“Water is life, and our government is committed to protecting Manitoba’s lakes and rivers for generations to come,” said Environment and Climate Change Minister Tracy Schmidt on March 22. “Expanding watershed districts and making new resources available to help Manitobans make smart water decisions are part of this work.”

The five regions affected are the Central Assiniboine, Pembina Valley, Redboine, the Seine Rat Roseau and the Souris River watershed districts. The watersheds will be expanding into new municipal areas effective April 1, with the support of enhanced provincial core funding through the Watershed Districts Program.

This is the second expansion within 12 months announced for the Pembina Valley and Redboine watershed districts. Last spring, the province announced the expansion of those two watersheds along with the expansion of the Northeast Red Watershed District. 

The recent announcement coincided with World Water Day.

Schmidt also pointed to the work of the Manitoba Habitat Conservancy (MHC) in advancing nearly $12 million for projects to restore natural areas, preserve water quality and wildlife habitat, help sequester carbon and connect people to nature. The MHC has been tagged by the province as the administrator for GROW and Conservation Trust funding, both programs that divvy funds out to support projects with those objectives. 

Watershed districts deliver GROW funds to individual projects, applied for in partnership with local farmers and landowners.

“On this World Water Day, we mark a significant stride towards preserving Manitoba’s habitats and the benefits these provide to people and wildlife,” said MHC CEO Stephen Carlyle. “With an investment of $11.9 million, Manitoba Habitat Conservancy is proudly supporting local not-for-profit conservation groups, including Manitoba’s Watershed Districts.”

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The organization, whose network of 14 districts is only four years past its transition from the former conservation district system, is used to running conservation and water management projects.

But it recently branched into being the vehicle for government programs, many of which come with a distinct agricultural flavour.

“There was always talk about funding and funding watershed districts, but what we’re doing now is we’re working as a delivery agent for government programs,” said MAW chair Garry Wasylowski.

“So, it is a different step. But what we’ve done as an organization, as individual watershed districts, is that we’ve stepped up our programming, stepped up our staffing.”

Why it matters: The shift to delivering specific government programs rather than operating under general funding has been a learning experience for Manitoba’s watershed districts.

In 2022, the association was selected by the federal government to deliver the Prairie Climate Watersheds Program (PCWP) in both Manitoba and Saskatchewan. That program, offered under the umbrella of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s On-Farm Climate Action Fund, came with up to $40 million and is slated to run between February 2022 and the end of March next year.

The idea was to fund farm-specific projects that aligned with three broad categories of beneficial management practice, all with the goal of sustainability and emissions reduction.

Farmers could, for example, get funding to buy into rotational grazing, which might involve new fencing or watering systems, the costs of creating a grazing plan or adding legumes to pasture.

Cover cropping included things like establishing cover crops in the spring or fall shoulder seasons, planting a full-season or perennial cover, or planning and assessment costs.

A third stream, nitrogen management, covered a long list of practices ranging from the cost of soil mapping and testing to adding legumes, updating equipment for lower-loss application and incorporation, opting for split application or switching to options like polymer coated urea, added inhibitors or manure/compost.

Speaking at the Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association’s regenerative agriculture conference in Brandon in November, MAW program manager Dan Cox noted that nitrogen management projects were particularly popular.

Cox said the program handed out $15.6 million to farmers across both provinces in its first year. A total 1,411 farmers participated. In Manitoba, 731 farmers got projects funded, to the tune of $7.46 million.

Cox further noted that some districts are already creating waiting lists for the next round of funding. Manitoba’s portion for 2023-2024 is expected to grow to $9.8 million, while MAW expects that it will hand out $19.7 million between Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

“What it does is it shows government that we are capable of delivering other programs for them,” Wasylowski said. “I see that as the way that we are going to go.”

PCWP has also been a bridge between the watershed districts and producers, representatives from some districts said during MAW’s conference in Brandon in early December.

Conservation districts and, later, watershed districts, have not always been popular with farmers, who may resent the perceived criticism of their practices or worry about clashes between conservation and agricultural priorities.

“I used to say that the watershed districts were the best kept secret in Manitoba,” Wasylowski said. “Certainly this program has gotten us better known.”

PCWP funds are not the only government dollars MAW members distribute. The association delivers funds from the province’s GROW Trust, established in 2020 to set out conservation funding “in perpetuity” and available in those areas covered by a watershed district.

That trust is administered by the Manitoba Habitat Conservancy.

MAW has also been one of the driving partners in the now wrapped up Living Labs Eastern Prairies initiative, which looked to bring together producers, researchers and other stakeholders to test novel ag practices.

The successor to that initiative, Living Labs Manitoba, was announced Nov. 15 and has been earmarked for $9.2 million in funding over the next five years.

That initiative “will develop and test BMPs [beneficial management practices] for nutrient management, natural and agricultural landscapes, water retention, agroforestry, crop and livestock integration, grazing management, rhizome microbiome, soil organic matter growth and soil health, as well as facilitating better use of resources,” according to AAFC.

MAW will play a major part in the development and roll out of the initiative.

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On Dec. 4, Manitoba Environment and Climate Change Minister Tracy Schmidt announced $294,000 for the province’s watershed district network.

“Improving watershed health is such an important part of building a resilient environment and fighting climate change,” Schmidt said.

“Watershed districts help Manitobans connect what is happening in their backyard with what is happening across the province. I look forward to continuing our partnership with the Manitoba Association of Watersheds and working together to protect Manitoba’s environment.”

Why it matters: The announcement came ahead of the annual Manitoba Association of Watersheds conference in Brandon in early December.

Currently, the watershed program covers 14 districts across 113 municipal partners. Grants to the program total about $7 million.

Association board chair Garry Wasylowski said the eventual goal is to have every part of Manitoba covered by a watershed district.

“It’s something that we’ve talked about with the province for a number of years,” he said, as he welcomed the funding.

The organization wants to have money in place as new municipalities join, he added.

“We’re very, very glad to hear that this government is following up with what was happening before and what we’ve been asking for.”

The previous Progressive Conservative government unveiled details of a water strategy this summer. That plan earmarked $600,000 for the Manitoba Association of Watersheds (MAW).

The December conference was the first large-scale event for the districts since Wab Kinew’s NDP government was sworn in this fall.

“I’m anxious to see what this government does with the water strategy,” Wasylowski said.

In particular, MAW has been pushing for an intergovernmental committee to help streamline communications, since the organization is commonly engaging with multiple government departments at a time, including natural resources, agriculture, infrastructure and municipal relations.

“We need to talk about a committee to deal with all of these issues,” he said, noting those conversations were derailed by the election.

Spreading coverage

Many gaps in the watershed districts’ coverage map lie in eastern Manitoba.

Wasylowski noted that participation has been an ongoing discussion in eastern areas including the Northeastern Red River.

The network of watersheds has also recently added to its map.

In April, the previous government announced $265,000 to expand three watershed districts. The municipalities of St. Clements, Lac du Bonnet and Reynolds, along with new parts of the RM of Brokenhead, Ste. Anne, Tache, and Springfield, were set to join the Northeast Red Watershed District. Parts of the RM of Roland opted into the Pembina Valley Watershed, and parts of the RMs of Roland and Macdonald were to join the Redboine Watershed District.

New roles

Although a voluntary organization, the association has recently taken a role administering government programs, such as the Prairie Watersheds Climate Program, which MAW delivers in both Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

That program offers producers funds for on-farm projects that target rotational grazing, cover crops or better nitrogen management. During the first year, the program handed out $7.45 million to 731 producers in Manitoba.

Infrastructure

The same Dec. 4 release noted an additional $300,000 slated for watershed districts responsible for infrastructure. Those responsibilities are carryovers from the old conservation district system and are in place for the Whitemud Watershed District, plus parts of the Inter-Mountain, Westlake and Northeast Red districts.

The extra funds are necessary, given inflation, Wasylowski noted.

“It’s a start. It’s not the solution yet.”

The infrastructure districts got some money in the last provincial budget, he said, “but we haven’t got a long-term solution as to how this funding’s going to go on in perpetuity.”

The Association of Manitoba Municipalities, which held its conference the week prior to MAW’s event, also highlighted the increasing pressures of funding local infrastructure.

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Dan Cox, program manager for the Manitoba Association of Watersheds, was on hand during the opening day of the Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association’s Regenerative Ag Conference in Brandon Nov. 13 to give an update on the program.

Why it matters: Producers face increasing pressure on all sides on issues like emissions reduction.

The program handed out sustainability funding to 731 farms in Manitoba last year, to the value of $7.45 million, he said. Those projects covered 200,000 hectares of land. Between Manitoba and Saskatchewan collectively, funding went out to 1,411 farmers, to the value of $15.6 million. 

“I’m here tonight to say thank you to the watershed districts, to the retailers, to the seed companies, to everyone who was part of that program—upselling it, helping to provide support to landowners when they applied, when they were looking for agronomic support in their decision making,” Cox said. “All of you were there to help landowners get access to this funding.”

MAW was tapped last year by the federal government to administer the PWCP in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, which launched in 2022 with $40 million in funding through the On-Farm Climate Action Fund. The goal was to accelerate awareness and adoption of beneficial management practices that would lower greenhouse gas emissions on farms.

Eligible projects would be based around three streams. Producers could use funds to facilitate or improve rotational grazing, cover cropping or sustainable nitrogen management.

A more detailed list of eligible projects included things like fencing or watering systems, seeding legumes for grazing or help to develop a rotational grazing plan. Producers could get money for seeding fall, spring or full season cover crops, or for planning and technical assessments related to cover cropping.

On the nitrogen management side—an issue of prime concern to producers last year, with heightened tension around a federal goal to reduce nitrogen fertilizer emissions by 30 per cent below 2020 levels by the end of the decade—producers could get funding for soil testing or mapping or agronomic support for nitrogen plans. Equipment upgrades to allow side-banding or enhance fertilizer injection and incorporation was eligible. So was switching to alternate fertilizer sources linked to emissions reduction or buying into things like polymer coated urea.

That last stream got particular traction with farmers, Cox said, although all streams got good uptake.

The watersheds association is expecting to go bigger next year. The organization already has waiting lists for applications in some districts, Cox noted. MAW expects that the program will divvy out around $9.8 million to Manitoba producers in 2023-24. Between Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the program is projected to provide $19.7 million in funding in 2023-24.

“The program keeps getting larger due to the success of the first year and we are really looking forward to Year 2 and hopefully beyond,” Cox said.

The program will run until the end of March 2024.

For more coverage of the MFGA’s 2023 Regenerative Ag Conference, look for the next print edition of the Manitoba Co-operator.

*Update: A previous version of this article incorrectly named Dan Cox as Don Cox and cited funding numbers specific to Manitoba as applying to both Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

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The Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association (MFGA) has provided the Manitoba Association of Watersheds with access to roughly 15 grazing experts. Those experts are spread across the province and will be made available for one-on-one mentorships through the program.

Why it matters: Producers who want to implement rotational grazing can get the government to foot part of the bill, and a new mentor program aims to help as many producers as possible get the most from the opportunity.

The goal is to help farmers access funding programs delivered through the watersheds association. Mentorships will focus on grazing strategies and on-farm best management practices (BMP) that are eligible for funding under the Prairie Watersheds Climate Program.

That program has up to $40 million in project funding to divvy out and is one of 12 programs funded nationally by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s On-Farm Climate Action Fund. The program is delivered in Saskatchewan and Manitoba by each province’s watershed district association.

“MFGA has been a strong partner within the Prairie Watersheds Climate Program,” said Garry Wasylowski, the watershed group’s board chair. “We look forward to their services being available to support Manitoba’s watershed districts in their delivery of the rotational grazing BMP.”

The watersheds climate program covers three types of BMPs: rotational grazing, cover crops and nitrogen management. The rotational grazing stream, in which the mentorship program will operate, includes projects such as new fence and water system installation, pasture improvements or the creation of a grazing plan.

Infrastructure projects can receive $18,000 per quarter, to a maximum of $75,000. Producers who seed legumes into pasture can get $35 per acre, up to $75,000, while producers can get up to half the cost, up to $400, of creating a grazing plan.

Meet the mentors

MFGA grazing mentors come from the association’s network, either as board members or supporters.

Executive director Duncan Morrison said the mentorship program was initiated to get more farmers into the rotational grazing funding stream.

“There’s been a tremendous amount of interest in the other two BMPs … but with the BMPs around grazing, there’s not quite as high of a threshold of interest,” he said.

Watersheds executive director Lynda Nicol said slow uptake of the rotational grazing program is at least partly because it is new.

“We have already heard from a lot of our watershed districts that there is increased interest around rotational grazing. We’re seeing a lot more applications coming through the door.”

While she said the mentor program will likely increase interest, tapping into the MFGA’s expertise was always part of the plan.

“The MFGA was one of our original supporters when we were putting together our application for the On-Farm Climate Action Fund,” she said. “They’ve been an integral partner throughout this entire process.”

Nicol said the mentor program will leverage the strength of MFGA’s network to benefit Manitoba producers interested in trying new things.

“One of the exceptional things about the MFGA network is that they’re early adopters,” she said. “These folks have been doing a lot of these practices for a long time and are in a position to provide real expertise from what they’ve already done on-farm—the things that worked and the things that didn’t work—to help people make better decisions.”

The MFGA’s grazing plan approach will be organized by board alumnus Larry Wegner.

“The idea is to give the producers the skill and information they need to be successful,” he said. “The mentors are here to make sure the new producers that are trying this succeed.”

Wegner has managed his herd with planned grazing for the past 20 years. Things have changed since then, he said, and he hopes to see producers opt into the new program so he and other mentors can share what they’ve learned.

“We can do so much better than we have in the past. Pasture management for livestock has been very minimal and there’s so much more we could do to make things better,” said Wegner. “Poor grazing management will ruin the land as fast as anything else.”

The program is also expected to help producers deal with some of the finer details of the grant process. Producers must get their grazing plan approval by a certified agrologist under the program. Morrison said four of the 15 mentors have that certification.

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Projects totalling $1.2 million, including $400,000 to the Manitoba Beef producers, will support various conservation efforts on the province’s rangelands.

“We were very happy with this announcement,” said Carson Callum, Manitoba Beef Producers general manager. The money expands the funds MBP has received through the Conservation Trust over the last three years.

“It’s allowing more funds to be put to grassland conservation and enhancing habitat for all those that use it, including cattle, species at risk and other important species on that land,” Carson said.

Why it matters: Land, water and wildlife conservation projects can enhance soil fertility, nutrient cycling and forage availability, providing benefits to farmers.

The agriculture-based projects were part of a larger $10.36 million funding announcement that included $2.79 million for the Conservation Trust and $7.57 million for the Growing Outcomes in Watersheds (GROW) Trust.

Funding comes from three endowments, totaling $204 million, that were put under the stewardship of the Winnipeg Foundation between 2018 and 2020.

“These investments in nature-based solutions provide new opportunities to deliver on-the-ground actions to improve wildlife, water, and soil conservation across the province,” said Stephen Carlyle, chief executive officer of the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation.

The agriculture-based projects include:

• $400,000 to Manitoba Beef Producers to support projects that help cattle producers conserve grasslands and enhance habitat for threatened and endangered birds;
• $400,000 to the Association of Manitoba Community Pastures, to advance sustainable range management objectives on Manitoba’s community pastures;
• $400,000 to Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiatives Inc., to amplify success in grassland restoration and enhancement, connecting extension, agronomy, and incentive programs
• $200,000 to the Manitoba Organic Alliance for improving soil stewardship on Manitoba farms, and
• $196,600 to The Nature Conservancy of Canada for two projects, one to improve grazing management systems and conserve wetland and forest habitat in the Interlake, and the other to enhance grazing systems to support grassland biodiversity.

“I see we have some of those recipients here today,” said Carlyle during his address at the press conference. “Manitoba Beef Producers are receiving more than $400,000 to provide funding to ranchers to support practices that benefit our environment and hopefully their bottom line because cattle producers are really core conservationists here in our province,” he said.

While the listed agriculture-specific projects are all part of Conservation Trust funding, there were several more “agriculture-adjacent” projects funded.

These include $2.2 million to the Assiniboine West Watershed District to conserve wetlands and focus on improving water quality and building flood and drought resiliency, and $1.3 million to the Souris River Watershed District to enhance flood and drought resiliency, increase biodiversity and habitat, and increase carbon sequestration.

*The GROW Trust funds are delivered through Manitoba’s watershed districts and executive director Lynda Nicol said she’s excited about what it can achieve.

“The projects announced to be delivered in 11 watershed districts across the province are of tremendous value … there are tremendous programs available that are funded by the GROW Trust through watershed districts,” she said.

The $10.36 million is being matched by $16.9 million in funds and services by the groups, which will result in $27.26 million worth of conservation activity in Manitoba. Since the inception of the trust funding in 2019, $38.6 million has been committed to 182 conservation projects delivered by 47 Manitoba-based groups.

“Ultimately, it’s to help all Manitobans be more resilient to climate change,” said Carlyle. “So I’d like to thank you for this opportunity. And I really do want to recognize all of the conservation partners who are receiving funds today and implementing this made-in-Manitoba approach to conservation.”

*Update: a clarification to how GROW Trust funds are distributed was added.

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In 2020, like most other conferences held in that calendar year, MAW’s conference was a strictly virtual event. However, in 2021, MAW hosted their festival in a brief window during last year’s conference season when restrictions were lowered. That allowed them to deliver their programming in person, says Lynda Nicol, MAW’s executive director.

“We were very lucky with our timing last year,” says Nicol.

But despite that luck, organizing it was immensely challenging.

“Planning an event through that process was unlike any other event I’ve ever planned,” she says. “There were a lot of backup plans involved.”

This year’s conference is being held in Winnipeg at CanadaInns Polo Park from Dec. 5 to Dec. 7, and Nicol says she’s hoping for a less complicated, less restricted and more traditional environment than they had in 2021. However, there are contingency plans should another wave hit.

[RELATED] Eight municipalities join Manitoba watershed districts

“Our conference committee has learned a lot of the ins-and-outs by going through the planning process for last year,” says Nicol. “So we have some of those backups in place. But we’re very optimistic that we will be able to run the event as it’s intended to be.”

The theme for this year’s conference is Building Resilient Watersheds, and focuses on climate resiliency at the watershed level. For Nicol, it’s hard to pick out what she’s looking forward to most about the upcoming event.

“I’m excited about the whole thing, to be honest. We’re really thrilled with the program coming together the way that it has,” she says.

The keynote speaker for the conference is Amanda Fitzsimmons, the president of Régénération Canada, an advocacy-based non-profit group that promotes regenerative agriculture.

[RELATED] Funding expands for regenerative agriculture

“She really understands and speaks so eloquently about the water cycles and the impact that it has on overall watershed health,” Nicol says. “We’re really using that as an opening conversation for the entirety of our program, which, as always, is about focusing on the work that the watershed districts do.”

There are a couple of panels that are highlighting specific projects, like the prairie watersheds climate program and the Living Labs Eastern Prairies project, which is in its final year.

“We’re really excited to share more details, not just of what those programs are, but of the relevancy behind the specific work that’s been done within them.” Nicol notes.

Peppered throughout the program are sessions focusing on the individual watershed districts. Nicol says these sessions were a highlight for her during last year’s conference.

“Giving the stage over to the watershed district members allows them to really demonstrate the specifics of programming that they’ve offered and success stories from within their region. So I’m really looking forward to participating in those sessions with them.” she says.

On the lighter side, Nicol says she’s excited to bring back their icebreaker event again. “Last year, we had to cancel our icebreaker because of COVID. And so the idea of having that more relaxed and casual opportunity for everyone to gather together, share a bite to eat, and get to know one another as the event starts, is something I’m really excited to have the opportunity to participate in this year.”

The icebreaker event runs from 6-9 p.m. on the Monday of the conference and includes appetizers and a cash bar.

But the high point for the conference will be the Tuesday night awards banquet.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity to highlight specific individuals within the watershed districts who have just done incredible work,” Nicol says. “We have the opportunity to really celebrate their accomplishments and contributions to the program.”

Comedian Big Daddy Tazz will be providing after-dinner entertainment.

MAW’s Annual General Meeting will close out the conference activities from 11:00 a.m. till noon on Dec. 7.

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Two farmers from the RM of Roland, one from the RM of Portage la Prairie and one from the RM of Morris told the Co-operator they didn’t qualify for funding under the Prairie Watersheds Climate Program or other conservation programs delivered by the watershed districts.

“No luck for me for shelterbelt funding or anything else,” said Dane Froese, who farms in the RM of Roland.

One producer who farms in multiple municipalities north and east of Winnipeg said some of his land qualified and some did not.

The program provides funding through the On Farm Climate Action Fund for improving nitrogen management, cover cropping and expanding rotational grazing.

RM of Roland reeve Mike Pfrimmer told the Co-operator that his RM is considering joining a watershed district and had received presentations from provincial and district representatives. Council will make the decision in November, he said in an emailed statement.

The RM of Portage la Prairie is split between four watersheds. It’s a member of the Whitemud district, said chief administrative officer Nettie Neudorf.

The RM used to belong to the former La Salle Redboine Conservation District, said Neudorf, but removed its funding because it did not receive enough benefit to justify the fee.

“The funding model has not changed with the creation of the new watershed districts,” Neudorf said. “The RM of Portage still feels these membership fees can be better utilized elsewhere across the municipality.”

Farmers who aren’t eligible can contact the Manitoba Association of Watersheds for more information, said executive director Lynda Nicol.

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“It was just another avenue to get in more knowledge and to be able to work with peers to see what’s worked and not worked for them for our specific geography,” said Kim Wilton, who farms near St. Eustache.

The Farm Resilience Mentorship Program (FaRM) cover crop stream kicked off in Manitoba on July 11 with a farm tour.

The free program is coordinated and funded by Farmers for Climate Solutions. It includes online tools and resources and access to a network of contacts including facilitators Klassen, Scott Beaton and other farmers.

About 35 people, including ag company representatives, program members and curious farmers, assembled on co-facilitator Karen Klassen’s farm near Manitou. They heard talks from researchers Virginia Janzen and Ann Kirk and saw how Klassen was implementing cover crops and integrating livestock on her family’s farm.

They also asked questions of those in the group who were already cover-cropping, which was most of the farmers, Klassen said.

What are you seeding? When? At what rate? What does it cost? How are you terminating it? What’s the benefit of grazing cattle on the crop? How do you coordinate that?

Among the people who’d signed up by July 11, Klassen said she felt this is what they came for – community and the chance to bounce around ideas.

Watershed district reps promoted a recently rolled-out funding program for farmers who are considering cover crops.

Announced in late June, the Prairie Watersheds Climate Program is administered by the Manitoba Association of Watersheds (MAW) and funded through the federal On-Farm Climate Action Fund. It will pay farmers to implement cover crops, rotational grazing and nitrogen management.

The cover crop stream will pay eligible farmers $35 per acre to a maximum of $75,000 to plant cover crops, a program fact sheet said.

Klassen told the Co-operator that this would cover about half of her cover crop seed costs, not including labour and equipment.

Applications will open in August, said Lynda Nicol, MAW’s executive director, in an email. Producers can apply for funding through their local watershed district on projects going back to February.

The projects must be new to the farm or expanded from prior years (e.g. on new acres). They must also be recommended or approved by an agronomist, agrologist or certified crop advisor.

‘Before and after’ pictures of projects are required for verification and payment, the fact sheet said. The cover crops must be kept over winter.

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“It means we don’t have to… rob our project dollars to be able to deliver them more effectively,” said Justin Reid, manager of the Redboine Watershed District.

“We’re able to put more and more of our project dollars into the actual project,” he said.

On June 10, the province announced it would establish a $2.5-million Manitoba Watershed Districts Capacity Fund, which the Winnipeg Foundation would hold in trust.

• DOWN THE DRAIN: Manitoba’s wetlands a shadow of their former selves

Revenues from the trust will “provide a stable source of funding to support technical work, operations, communications, governance and watershed planning efforts for districts and the Manitoba Association of Watersheds,” the province said in a news release.

He could see the fund being a great help, said Reid.

Redboine Watershed District recently added three new municipalities to its program, Reid said. He hoped additional funding would help bring these RMs up to speed.

He said he also hoped to get more training for staff — on woodlot management, for instance, and which species to plant to preserve the health of wooded areas.

The fund may also cover engineering support for projects, or communications support and promotional work, said Lynda Nicol, executive director of the Manitoba Association of Watersheds.

“Capacity building” is a broad cat egory by design, Nicol said. It’s to allow them to be more responsive to districts’ individual needs.

The Watershed Districts Program plays “a vital role in building Manitoba’s climate resiliency and improving the health of our watersheds,” said Environment, Climate and Parks Minister Jeff Wharton in the June 10 news release.

“I think it’s a real indication from the government about the value of the work that’s being done through MAW and through the watershed districts,” Nicol told the Co-operator. “It’s an indication of their support for us to continue to grow and support the districts further.”

Previously, the province established the Conservation Trust in 2018, a $102-million fund for activities promoting conservation, including of watersheds. In 2019, the province established the $52-million GROW (GRowing Outcomes in Watersheds) Trust specifically to fund watershed conservation projects.

As part of the announcement, Wharton highlighted GROW Trust projects through a video highlight reel.

“Without the hard work of participating producers and local watershed districts, these and many other local GROW projects would not be possible,” Wharton said. “The new video is an important communication tool for the province, districts and producers to share information on our collaborative work through GROW to improve water quality, build resilience to flood and drought, sequester carbon and enhance wildlife habitat.”

The province also announced on June 10 that it would add $570,000 to the Watershed Districts Program’s core funding, for a total of about $6.4 million.

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