The Watershed Observer
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Winter 2011-12 THE WATERSHED OBSERVER Inside this issue: Sensitive Habitat Inventory and President’s Report 2 Science Advisory Council 4 Mapping Project (SHIM) LLN and LLNC 4 Upcoming CEC Hearings 5 Award to ACC Student 6 If you have a lakefront cottage on concerned about the sustainabil- 2011 Bajkov Nominations Call 6 Lake Winnipeg, the view of the lake ity of Lake Winnipeg and are 7 from your front deck can be spectac- asking what can be done to keep Project Updates 2011 Fundraising 8 & 9 ular, exhilarating, and restorative. it a memorable recreational des- 10 Or it can be fright- tination. 2012 Photo Contest ening when high . .the LWF applied for and ‘Securing Our Water Future’ 12 To help water and wind Hope—A poem 13 received funds from the Lake Lake Win- combine in de- Our Legacy 14 Winnipeg Basin Stewardship Fund, nipeg, our structive events or the Thomas Sill Foundation, and Foundation adopted two posi- when thick scums Fisheries and Oceans Canada for tions: 1 - control of phospho- of noxious algae its project . rus and 2 - protection of wet- advance up the lands. The LWF will soon es- beach towards your tablish positions on climate warming and biodiversity, both of which are also rel- evant to the Lake Winnipeg ecosystem. To act on these positions, the LWF applied for and received funds from the Lake Winnipeg Basin Stew- ardship Fund, the Thomas Sill Foundation, and Fish- eries and Oceans Canada for its project “Sensitive Habitat Inventory and Mapping of the Foreshore Are- as of Lake Winnipeg South Basin and Development SHIM team on the water near Ponemah of Shoreline Management Guidelines”. The LWF Photo by Betty Jackson project addresses all LWBSF priorities including re- ducing nutrient inputs from rural and urban sources, cottage. More and more people are (Continued on page 3) Summer 2011 Fundraising Efforts Huge Success! See pages 8 and 9 for details. Page 2 The Watershed Observer President’s Report Remembrance Day week- times (and often at the same time) filled in as treas- end heralded the freeze- urer, bookkeeper, and wrote receipts. You deserve up on Lake Winnipeg. to have your work load lightened. Over the ensuing weeks Lake Winnipeg Foundation is also pleased to ice built up on the shore- announce the establishment of a Science Advisory line and the water started Council (SAC) capably chaired by Alex Salki. The SAC to take on the appearance replaces the Science Committee. You will find a re- of a large slushie. Finally, port on SAC activities in these pages and short bios just as November gave way to December, the lake froze of its members will be posted on our website at over. www.lakewinnipegfoundation.org. Life at the lake is very quiet at this time. There’s no more The Walkathon and Lake-a-thon were the most suc- gentle lapping of water on the sand or, thankfully, the cessful events to date. This success is due to the roar of huge waves crashing on the shore. All but the combined efforts of John Heppenstall, Janet occasional summer residents have gone to resume their Sampson, Bruce Smith, Susan and Matt Hall, lives in the city with the past summer season’s activities Catherine Salki, their group of dedicated volunteers relegated to memory until next spring’s thaw. and all those who supported our efforts. Thank you For Lake Winnipeg Foundation Board members, however, all!! this time of year is a very busy one. As the Foundation’s You will find articles in this issue about the Living work on behalf of our great lake and its watershed contin- Lakes Network Canada AGM and Red Zone III which ued to increase in scope and gained a greater profile it will be held in Winnipeg in May; as well as infor- became obvious that the work load was too great for a mation on the CEC Hearings to be held sometime in volunteer Board (hard working and dedicated as they may the fall. I would encourage all of you to be actively be) to maintain. We needed an Executive Director. involved in these hearings either by making a The Board undertook a search and discovered that one of presentation, submitting your opinion in writing or our own met the criteria. Many of you will recognize Erin just attending. Your presence will make a statement Keating as our former Treasurer. Her experience with the of concern about this issue. LWF Board, business background, and CMA designation In closing on behalf of Lake Winnipeg Foundation, I makes her the ideal first Executive Director of Lake Winni- wish you all the best in health and happiness for the peg Foundation. Over the past months she has been busy upcoming year. organizing and setting up our office within the Eco Net- work space, 3rd floor– 309 Portage Ave. (MEC building), Karin Boyd developing the ED position, networking with like-minded organizations, developing and revising Board roles and protocols, planning and undertaking a myriad of adminis- trative tasks. Erin will be reporting on her activities on LWF’s behalf elsewhere in the Watershed Observer. Bea Dabrowski has joined the Board in the position of Treasurer. To support Bea in her efforts on LWF’s behalf, we have acquired a bookkeeper to undertake the day to day financial tasks and a volunteer, Diane Sallens, will be revising and managing our receipting process which tends to be very time consuming. At this point I would also like to thanks Catherine Salki, our Secretary, who at various Freeze-up November 2011 Photo by Karin Boyd Winter 2011-12 Page 3 SHIM (con’t from page 1) rehabilitating priority aquatic ecosystems that port from cottagers and businesses in Gimli support nutrient reduction and sequestration, (Bruce and Linda Benson), in Matlock (Bruce and enhancing research and monitoring ca- Smith, Betty Jackson, pacity to assist in decision making. Tannis Froese and Florence Eastwood), in Beaconia (Dave and Cindy Crabb) and Victoria If you have ever wondered about the variety Beach (Karin Boyd, Janet Sampson, Birch- of shoreline types in the south basin, how wood Inn) ensured a safe and successful much of it remains natural, what and how monitoring program. The SHIM field program many species inhabit this coastal strip, or was truly a community effort and a clear ex- how many cottages and marinas there are, ample of how much care and concern the you will be able to find this and other data in shoreline residents have for our lake. the SHIM report, which is to be completed by March 31, Data analyses and reporting, as well as pro- 2012. All of this information was collected ject management, are contracted to Whelan during the SHIM Enns Associ- field program that ates who have took place from extensive ex- July 31 to August perience with 7, 2011. Aided by provincial and the boating expe- national envi- ronmental is- rience and skill of sues. They will the Bensons, a assess the col- Gimli family of lected fore- fishers, the LWF shore invento- SHIM field crew, ry, fish, wild- led by Bruce SHIM team loads the boat for a day on the water. life, and mapping McDonald (from Photo by Betty Jackson data using an Wildsight, our Living Aquatic Habitat Sensitivity Index to delineate Lakes Canada partner in BC) and including Zones of Sensitivity and Key Habitat Areas Lisette Ross and Pauline Bloom (Native Plant around the South Basin which will form the Solutions DUC), Desiree Stratton (University basis of Shoreline Management Guidelines. of Manitoba), and Annie Eastwood (student Based on examples in British Columbia, it is volunteer), recorded GPS located observa- hoped that these guidelines will be adopted tions and sampled the shoreline from River- by governments and responsible authorities ton on the west side to Wanasing Beach on around the South Basin for science-based de- the east. From helicopter and fixed wing air- cisions on shoreline use applications. As the craft, Darwin Monita (Aquatic Ecosystem Ser- LWSBF is a joint federal-provincial program, it vices) took digital video images of the shore- is anticipated that the interest expressed by line for use in the SHIM report and on the Manitoba in the SHIM project will serve to en- LWF website. The remarkable stretch of fa- courage the acceptance of the guidelines for vourable weather and terrific logistical sup- provincial regulatory use. Alex Salki, LWF SHIM project coordinator Page 4 The Watershed Observer Lake Winnipeg Foundation Science Advisory Council (SAC) The Lake Winnipeg Foundation has established a Sci- Dr. Gregg Brunskill – research scientist, formerly FWI, ence Advisory Council to provide scientific advice to the now retired Australian Institute of Marine Science LWF Board of Directors on matters related to Lake Win- Dr. Harold Welch – research scientist, retired FWI Dr. Robert Hecky - former research scientist FWI, now nipeg and its watershed. The growing number and com- professor University of Minnesota Duluth plexity of questions received from members, the public Dr. Greg McCullough – former research hydrologist and other organizations, required the LWF to assemble FWI, now post-doc University of Manitoba, CEOS a group of qualified professionals to examine and pro- Dr. Brenda Hann - professor, Biology, University of vide advice on these matters. Individuals invited to sit Manitoba Mr. Michael Stainton – research associate, FWI on the SAB were mainly retired federal scientists with Ms. Nancy Loadman – lecturer, University of Winnipeg long careers in aquatic ecosystem research or academ- Mr. Alex Salki – research biologist, retired FWI, consult- ics teaching at the Universities of Manitoba, Winnipeg, ant zooplankton taxonomy and Minnesota. Dr. Henry Venema, PhD - Director—Natural and Social Capital, International Institute for sustainable Develop- Members of LWF Science Advisory Council include: ment Dr.