CCOOMMMMUUNNIITTYY CCOONNSSEERRVVAATTIIOONN PPLLAANN for the NETLEY-LIBAU MARSH IMPORTANT BIRD AREA (South Basin of Lake Winnipeg) Prepared by: Cory Lindgren Manitoba IBA Program and the Oak Hammock Marsh Netley Marsh Waterfowl Foundation Inc. Box 1160, Stonewall, Manitoba R0E 2Z0 383 Eveline St, Selkirk, Manitoba, R1A 1N4 Netley-Libau Marsh CCP Page 2 of 2 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY....................................................................................................................................4 1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................6 2.0 THE IBA PROGRAM ..................................................................................................................................8 3.0 IBA SITE INFORMATION .......................................................................................................................10 3.1 Vegetation............................................................................................................................................10 4.0 IBA SPECIES INFORMATION ................................................................................................................11 4.1 IBA Species .........................................................................................................................................11 4.2 Natural History of IBA Species ............................................................................................................14 Forster's Tern ..............................................................................................................................................14 Western Grebe ............................................................................................................................................14 Franklin's Gull.............................................................................................................................................17 Black-crowned Night-Heron.......................................................................................................................18 Canada Goose .............................................................................................................................................20 Shorebirds ...................................................................................................................................................21 Waterfowl ...................................................................................................................................................22 Colonial Waterbirds....................................................................................................................................22 Other Birds..................................................................................................................................................22 5.0 OTHER ELEMENTS OF HIGH CONSERVATION VALUE......................................................................22 5.1 Furbearers .............................................................................................................................................22 5.2 Fisheries................................................................................................................................................22 6.0 LAND USE AND OWNERSHIP...................................................................................................................23 7.0 CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT ACHIEVED AT THE IBA SITE ..................................................23 7.1 A Manitoba Heritage Marsh .................................................................................................................23 7.2 Management Plans and Issues in the 1980's..........................................................................................23 7.3 Ducks Unlimited Proposed Developments - 1980's............................................................................24 7.4 Goldeye Lake Project - Ducks Unlimited .............................................................................................25 7.5 Manitoba Department of Natural Resources Management Plans 1980's ..............................................26 7.6 Netley Creek Provincial Park................................................................................................................27 7.7 Netley Marsh Game Bird Refuge..........................................................................................................27 8.0 IBA STAKEHOLDER GROUP ACTIVITIES..............................................................................................28 8.1 Netley Marsh Waterfowl Foundation Inc..............................................................................................28 8.2 Selkirk Bird Watchers Club ..................................................................................................................28 8.3 Ducks Unlimited Canada ......................................................................................................................29 9.0 OPPORTUNITES..........................................................................................................................................29 9.1 Recreation .............................................................................................................................................29 9.2 Birding Opportunities ...........................................................................................................................29 10/03/01 Netley-Libau Marsh CCP Page 3 of 3 9.3 Education...........................................................................................................................................30 10.0 THREATS....................................................................................................................................................30 10.1 Exotic Invasive Species ......................................................................................................................30 10.2 Water Regulation on Lake Winnipeg..................................................................................................32 10.3 Expansion of Libau Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration........................................................32 10.4 Waterfowl Hunting Declines .............................................................................................................33 10.5 Drainage Issues along Netley Creek ...................................................................................................33 10.6 Water Diversion Projects ....................................................................................................................33 11.0 CONSERVATION GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.......................................................................................35 12.0 EVALUATING SUCCESS....................................................................................................................38 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS..................................................................................................................................38 REFERENCES.....................................................................................................................................................39 APPENDIX I: NETLEY-LIBAU CCP KEY CONTACTS .................................................................................42 APPENDIX II: THE MANITOBA HERITAGE MARSH PROGRAM.............................................................43 APPENDIX III: AVIAN SPECIES LIST OF NETLEY-LIBAU MARSH (VERBIWSKI 1986).....................44 APPENDIX IV: AVIAN SPECIES LIST LIBAU PFRA (RUTA ET AL. 1999)................................................49 APPENDIX V: MAMMALIAN SPECIES LIST OF THE NETLEY-LIBAU MARSH (VERBIWSKI 1986). .51 APPENDIX VI: PLANT SPECIES LIST OF THE NETLEY LIBAU MARSHES (VERBIWSKI 1986).........52 APPENDIX VII: IBA CANADA PARTNERS...................................................................................................53 APPENDIX VIII: NETLEY MARSH GAME BIRD REFUGE ..........................................................................54 Citation. Lindgren, C.J. and The Netley Libau Marsh Foundation Inc.. 2001. Netley-Libau Marsh Important Bird Area Community Conservation Plan. Prepared for the Canadian Nature Federation, Bird Studies Canada, Bird Life International and the Manitoba Naturalists Society. Winnipeg, Manitoba. 54 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. 10/03/01 Netley-Libau Marsh CCP Page 4 of 4 Executive Summary Netley-Libau Marsh IBA an area of 24,381-ha of upland and The Important Bird Area Program wetland habitat with 848-km of shoreline. It is located in the southern basin of Lake The Canadian Important Bird Winnipeg, approximately 65-km north of Areas Program (IBA) was established by Winnipeg, Manitoba. The marsh is a the Canadian Birdlife Partners, the complex of lakes and streams whose water Canadian Nature Federation and Bird levels are influenced by Lake Winnipeg. Studies Canada, as part of an international effort to identify and conserve sites Significant Bird Species important to all bird species worldwide. Initiated in Manitoba in August 1999, the The Netley-Libau Marsh