COMMUNITY CONSERVATION PLAN Riverton Sandy Bar IMPORTANT

COMMUNITY CONSERVATION PLAN for the Riverton Sandy Bar IMPORTANT BIRD AREA Prepared by: Cory Lindgren, Manitoba IBA Program Box 1160, Stonewall, Manitoba R0E 2Z0 for Riverton-Bifrost Community Development Corporation Manitoba IBA Program Riverton Sandy Bar CCP Page 2 of 30 Table of Contents Executive Summary........................................................................................................................................ 3 1.0 The IBA Program ..................................................................................................................................... 5 1.1 IBA Manitoba ................................................................................................................................6 2.0 Riverton Sandy Bar .................................................................................................................................. 6 Riverton Sandy Bar ........................................................................................................................................ 8 3.0 IBA Site Information................................................................................................................................ 9 3.1 Riverton........................................................................................................................................... 9 3.2 Lake Winnipeg................................................................................................................................9 4.0 IBA Species Information.................................................................................................................. 10 4.1 IBA Species.................................................................................................................................... 10 4.2 Ring-billed Gull ............................................................................................................................ 10 4.3 Common Tern............................................................................................................................... 13 4.4 Piping Plover................................................................................................................................. 13 4.5 Shorebirds and Geese................................................................................................................... 15 5.0 Elements of Conservation Interest.................................................................................................... 15 5.1 Hecla Sandy Point......................................................................................................................... 15 6.0 Land Ownership And Use ..................................................................................................................... 16 6.1 Settlement History: The Establishment of New Iceland............................................................ 16 7.0 Conservation Management Achieved.................................................................................................... 17 8.0 IBA Stakeholder Group Activity........................................................................................................... 17 8.1 Riverton-Bifrost Community Development Corporation. ........................................................ 17 8.1 NEICOM ....................................................................................................................................... 17 9.0 Opportunities ......................................................................................................................................... 17 9.1 Ecotourism ................................................................................................................................... 17 9.2 IBA Website ............................................................................................................................ 18 9.4 Traditional Ecological Knowledge .............................................................................................. 18 10.0 Threats.................................................................................................................................................. 19 10.1 Human Disturbance ................................................................................................................... 19 10.2 Loss of Habitat............................................................................................................................ 19 10.3 Pesticides .................................................................................................................................... 20 10.4 Aspen/Willow Encroachment .................................................................................................... 20 10.5 Other Threats.............................................................................................................................. 20 11.0 Conservation Goals and Objectives..................................................................................................... 21 12.0 Evaluating Success ........................................................................................................................... 23 Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................................... 23 References .................................................................................................................................................... 24 Appendix I: Riverton Sandy Bar IBA Contacts............................................................................................ 25 Appendix II: Bird Species and Population Data........................................................................................... 26 Appendix III: IBA Canada Partners ............................................................................................................ 27 Appendix IV: Funding Opportunities........................................................................................................... 28 Citation. Lindgren, C.J. 2001. Community Conservation Plan for the Riverton Sandy Bar Important Bird Area. Prepared for the Canadian Nature Federation, Bird Studies Canada, BirdLife International and the Manitoba Naturalists Society. 25 pp. Preamble. This document is not intended to be static. It is hoped that the community groups involved will use this CCP to guide their conservation efforts and continue to add to sections of this document over time. 12/11/01 Riverton Sandy Bar CCP Page 3 of 30 Executive Summary Riverton Sandy Bar Important Bird Area The Important Bird Area Program The islands are comprised of sand and gravel that has been partially colonized The Canadian Important Bird by grasses, willows and aspen. The Areas (IBA) Program was established by closest island is located 50-m from the Canadian Birdlife Partners, the shore and is connected to the mainland Canadian Nature Federation and Bird by a sandbar during very low water Studies Canada, as part of an years. international effort to identify and conserve sites important to all bird Significant Bird Numbers species worldwide. In Manitoba, the IBA program is being delivered and The Riverton Sandy Bar is a administered by the Manitoba globally significant Canadian Important Naturalists Society. Community Bird Area based upon population conservation planning began in numbers of Ring-billed Gulls and Manitoba in August of 1999. Common Terns. About 1% (or 10,000 nests) of the world's estimated Ring- Goals of the Canadian IBA Program billed Gull population were present in 1991. In addition, a total of 800 The goals of the IBA program Common Tern nests, or about 2% of the are to identify a network of sites that estimated North American population conserve the natural diversity of were present on the Sand Islands. Canadian bird species and are critical to Herring Gulls have nested on the the long-term viability of naturally sand islands with 153 nests being occurring bird populations; to determine recorded in 1991. There are also the type of protection or stewardship occasional records of nesting Piping required for each site; and to ensure the Plovers (nationally endangered and conservation of each site through globally vulnerable) on the Riverton partnerships with local stakeholder Sandy Bar and on the adjacent Hecla groups who develop and implement on- Island Sandy Point. During the 1991 the-ground community conservation International Piping Plover census, one planning. pair of Piping Plovers was recorded at each site. During the 1996 International Riverton Sandy Bar census, only a single pair of Piping Plovers was recorded at the Hecla Island The Riverton Sandy Bar is Sand Point. located on the western shore of Lake Winnipeg near the community of The islands are also used by Riverton (directly west of Hecla Island). several bird species during migration. The IBA is comprised of a long The area is a major concentration site for peninsula and the two sand islands migrating Canada Geese and Snow between the Riverton Marsh to the west Geese. It has also been reported that and the Hecla Sandy Point to the east. hundreds of migrating Sanderlings use 12/11/01 Riverton Sandy Bar CCP Page 4 of 30 the site along with lesser numbers of Ruddy Turnstones and other shorebirds. Contacts The Hecla Sandy Point off Hecla Island is also a major roost site for American Manitoba Important Bird Areas White Pelicans, gulls and terns.

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