NETLEY-LIBAU MARSH ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT PLAN Fig. Netley Lake (Grosshans, 2004) OVERVIEW Boundary Management Objectives Stakeholders Monitoring Plan 1. Reduction of Water Flow 1.1 On Farm Ponds Funding 1.2 Western Manitoba Wetlands Funding 2. Soil Erosion 2.1 Geotubes 3. Increased Nutrient Sequestration 3.1 Vegetation 3.2 Cattail Harvesting Partnership Funding 4. Protection of Marsh Land 4.1 Wildlife Management Area 4.2 Invasive Species Purple Loosestrife 4.3 Duck Tunnels 5. Educational Programs 5.1 Environmental Farm Plan 5.2 Interpretive Centre GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARY Fig. 2 Province of Manitoba, 2014. OBJECTIVES 1. Reduce water flowing through the marsh 2. Reduce erosion of upland and island areas 3. Increased nutrient sequestration capabilities of the marsh 4. Protect and re-enforce intact marsh land area 5. Educational programs to promote interest of marsh sustainability STAKEHOLDERS Primary StakeholdersSecondary StakeholdersTertiary Stakeholders Government of Manitoba Department of Water Stewardship (Wetlands Working Group) Government of Canada Lake Winnipeg Basin Stewardship Fund Manitoba Association of Cottage Owners International Institute of Sustainable Development (IISD) Manitoba Conservation Districts (focus on the Netley-Grassmere) Bird Studies Canada (Important Bird Areas) Local landowners and Peguis First NationAssociation of Manitoba MunicipalitiesCanadian Nature Federation Lake Winnipeg FoundationManitoba Habitat Heritage CorporationCity of Winnipeg Manitoba HydroManitoba Wildlife Federation Ducks Unlimited CanadaNSERC Manitoba Education ALUS Hutterite Communities University of Manitoba University of Winnipeg MONITORING PLAN 5 Year monitoring plan Historical data to be examined Obtain data on erosion, hydrology, vegetation, nutrient levels, and wildlife Cattail barges 1. REDUCTION OF WATER FLOW Increase surface water storage throughout Red River and Assiniboine River watersheds Goal is to reduce the flow of water in the Red River and the Netley-Libau Marsh by 20% through 885, 000 acre feet of surface water storage across southern Manitoba Hope to achieve goal within 25 years of project start date 1.1 ON FARM PONDS Surface water storage through tinstallation of on-farm retention ponds in Red River watershed Benefits to farmers include better drainage of cropland in high water years and the potential to use high nutrient water for irrigation in low water years Will use existing retention structures as models when approaching landowners (South Tobacco Creek, Classen on-farm pond) Fig. Prime areas for on-farm ponds (Ali, 2013) 1.1 ON FARM PONDS Fig. Example of on farm pond (Ali, 2013) 1.1.1 FUNDING Lake Winnipeg Basin Stewardship Fund Environment Canada Growing Forward 2 Province of Manitoba ALUS (Alternative Land Use Services) acts as a facilitator between private landowners and stakeholder groups Ecological Goods and Services Program 1.1.2 BY-LAW #1912 WETLANDS TAX CREDIT PROGRAM Incentive for landowners La Salle Redboine CD provided $ Currently 385 acres being preserved Fig. Wetlands Schedule C Tax Credit Application (McCurcheon & Murray, 2013) 1.1.2 BY-LAW #1912 WETLANDS TAX CREDIT PROGRAM Wetalnds must be greater than 1 acre 3 types: isolated wetlands, wetland complex, and restored wetlands Credited $40 an acre annually Fig. By-Law #1912 Wetlands Schedule B (McCurcheon & Murray, 2013) 1.2 WESTERN MANITOBA WETLANDS Surface water storage will also be achieved through the restoration and protection of pothole wetlands in southwestern MB Area abundant in pothole wetlands Natural potholes are more efficient in the storage and purifying of water than man made retention structures Fig. Prairie Pothole Region 1.2.1 FUNDING Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation Potholes Plus Program Partnership with Delta Waterfowl Foundation and funded by NAWCA 2. SOIL EROSION High flow of Red River Decrease of emergent vegetation Netley Cut Figure The Netley Cut in 1923 and 2003 (IISD. 2014). 2.1 GEOTUBES Large sized geotextile tubes pumped full of sediment on site Erosion control in areas of rapid sediment loss Funding may be provided from Lake Winnipeg Stewardship Fund and Manitoba Government 2.1 GEOTUBES Can become permanent dykes by covering in soil and planting with native grasses Implement after 5 year monitoring program 3. INCREASED NUTRIENT SEQUESTRATION 75 T/ha carbon annually 20 60 kg/ha phosphorus annually Reduce amount of excess nutrients into Lake Winnipeg 3.1 VEGETATION Cattails are dominant species Loss of emergent, upland, and wet meadow vegetation Lack of extended dry period Destabilized shoreline 3.2 CATTAIL HARVESTING South end of marsh Ditches in Red and Assiniboine watersheds Fig. Ditch and stream system in Manitoba (Ali, 2013) 3.2 CATTAIL HARVESTING Fig. Proposed harvesting areas (Grosshans, 2012) 3.2 CATTAIL HARVESTING Farmers, Hutterite Colonies, and province Specific machinery for soft and wet terrain Biomass compressed into pellets Calorific heat value of 17 20 MJ/kg 3.2.1 PARTNERSHIPS Treaty Land Entitlement Peguis First Nation Entitled to land in Treaty No. 1 Partnership adjacent to marsh land for harvesting 3.2.2 FUNDING Manitoba Biomass Energy Support Program Program supports the transition to biomass for heating in place of coal Lake Winnipeg Basin Fund Environment Canada 4.1 WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA Libau (east) side of marsh More productive due to less degradation Preserve habitat productivity 80% wildlife management budget from hunters Fig. Proposed WMA site (AgriMap, 2014) 4.2 INVASIVE SPECIES PURPLE LOOSESTRIFE First entered the marsh in the late 1940s/ early 1950s Extensive root system Spreads by seeds travelling in wind or water Main method of control is Black-margined Loosestrife Beetle (Galerucella calmariensis) Fig. Control methods of Purple Loosestrife (University of Minnesota, 2009) 4.3 DUCK TUNNELS East side of Netley-Libau Habitat restoration 70% nesting success Annual maintenance 5. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS Workshops for farmers School education Newsletters University student research 5.2 INTERPRETIVE CENTRE A place for public to appreciate the importance of protecting and managing wetlands Located at Netley Creek Provincial Park Fig. Site area [above] (Google Maps, 2014) Fig. Bioenergy Centre [right] (Stankewich, 2014) 5.2 INTERPRETIVE CENTRE Fig. Observation tower [left] Fig. Research centre [right] (Stankewich, 2014) THANK YOU! Any Questions? FIGURE REFERENCES Figure 1 Grosshans, Wrubleski, & Goldsborough. (2004). Changes in the emergent plant community of Netley-Libau Marsh between 1979 and Delta Marsh Field Station (University of Manitoba). Occassional Publication No pp. Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4