• reduce blue-green algae blooms;
• ensure fewer beach closings;
• keep in place a sustainable fishery;
• provide a clean lake for recreation; and
• restore the ecological integrity of the lake.

Lake Winnipeg is fed by a vast water basin covering 960,000 square kilometres extending over four provinces and four U.S. states. The problems facing the lake are the result of excessive phosphorus and nitrogen from farms and municipal wastewater ending up in the lake. More than half of these pollutants originate outside Manitoba’s borders.

The overall objective of the initiative is to help improve the water quality of Lake Winnipeg by identifying, assessing and addressing key water quality issues within the lake and its contributing watershed. The initiative will focus on three key areas: research and monitoring, establishing a Lake Winnipeg Basin Stewardship Fund and facilitating watershed governance across the basin. See the Application Process.

Research and Monitoring

The excessive phosphorus and nitrogen, also known as nutrients, are contributing to the growth of huge tracts of blue-green algae, which rob the lake of oxygen, clog fishing nets, foul beaches and produce harmful toxins. Satellite images of the lake over the last decade show a worsening trend with blue-green algae, at times, covering more than half the surface area or about 13,000 square kilometres.

More research is needed to determine what would constitute sustainable nutrient levels for Lake Winnipeg, the sources of nutrients, and what can be done to manage them throughout the Lake Winnipeg Basin area. The Initiative will support science activities required to understand the relationship between the ecology and nutrient cycling within Lake Winnipeg. It will also encompass a monitoring program to determine how Lake Winnipeg and its watershed are responding to nutrient management decisions within the basin.

Environment Canada will finalize detailed work plans for research and science activities, and for water quality and biological monitoring in other sub-watersheds within the Lake Winnipeg Basin. In addition to Lake Winnipeg and its immediate area, research/monitoring activities will be conducted in the three main sub-basins: Saskatchewan, Red-Assiniboine and Winnipeg rivers (includes Lake of the Woods).

Establishing a Lake Winnipeg Basin Stewardship Fund

In an on-going effort to promote stewardship, protect water resources and achieve desired outcomes, Environment Canada will administer a $3.65 million, cost-shared fund. The fund will support projects or activities having concrete, demonstrable results to reduce pollutants, and in particular, nutrient loads. The fund will target one-third contributions from provincial governments and local stakeholders. A multi-agency advisory committee will be established to provide input and recommendations on the funding proposals.

Facilitating Governance

In scope, the Lake Winnipeg Basin is both inter-provincial (four provinces) and international, and involves a myriad of stakeholders, plans and activities. Long-term collaboration and coordination between relevant stakeholders is fundamental to the health of the Basin. While there are some successful water management bodies in place (e.g. Prairie Provinces Water Board, Federal Prairie Water Committee, International Joint Commission Boards, Lake of the Woods Control Boards), there is no over-arching mechanism to engage stakeholders, integrate the parts, and coordinate activities in a cohesive and efficient manner for the entire Lake Winnipeg Basin.

To help strengthen collaboration amongst stakeholders at the basin and sub-basin levels, and to help ensure decision-making is coordinated, timely and adaptive, Environment Canada will establish a Lake Winnipeg Basin Management Office in Winnipeg. This office will coordinate and manage the activities of the initiative, work with existing water governance bodies, explore the need for an overarching basin mechanism to cooperatively develop a basin-wide strategy, and provide a forum for communication.

Environment Canada will work with the Province of Manitoba to establish a Canada-Manitoba Agreement to provide for a long-term collaborative and coordinated approach between the two governments to ensure the sustainability and health of the Lake Winnipeg Basin.

• Also available in PDF format | Download free reader