GROW Funded Projects 2021

Project Name: Building a resilient, green Manitoba

Project Description: Assiniboine West will work with watershed residents to increase the amount of ecological services provided from our watershed, by: (1) Protecting 1000 acres of vulnerable wetlands and developing an additional 350 acre-feet of peak flow runoff storage, to further flood proof our region and downstream communities (2) Converting 1000 acres to permanent cover, and installing 20 off-site water systems, to improve soil health and protect the watersheds' riparian areas.

Amount: $1,162,535

Project Name: Farming the Best - Conserving the Rest within the Central Assiniboine Watershed District - 2

Project Description: Our project aims to offer targeted EG&S programming to improve watershed health and build climate change resiliency by offering a number of programs. The programs are targeted towards wetlands, water retention, riparian areas, buffer, and upland areas. The projects will conserve, enhance or restore 2613 acres of targeted sensitive habitat.

Amount: $745,000

Project Name: Enhancement Protection Program (phase 2)

Project Description: This project will improve the habitat of endangered and at risk flora and fauna, decrease flooding events, improve watershed resilience to the impacts of climate change, reduce nutrient loading and improve surface water quality. It is estimated that:100 ac of wetland will be enhanced, 360 acres of wetlands and 50 ac upland areas protected, 90 ac feet of water storage will be created, 40 ac of aces of upland area will be enhanced and conserved, and 100 cows be removed from waterways.

Amount: $226,500

Project Name: Advancing Water Retention Capacities within Inter-Mountain Watershed District

Project Description: Our Trust proposal, 'Advancing Water Retention Capacities within Inter-Mountain Watershed District', intends to further address the conservation issues as identified in our two IWMPs, plus build upon our earlier GROW project, 'Advancing Landscape Resiliency within Inter-Mountain Watershed District'. We have the desire to work proactively upfront, versus being in a defensive or reactive mode every time there is a flood or a drought.  We aim to reduce the peak water flows in our rivers during runoff in order to decrease the flood events, road washouts and the erosion damages we commonly see in our District. This proposal will enable us to build additional flood-control dams, slowing the water as it moves down our steep slopes. These new water retention dams will act as demonstration sites for nearby landowners, improve the local stewardship ethic, and hopefully act as a springboard to future projects in the District. In addition we will protect several key riparian sites in the District.

Amount: $404,100

Project Name: Planting Salt Tolerant Grasses to Reduce Nutrient Runoff into Our Waterways

Project Description: KWD will work with grain producers in areas of salinity to establish salt-tolerant grasses on saline soils on 500 acres in the Carrot Valley. This project will improve water quality in the district by establishing permanent cover in these saline areas, and therefore reducing nutrient run-off into rivers.

Amount: $40,000

Project Name: 2021 Pembina Plum Initiative #2

Project Description: This PVWD Initiative, will create 1533 acft of water retention storage, protect 504 acres of class 1/2 wetlands, restore/enhance 42 acres of class 3,4,5 wetlands, build 12 water retention structures, exclude 1800 cattle, install 15 km of riparian fencing, protect 228 acres of the riparian zone, install 6 erosion control projects, convert 120 flood-prone cultivated acres to permanent cover and in the process remove 720lbs of P and 7920lbs of N, plant 3936 trees, improve soil health on 840 acres.

Amount: $800,000

Project Name: RBWD GROW Program - Watershed Management in Action

Project Description: The Redboine Watershed District will partner with landowners & Municipalities across the district to expand our GROW program to increase resiliency to a changing climate and help increase water quality in our many watersheds. This GROW program will implement beneficial management projects that will store an estimated 130 acre-feet of surface water, protect enhance, and restore over 1000 acres of wetland, riparian and upland areas, and plant over 10,000 trees.

Amount: $350,000

Project Name: Wetland Conservation and Restoration in the Souris River Watershed

Project Description: The project will enhance the climate and ecological resiliency of the Souris River Watershed through the conservation of class 1 & 2 prairie pothole wetlands, and the conservation, restoration and enhancement of upland and riparian areas.  Project will provide annual incentive payments for the conservation of 300 acres of class 1 & 2 wetlands, enhancement and restoration of 2100 acres of grassland and conservation/enhancement/restoration 120 acres of riparian area.

Amount: $ 599,000

Project Name: Streambank Stabilization and Enhanced Vegetated Buffer

Project Description: The project seeks to stabilize ~0.5 km of streambanks and restore ~1.5 acres of riparian areas from erosion, imputing hundreds of pounds of nutrient laden soil into surface water, which would otherwise cause eutrophication and negative impacts on sensitive fish and animal habitat. Returning streambanks back to its natural function helps encourage riparian zones to filter nutrients and increase water holding capacity on land. The project also strives to educate landowners on the project benefits.

Amount: $61,200

Project Name: Working together to improve watershed health in the West Interlake Watershed

Project Description: GROW projects will improve water quality and watershed resilience to the impact of a changing climate, by engaging producers and providing establishment cost to implement beneficial management practices. This project will conserve 100 acres of wetlands and 30 acres of riparian area, enhance 85 acres of riparian areas, restore 2000 acres of tame upland grassland, establish 3 km of shelterbelts, establish 2250 acres of soil health crops, erect 10 km of riparian fencing and 10.4 km of cross fencing and 10 alternative watering systems. Benefits also will include improved biodiversity and habitat, carbon sequestration.

Amount: $466,662

Project Name: Westlake Watershed District Wildlife and Upland Enhancement Projects

Project Description: Westlake Watershed District plans to seed 1600 acres of land to perennial forage production, establish 6 miles of exclusion fence, assist in one livestock off-site watering system, and create an 80 acre demonstration plot including 8 acres of pollinator habitat showcasing benefits of annual and perennial poly-crops and pollinator habitat, resulting in a high intensity, short duration planned grazing rotation.  Westlake WD will host a tour to showcase active projects and producer opportunities to 30 local producers.

Amount: $100,775

Project Name: Whitemud Watershed District 2021

Project Description: The WWD 2021-22 GROW program will achieve 75 acre ft of water storage; protect 500 acres of wetlands, 100 acres of riparian area conserved, 125 acres of upland area; enhance 10 acres of riparian habitat through stabilization, improved crossings, vegetation reestablishment, exclusion fencing and alternative watering systems; plant 8750 tree seedlings; establish 14 km of shelterbelts; 10 acres of perennial buffers, 15 acres of grassed waterways and enhance 1250 acres of soil organic matter.

Amount: $577,500