TTakakinging CarCaree ofof OurOur WWaatertershedshed A Watershed Plan for the East Souris River Watershed, Manitoba, Canada January, 2006 Souris Hartney 23 Chain Lakes Sub-Watershed Whitewater Lake 21 Sub-Watershed 3 Medora Creek Whitewater Sub-Watershed Lake Boissevain Deloraine 3 21 Waskada Souris River Turtle Mountain Waskada Creek Provincial Park Sub-Watershed Canada U.S.A. East Souris River Watershed Management Plan - January 2006 1 Deloraine, Manitoba January, 2006 Our Vision Our watershed community, lead by the Turtle Mountain Conservation District and the Watershed Planning Advisory Team, has prepared the East A healthy, sustainable, diverse Souris River Watershed Management Plan. landscape capable of providing The Actions in the plan must be implemented economic, social and environmental and monitored if we want to see improvements to our watershed. We have approval from member benefits for current and future municipalities to proceed with the implementation generations. of the plan. Successful implementation will require long- term dedication and commitment of money and staff from many organizations. On behalf of the Turtle Mountain Conservation District and the Watershed Planning Advisory Team, we are prepared to implement the plan to the best of our ability and spirit. Richard Sexton TMCD Chair Minister of Water Stewardship Room 314 - 450 Broadway Avenue Legislative Building Winnipeg, MB R3C 0V8 Mr. Richard Sexton, Chairperson Turtle Mountain Conservation District Box 508, Deloraine, MB R0M 0M0 Dear Mr. Sexton: I would like to congratulate the staff and board of the Turtle Mountain Conservation District for developing the East Souris River Watershed Management Plan. I applaud the leadership of the Turtle Mountain Conservation District in recognizing that integrated watershed planning is critical to the protection, conservation and management of Manitoba’s water resources and aquatic ecosystems. The East Souris River Watershed Management Plan is an important step in addressing local risks to water resources and aquatic ecosystems in your watershed and will assist in evaluating priority of the actions needed to protect land and water. This plan is a positive step in realizing the vision you have articulated for your watershed. This management plan will forge a strong and continued partnership with the Province of Manitoba. I am pleased to provide the services of Manitoba Water Stewardship to help support the implementation of your plan, with respect to the inclusion of source water protection and surface water management strategies. Once again, congratulations on the plan and best wishes to the board and staff as you move towards implementation of the East Souris River Watershed Management Plan. Sincerely, Steve Ashton Minister “Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.” - Joel Barker Introduction Purpose of the plan What is a Watershed? Why is a Watershed Plan A watershed is a defined land area that important? captures rainfall and other precipitation and There are pressures on the watershed due funnels it to a river, lake or stream. to a growing economy. The plan ensures the resources in the watershed are managed in The plan is a roadmap for the A watershed just makes sense as a way to a sustainable fashion. community to help plan and define the place where we live. It is the practice good, common sense people, government, businesses, The plan is a roadmap for the community to programs. institutions, animals, plants and more. This help plan and practice good common sense rich, diverse community lives in the programs. The plan helps define what is watershed. The community influences the important to the community. watershed and the watershed influences the community…what a coincidence!! The plan sets local priorities between need to-do’s and nice to-do’s. The plan helps Since any watershed is a complex system, communicate to the public where the work everyone with a stake in the watershed has will be done. to make trade-offs, compromises, and maybe some sacrifices to keep it The plan demonstrates to senior healthy…it’s only common sense. governments that local people are in charge of managing their own resources. What is a Watershed Plan? A watershed plan is a document prepared The plan sets a way to measure future by the watershed community that describes progress on meeting resource goals and needed actions in the watershed over time objectives. The plan helps groups like the to achieve a sustainable healthy watershed. Turtle Mountain Conservation District 25 Years From (TMCD) acquire external money for The East Souris River Watershed community projects. Now - 2031 Management Plan is simply an organized What would we see if we flew way of spending money and living in the Watershed Plan Helps Land over our watershed 25 years watershed. It is your way of stepping back Use Planning from now and looked out the from the table and looking at the bigger Information included in the watershed plan window? picture while setting short and long term will be used by area planning districts in their development plans to avoid potential con- Would we see a watershed that priorities. supports a strong agricultural flicts with existing or future development in community with healthy The plan is a common sense way to balance the watershed. An example would be valu- ecological functions? both the pressing issues of today with special able information about riparian protection or care for future generations too. drinking water source protection included in Would we see a watershed that the watershed plan used by the planning dis- can buffer harmful water level tricts when land use policy statements are fluctuations? being prepared. Would we see a watershed Planning districts have had input into the with manageable sediment and preparation of this watershed plan and will nutrient movement? continue to be asked for input into future revisions or proposed updates. Tying good What do you want your land use planning decisions into improving watershed to look like? the health of the watershed is only common sense and everyone wins. 4 East Souris River Watershed Management Plan - January 2006 East Souris River - Integrated Watershed Management Plan Study Area N Souris R.M. of Chain Lakes Glenwood Sub-Watershed Hartney Medora Creek R.M. of Lauder Sub-Watershed Cameron Whitewater Lake Sub-Watershed Napinka Medora Boissevain Deloraine R.M. of R.M. of Brenda Canada Arthur U.S.A. R.M. of Goodlands Morton Waskada Souris River Turtle Mountain R.M. of Watershed Provincial Park Winchester Waskada Creek Sub-Watershed Our Principles Behind the Plan COOPERATION Everyone in the watershed will cooperate and work together. RESPECT Neighbourly respect is a must. There is always someone downstream. SHARING The Turtle Mountain Conservation District and their member municipalities can’t succeed without a fair and reasonable provincial and federal government commitment to help our watershed. VALUE FOR MONEY Our collective investments in this watershed will demonstrate good value. PARTNERSHIPS A team approach in working with other collective agencies and citizens will be encouraged. No one group can do it all. LEADERSHIP This community will be a leader in watershed management. PRO CHANGE This community is not afraid of trying new things. ACTIVISM Everyone with a stake in this watershed will be encouraged to participate in making the watershed a healthy place to live. East Souris River Watershed Management Plan - January 2006 5 Process and Players The Turtle Mountain Conservation District The Birth of WPAT has been a conservation leader in the The invitation soon went out in 2002 for community for over 30 years. Representing representatives from the watershed its member municipalities and ratepayers, community to participate on a Watershed the TMCD Board, in partnership with the Planning Advisory Team (WPAT). The provincial government, has delivered many agencies, organizations and interest groups excellent programs and projects to area that received the invitation are listed in residents. The Board has had lots of help Appendix A and Appendix B. along the way with its programs, but is always striving for improvement. TMCD members Professionals from key government and private agencies came together as WPAT R.M. of Arthur In 2002, well before the provincial R.M. of Brenda with TMCD, municipal and other agencies government launched a new water R.M. of Cameron and ratepayers to: R.M. of Morton management strategy and legislation, the 1. oversee the planning process, R.M. of Turtle Mountain TMCD Board decided it was time to step 2. get community input to the plan, R.M. of Winchester back and set revised watershed goals, 3. keep the community updated, and Town of Boissevain objectives and new actions in an integrated 4. troubleshoot along the way. Town of Deloraine watershed plan. The Board agreed that their Town of Killarney role was to facilitate the preparation of the WPAT met 12 times during the process and Village of Waskada plan in partnership with others in the was key to keeping the process going without watershed. sacrificing quality. The watershed plan would only be a success Step 1 if it was prepared with input from everyone Got Organized in the watershed, not just the Board and its Fall 2002 sub-district committees. The Board sees the plan as a valuable tool for many Step 2 organizations in their watershed to use in Talked to RMs making decisions. 2003 Step 3 WPAT meeting Formed WPAT Photo credit: Dave Dobson 2003 The Planning Step 4 Step 7 Resource Summary Process Public Open Prepared Step 6 Houses Draft Plan 2005 Step 5 2005 Public Open Houses Step 8 2004 Final Plan The goal is to ensure (Issues and Actions) January 2006 the plan be truly prepared by and for the residents of the Step 9 East Souris River Watershed.