Lake Winnipeg Phase 1 Achievements

Lake Winnipeg Basin Initiative - Phase 1 Achievements (2008-2012)

Since the Lake Winnipeg Basin Initiative was launched in 2008, significant progress has been made in governance, stewardship and science activities. This page presents a summary of what has been accomplished from the first phase of the Initiative. For more detailed information, consult the Final Report on the Lake Winnipeg Basin Initiative (2008-2012).

Achievements related to:

Governance Achievements

Canada and Manitoba Sign Memorandum of Understanding

There was an ongoing need for an over-arching means to engage stakeholders and coordinate governance activities across Lake Winnipeg's entire basin. The Government of Canada's Lake Winnipeg Basin Initiative (2008-2012) was developed to assist with science activities as well as the important work involved in coordinating cohesive and effective government and stakeholder efforts across the watershed.

Signing of Canada-Manitoba Memorandum of Understanding

To meet this goal, a five-year Canada-Manitoba Memorandum of Understanding Respecting Lake Winnipeg and the Lake Winnipeg Basin was signed in September 2010 to ensure the necessary collaboration is firmly in place. This Canada-Manitoba Agreement on Lake Winnipeg was an important step forward to provide a basis for integrated basin-wide watershed management that will clean up the lake and ensure its long-term sustainability. To view the full text of the Canada-Manitoba Memorandum respecting Lake Winnipeg, visit the Province of Manitoba's Water Stewardship website.

A joint federal-provincial steering committee was established in October 2010 and is overseeing the implementation and development of the MOU.

Stewardship Achievements

Environment Canada Funds Projects to Clean Up Lake Winnipeg

The Government of Canada, through its Action Plan on Clean Water, committed $3.7 million in funding over four years (2008 to 2012) to establish a Lake Winnipeg Basin Stewardship Fund (LWBSF).

The LWBSF funded 41 projects that contributed concretely to the reduction of nutrients in the basin. The LWBSF generated approximately $2.25 in partner cash and in-kind contributions for each federal dollar invested.

Recipients of the Lake Winnipeg Basin Stewardship Fund

In 2009, a Public Advisory Committee (PAC) was established for the Lake Winnipeg Stewardship Fund. The members of the PAC represent the interests of people who live and work around the lake. The committee was established to provide project funding recommendations to the Minister of the Environment.

Projects funded were based throughout the watershed, and encompass beneficial agricultural management practices, wetland and riverbank restoration, and demonstration projects related to nutrient abatement.

For results to date, visit the project map.

Lake Winnipeg Funding Announcements

Science Achievements

Phase 1 Lake Winnipeg Science Projects Now Completed

Researchers conducted twenty-four research, monitoring and information management projects and activities in the initiative's first phase on Lake Winnipeg and in the major sub-basins of the lake such as the Red-Assiniboine River, Winnipeg River and Lake of the Woods.

For more detailed updates on progress to date on Lake Winnipeg Basin Initiative science objectives, please see the LWBI Phase I Interim Report.

Goal 1: Characterizing the Lake

Research included characterizing physical, chemical and biological integrity of the Lake. This included determination of the status and long-term trends in the biological community in Lake Winnipeg, Lake of the Woods and tributaries, the ecological impacts of blooms[1], and the potential impacts of nutrient enrichment and invasive species on the food web. In-lake processes that promote algal and cyanobacteria blooms and their potential toxicity were explored. Results indicated that the cyanobacteria species dominating the summer blooms in Lake Winnipeg are not highly toxic, but the risk of toxins can increase dramatically in dense surface or shoreline scums, which commonly occur as a result of wind and currents.

Goal 2: Establishing Budgets for Nutrients

Nutrient loading is strongly influenced by seasonal hydrology, with snowmelt being a critical period. Concentrations of nutrients varied seasonally, but showed more variability and larger values during winter and snowmelt. A predictive ecosystem model was developed to simulate the major nutrient and algal dynamics in Lake Winnipeg. Wind-driven circulation plays a crucial role in how materials are mixed, retained and/or flushed from each basin in Lake Winnipeg.

Goal 3: Assessing Sources of Nutrient Inputs to the Lake

LWBI scientists used stable isotope "fingerprinting" of nutrients to obtain new information regarding nutrient sources in the Red River basin, analyze the cycling of organic matter and impacts on the food web, the processes that lead to algal bloom development and the factors that affect dissolved oxygen levels in Lake Winnipeg. Dissolved oxygen is crucial to the survival of aquatic ecosystems. Stable isotope analyses indicated that the Red, Winnipeg and Saskatchewan rivers have distinctive nitrate sources, providing an isotopic signature that enabled tracking of nitrates into Lake Winnipeg. Differences in nitrate sources in the north basin (decay of nitrogen fixing cyanobacterial blooms) and south basin (primarily animal waste) were pronounced and indicate that each basin requires separate nutrient process models.

Goal 4: Assessing the Economic Value of Water

A framework for using ecological goods and services (EG&S) was developed and applied to two case studies in the Lake Winnipeg Basin. Several agricultural BMPs and wastewater treatment strategies were examined to estimate their costs, benefits in terms of phosphorus reduction, and EG&S co-benefits, such as greenhouse gas emission reduction, erosion control, and pollination services. Results indicated that wastewater treatment strategies were generally less cost-effective than agricultural BMP strategies when the annualized net cost per tonne of phosphorus removed was considered.

Goal 5: Science Information Portal for Lake Winnipeg

A Lake Winnipeg web information portal was developed, in conjunction with stakeholders, to gather, store and share data concerning the watershed, and provide users with the tools and information they need to make effective water management decisions. The portal enables users to freely upload their data and information and model results for sharing with others. The portal currently contains about 137 datasets, and was transferred to the University of Manitoba in March 2012, where it will continue to grow and evolve as a comprehensive source of information and a resource for students, scientists and the public.

Goal 6: Establishing Nutrient Objectives for Lake Winnipeg's Watershed

A federal-provincial report on the state of Lake Winnipeg from 1999 to 2007 was published in July 2011. It's findings will assist ongoing research on the lake and highlight current and emerging issues. The highlights report for this publication is available.

Work was undertaken through the LWBI to support Manitoba in developing a science framework for establishing and evaluating nutrient objectives for Lake Winnipeg and tributaries. Environment Canada also collaborated with Manitoba to identify, finalize and evaluate eighteen priority performance indicators to assess the health and detect changes in the lake and watershed. A report was drafted and is pending peer review, prior to being finalized. The indicators are anticipated to be used to direct future monitoring and research activities, and complement the development of ecologically relevant nutrient objectives.

Government of Canada Hosts Public Information Session on Lake Winnipeg (November 2010)

Environment Canada Provides $480,000 in Support for Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium (March 2010)

Environment Canada contributed $480,000 to support continued research and education efforts through the Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium's research vessel, the MV Namao. In addition to this financial support, Environment Canada has also provided the research vessel with a new control room and lab on its upper deck. Federal and provincial scientists working together to help clean up Lake Winnipeg rely upon the MV Namao for conducting field research on Lake Winnipeg. The Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium (LWRC) is a major facilitator of research and education on Lake Winnipeg. The LWRC's MV Namao research vessel is the only research and education platform operating on the lake. For more information on the activities and research conducted through the LWRC, read their latest progress report (PDF).

[1] Broadly termed "algal" blooms, these occur throughout the year; those of most concern occur in the summer-fall period and are mainly dominated by cyanobacteria (also called "blue-green algae"). Return to content