The Watershed Systems Research program is lucky enough to have had three research projects given the go ahead by Environment Canada through the Lake Winnipeg Basin Stewardship Fund (LWBSF).
- The biggest project, led by the Manitoba Conservation Districts Association (MCDA), will focus on the establishment of pilot sites for innovative surface water and nutrient management initiatives on farms. Our ultimate goal is to evaluate various beneficial management practices for retaining and re-using runoff water on land (i.e. disconnecting agricultural runoff from waterways and preventing the export of nutrients downstream into Lake Winnipeg). The project is supported by multiple academic and non-academic partners investing close to 1-million dollars of funds, including $400,000 from the LWBSF.
- Another project led by the University of Manitoba will look at the development of a simulation tool to identify priority areas for wetland conservation and restoration (see other news entry on this page): among the $200,000 assembled to carry the research activities over a four-year period, $53,000 have been awarded by the LWBSF.
- Lastly, The University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) is leading a project aiming at designing and managing riparian areas to filter phosphorus and sediment. Thanks to a $147,000 contribution from the LWBSF and about $500,000 from research partners, the team led by Phil Owens will select sites in Southern Manitoba to examine how phosphorus and other agricultural sediments filter into waterways, and assess the potential of different types of riparian areas to act as buffer zones to effectively prevent riverine nutrient export.
Details about the aforementioned projects and all proposals funded by the LWBSF can be found at http://www.ec.gc.ca/eau-water/default.asp?lang=En&xml=965BBC77-5663-45A4-82A1-DEC3F8E12466#X-201110141605965