“Lake Winnipeg: Where the Waters Meet” Assiniboine River Basin Initiative Water “Water is the driving force of all nature” Leonardo da Vinci Rivers “Rivers are the arteries of our planet; they are lifelines in the truest sense.” Mark Angelo What is Transboundary Water? Transboundary water is a river, lake or aquifer that crosses at least one political border, either a border within a nation or an international boundary. Canada & Our Boundaries Municipalities & Counties First Nation Communities Watershed Stewards, Conservation Districts & Soil Conservation Districts Lake Winnipeg Watershed Lake Winnipeg watershed is the second largest watershed in Canada and includes parts of four provinces and four U.S. states. The drainage basin is nearly 1,000,000 km2 in size and is home to more than 7 million people. Its drainage is about 40 times larger than the actual lake surface, a ratio bigger than any other large lake in the world. Assiniboine River Basin ARB covers an area of 162,000 square kilometers. About the size of North Dakota. ARB is made up of 3 sub-basins: Souris, Qu’Appelle & Assiniboine Roughly 1.7 million people live and work in the basin. Agencies that operate in the ARB Int. Joint Souris River Board Prairie Provinces Water Board Prov. & State Govt. Depts. Local Govts. Conservation Agencies (Watershed, CDs, Water Boards) NGO’s (MHHC, DUC, KAP, SCDA, APAS, others) International Joint Souris Board (IJSRB) IJC was formed in 1909 by the governments of the United States and Canada under the Boundary Waters Treaty. IJSRB ‘s role is to: ensures a more eco-systemic approach to transboundary water issues, compliance for the apportionment of river flows, oversight of flood operations, assists the Commission in preventing and resolving transboundary disputes. International Souris River Plan of Study Study board appointed by IJC to investigate flooding & water supply issues in the Souris basin. Tasks are outlined & grouped under four activities: Operating Rules Review; Data Collection & Management; Hydrology & Hydraulics & Plan Formulation Several sub-committees engaged: technical, public advisory & first nations/tribe/metis. Report with recommendations due January 2021. Prairie Provinces Water Board (PPWB) Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Government of Canada created the Prairie Province Water Board in 1948. In 1969, the four governments changed how the PPWB operated by signing the Master Agreement on Apportionment(MAA). The purpose of the MAA is to apportion or share water equitably between the Prairie Provinces and to protect transboundary surface water quality and groundwater aquifers. Structures in the ARB L. Diefenbaker Inflow Shellmouth Dam Portage Outflow Rafferty Dam 05MJ001 Grant Devine Dam Des Lac Dam J. Clark Salyer Dam L. Darling Dam 15 Government & Other Agencies • The organizations/agencies noted below also work on water files within their respective jurisdictions: Prov. & State Govt. Depts., Local Governments, Conservation Agencies, (Watershed, CDs, Water Boards) NGO’s (MHHC, DUC, KAP, APAS, SCDA & others). Saskatchewan-Manitoba MOU of Understanding Respecting Water Management 5 Year MOU signed in 2015. Shared vision of sustainable water management for present & future generations. Drainage: agree to work collaboratively on issues that arise in transboundary watersheds, Share research & other information in a number of areas, Share information on regulatory approaches to drainage & water retention. ‘Social License’ The level of acceptance or approval with which the local community and society views a business, industry or project. Social License has to be earned and then maintained. This is societal accountability. Water management options are being scrutinized by the public more and more each day. Societal Concerns The following are ongoing public concerns that have and continue to be brought forward: Flooding, in particular the events of 2011 & 2014, Mouse River Flood Plan. Dam operations (Souris & Assiniboine, Quill Lakes – flows & quality, Agricultural drainage, Aquifer management, Drought preparedness, Water quality. Assiniboine River Basin Initiative ARBI is a multi-stakeholder non- profit organization established in 2014 operating in Canada and the US. Operates with a diverse board of 51 members and a 7 member executive committee. Vision Statement A resilient Assiniboine River Basin where stakeholders work together to achieve basin-wide comprehensive watershed actions that will benefit current and future generations. Mission Statement To create a resilient Assiniboine River Basin where all residents can adapt to change and achieve environmental, social and economic sustainability through collaborative actions across the basin. Guiding Principles To seek fair and equitable solutions. To balance current and future needs. To acknowledge ongoing change and adaptation. To work across jurisdictional boundaries. To work collaboratively with all stakeholders. To recognize and complement existing statutory and regulatory responsibilities. ARB Framework Plan The Framework Plan identifies key issues of importance to stakeholders across the basin. Key areas identified include: o drainage related topics (urban and rural), The Framework will direct and guide the o flooding, annual work plan and be a resource to water quality – both in-stream and partners/stakeholders. o o groundwater, drought, Continual engagement of stakeholders o o wetlands and riparian zones, across the basin in the process to ensure soil conservation, it is ‘evergreen’. o fish, wildlife and outdoor recreation, o o and other topics that may be identified by stakeholders. Activities & Projects • Developing a State of the Basin report which will be comprised of a number of sections, including but not limited to: economic impact, water quality, drainage, etc. A basin wide wastewater standards white paper has just been completed. Presented a series of 4 tile drainage webinars with RRBC, Man. Ag., and 4 CD’s. Also delivered municipal workshops. Host transboundary events such as educational meetings, workshops, tours, conference, and other meetings & events as requested or deemed appropriate. Activities & Projects cont’d • Working with partners in the reestablishment of wetlands on annual crop land in Sask. • Delivered an Indigenous Training workshop. • Hosted two meetings with the four Lake Winnipeg basin organizations. • Partnered with MFGA HGS physics- based model designed to model entire river basins that considers surface and soil moisture as well as ground water and the interactions between all three. Partner Support Supported City of Minot on their successful $74.3 mil application to the National Disaster Resilience Competition as well as a recent request to US Army Corp of Engineers. Supported project applications for LiDAR in Manitoba and basin wide water quality monitoring with IISD. Assisted the IJC with public appointments to the Int. Souris River Board. Providing ‘Letters of Support” and in- kind contributions where appropriate on projects/activities. One example is Prairie Water – Global Water Futures. Partnerships Engaged on numerous committees, boards, attend workshops, meetings, and conferences. Becoming a ‘go to’ organization for: advice, direction, communication, information, and sometimes arbitration. ARBI & Transboundary Concerns Becoming a ‘go to’ organization for: advice, direction, communication, information, and sometimes arbitration. Hosting trans-boundary events such as “Between 8 & 83” & ‘Along the 49th” as well as CD & Watershed joint meetings and our annual conference. “Fence Line” Communication From a transboundary perspective the following are issues/concerns that come to the forefront in discussion with stakeholders: Communication, Engagement, Sustainability, Harmonious & uniform polices/programs across boundaries. Thank You Wanda McFadyen, Executive Director Assiniboine River Basin Initiative Suite 205-1110 Concordia Ave. Box 1113, Winnipeg Main PO Winnipeg , MB R3C 2X4 Tel.: 204-795-6672 Email: [email protected] Website: http://assiniboinerbi.weebly.com/ Assiniboine River Basin Initiative @arbi_qsa .