant wildlife populations as well as other important ecological goods and services, like clean water, for human needs and ecological integrity.
Within that landscape goal, specific objectives of this project include:
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Long-term protection of wetland and associated habitats that are of high value to waterfowl and are under significant threat of loss or degradation due to agricultural and related development.
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Wetland conservation activities that directly contribute to the objectives of the 2007-2012 Manitoba Implementation Plan for the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP).
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Demonstrate “value-added” conservation program delivery by working in partnership with a watershed planning authority (Turtle Mountain Conservation District - TMCD) to conserve wetland and associated habitats that are also source water protection priorities within the East Souris River Integrated Watershed Management Plan (ESRIWMP).
Specific objectives for funds requested from WHC are for protection, by Conservation Easement (CE), of 1,000 acres of wetlands and adjacent upland habitat. Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation’s (MHHC’s) overall activities will include protection of 5,000 acres of high priority waterfowl habitat in the Manitoba NAWMP priority landscapes in 2008/09.
The project will emphasize landscapes identified by the NAWMP Decision Support System (DSS) as being of high value for waterfowl (greater than 30 waterfowl pairs/mi2). Wetlands and associated habitats deemed to be at risk of drainage or clearing for agricultural production will be emphasized. WHC funds will be further targeted to habitats that are also a source water protection priority in ESRIWMP.
Activities
This project focuses on the delivery of perpetual conservation easements (CEs) and emphasizes high priority wetlands for waterfowl production.
CE site selection is based on several criteria, including spatial databases that predict the highest priority landscapes for waterfowl. Other considerations include threats from drainage and conversion to agricultural production. These criteria are consistent with the 2007- 2012 Manitoba NAWMP Implementation Plan.
The process of signing a CE is time-consuming, requiring ongoing landowner contacts and a detailed administrative process to sign and legally register the agreement. MHHC is responsible for all these activities. MHHC will deliver WHC-supported CEs within an overall program that includes MHHC delivery of NAWMP CEs that are funded by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service via grants to the Delta Waterfowl Foundation. In 2008/09 MHHC will also be supported by Ducks Unlimited Canada for CE delivery in the NAWMP target area. A minimum of 4,000 acres of CEs will be delivered through these sources of support in 2008/09.
With WHC funding in 2008/09, MHHC will deliver an additional 1,000 acres of CEs on wetland and associated habitats on private land in the Turtle Mountain Target Landscape. These CEs will contribute directly to NAWMP objectives.
CE delivery in the Turtle Mountain CD will be achieved with the financial support and close cooperation of the Turtle Mountain Conservation District. Given its connection to landowners by virtue of being a locally-based organization, the TMCD will provide invaluable assistance communicating the program to landowners in the Target Landscape. TMCD will support this process with targeted mail-outs, open-house events and direct contacts with target landowners. With that essential support from a locally-based organization, MHHC can focus on other CE delivery elements.
As has been discussed, MHHC will use WHC funds to secure CEs that have waterfowl benefits in addition to being identified as important source water protection lands in the TMCD’s watershed plan. From a waterfowl productivity standpoint, that same target area is found within one of the Target Landscapes in the 2007-2012 Manitoba NAWMP Implementation Plan.
MHHC will retain responsibility for subsequent inventory and monitoring of all CE lands secured through this project.
Specific Habitat Products/Results to be Supported by WHC’s Contributions
WHC funds will be used to secure an estimated 1,000 acres of wetland and associated habitats with perpetual conservation easements (CEs). Wetlands will range from temporary ponds to semi-permanent water bodies, generally less than five hectares in size. Native upland habitats will also be secured, which will primarily be intact aspen forest and aspen parkland upland and their associated wetlands. Specific upland habitat types protected will include wet meadows, willow-dominated shrublands and aspen forest. Given the nature of the landscape, these habitat elements are generally arrayed in diverse mosaic.
Purchased perpetual Conservation Easements (CEs) are the tool of choice because they afford permanent protection that can be focused on privately-owned natural lands. They also provide financial incentives to landowners to conserve habitat and do not affect the use of adjacent agricultural lands.
Benefits to Waterfowl, Wetlands-Associated Species, and/or Other Wildlife
At least 16 species of waterfowl and over 200 species of waterbirds, shorebirds and landbirds will benefit from these wetland conservation activities. A wide array of mammals, reptiles and amphibians will also benefits from habitats conserved through this project.
The involvement of MHHC in direct wetland conservation activities naturally leads to its participation in ongoing watershed planning activities that are taking place in Manitoba. Conservation activities supported in this proposal will be nested within a broad-based watershed management framework which is expected to become the predominant mode by which conservation land use activities are delivered in the future. At the policy development level, MHHC and its partners continue to promote wetland protection instruments within agricultural and water management policy frameworks.
Relevance to Habitat Planning, Decision Making and/or Management
NAWMP partners have recently completed the 2007-2012 Manitoba NAWMP implementation plan (MIP). Retention of existing, high value habitats is a key objective in MIP. Further, MIP directs NAWMP partners to focus habitat protection activities to the highest priority habitats. All CEs in this project will be delivered in one of the MIP’s five Priority Landscapes.
This project also relies on the recently-completed East Souris River Integrated Watershed Management Plan to delineate the highest priority areas from a source water protection standpoint.
A key objective in the NAWMP Manitoba Implementation Plan is to create effective linkages between NAWMP and integrated watershed planning and management activities. This project will demonstrate the value of a working relationship between NAWMP and a local watershed planning authority where delivery of Conservation Easements is achieving multiple environmental objectives.
The effectiveness of this approach has been articulated by former TMCD Manager, Sheldon Kowalchuk: “MHHC brings its expertise with conservation agreements and we have the contacts with the local landowners. Merging these strengths just makes sense.” (MHHC Annual Report 2006/07).
Project Location
The project is located in southwestern Manitoba and is entirely within the Manitoba NAWMP program area. Conservation Easements under this proposal will be delivered in Target Landscapes identified in the 2007-2012 Manitoba NAWMP Implementation Plan. While MHHC will deliver CEs throughout the NAWMP Priority Landscapes, CEs supported by WHC will be delivered entirely within the Turtle Mountain Target Landscape.
The project area is in the Prairie Ecozone. It also lies within the Aspen Parkland Ecoregion, as defined by Manitoba Conservation. The project area is also located in Bird Conservation Region 11, the Prairie Potholes, of the continental, all-bird conservation framework.
The entire project area is within the glaciated prairie pothole region. It is dominated by small wetlands, one hectare in size or less. Agriculture is the primary land use and includes a mix of livestock, grain and oilseeds. Wetland loss since the beginning of European settlement has been estimated to range from 40% to 70% (Environment Canada). More recent wetland loss rates have been provided by Environment Canada (Watmough et al, 2002), which estimated wetland losses to be 3.9% from 1985 to 1999 in Manitoba’s Aspen Parkland and Boreal Transition regions. This was the second highest wetland loss rate in the three Prairie provinces.
The Turtle Mountain Priority Landscape is found in the southwestern corner of Manitoba. The Turtle Mountain escarpment is characterized by an elevation change of approximately 250 meters from the top of the landform down to prairie level, a distance of approximately 10 kilometers. Along the escarpment, agricultural development is intensifying, especially clearing areas that were once predominantly aspen forest. Impacts on wildlife and the watershed have been significant and negative.
Agricultural production intensification continues to erode the habitat base significantly. Land clearing for agricultural development and wetland drainage are the primarily impacts. As average farm size increases, production efficiencies pursued by larger farm operations are accelerating wetland loss rates. From a watershed standpoint, loss of these natural landscape features is resulting in increased peak flows (including incidents of flash-flooding), higher soil erosion rates and increased siltation in waterways (East Souris River Integrated Watershed Management Plan, 2007).
Development of a watershed management plan for the Turtle Mountain region has been spearheaded by the Turtle Mountain Conservation District (TMCD), within the framework established by Manitoba’s new Water Protection Act, passed in 2006. In addition to being an active participant in the planning process, MHHC has established a partnership with the TMCD to deliver long-term protection of high priority source water protection lands identified by the TMCD. Given the importance of the Turtle Mountain Priority Landscape to NAWMP objectives, MHHC can support source water conservation objectives as well as NAWMP habitat conservation objectives through this partnership.
Project Contact
For more information on this project, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Manager of Operations, Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation, Winnipeg, Manitoba.