wetland

New drainage regulations and water management strategy needed

Smaller drainage projects will be expedited under proposed regulations in the province’s new water management strategy

The Manitoba government last week announced two new plans for water management in the province, and while they won’t take effect until a public consultation process occurs, they will be positive for farmers. In the first document, Towards Sustainable Drainage new drainage regulations are outlined that mean producers will no longer need to complete a

Worthwhile trade-off

New drainage and water management initiatives announced earlier this month will make it easier for Manitoba farmers to drain low spots in their fields, but harder — much harder — to convert wetlands into annual crop production. It may seem like a nuanced distinction and it will undoubtedly make many in the farming community nervous


Souris River flooding north of Melita, Man.  

Province vows to tackle southwest’s water woes

A new study shows the link between unlicensed wetland drainage and stream flows

Heavy rainfall isn’t the only reason overland flooding is washing out roads and resulting in hundreds of thousands of acres left unseeded in southwestern Manitoba this year, provincial officials say. Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Steve Ashton said last week the province now has proof illegal drainage in Saskatchewan is exacerbating the problems faced by

Conservation and Water Stewardship Minister Gord Mackintosh reveals the province’s new surface water management strategy.

Changes to drainage regulations on tap

Government is promising an end to red tape for farmers looking to complete minor drainage works, 
while increasing fines for illegal drainage

Manitoba farmers will be consulted on changes to drainage licensing as part of the province’s plan to restore Lake Winnipeg and better prepare for periods of drought and flooding. Conservation and Water Stewardship Minister Gord Mackintosh revealed the province’s new surface water management strategy in Winnipeg last week, which allocates $320 million to the initiative


people standing by a promo banner

ALUS returning to Manitoba’s Little Saskatchewan River Conservation District

The Manitoba-born conservation program has new funding

ALUS is coming home. Thanks to new government and private funding the Manitoba-born Alternate Land Use Services (ALUS) program is returning as a demonstration conservation program to the Little Saskatchewan River Conservation District north of Brandon, which includes the RM of Blanchard where ALUS was first piloted from 2006 to 2008. ALUS, a community-developed, farmer-delivered

groundbreaking ceremony

Turning the sod on water management with multiple benefits

The Pelly Lake Watershed Management project will help control spring runoff, boost hay yields, reduce nutrient loads and produce biofuel

In a symbolic nod to the past, officials here used an old coal shovel to turn the sod on a project many see as a new future of renewable energy and renewed water quality. After decades of failed attempts to drain a picturesque valley located about five km southeast of Holland so that farmers could


While farmers are using fertilizer efficiently today, drainage is mobilizing phosphorus already stored in the soil.  photo: ©thinkstock

Manitoba farmers credited for using fertilizer efficiently

Manitoba farmers credited for using fertilizer efficiently New research by the International Institute for Sustainable Development has confirmed what Keystone Agricultural Producers president Doug Chorney already knew about how farmers manage fertilizer in this province. After comparing how much synthetic fertilizer Manitoba farmers use in every municipality across agro-Manitoba against the nutrients removed by crops,

Half-moon holes produce crops in the sub-Saharan desert

An innovative water-trapping technique is making the desert bloom in one of the most inhospitable regions of sub-Saharan Africa. Demi-lunes — holes in the shape of a semi-circle — are used to capture and store run-off rainwater. It’s a simple low-tech water-harvesting method which enables crops to grow in a hostile climate. The water conservation


Spring and reality floods

There’s lots of speculation these days over when the viewing public will grow tired of the so-called “reality TV” phenomenon, when ordinary people open up their lives for the world to watch while they choose a life partner, sing in a glorified karaoke contest, vote someone off the island or eat weird stuff for cash.

Conference discusses keeping water on the land

As a people, we need to look at fresh water as a valued asset, not something to be flushed down the river

To flood or not to flood, and will spring ever come? Those were the thoughts on many minds as we entered Canada Water Week. Held annually on the third week of March to coincide with World Water Day on March 22, the Manitoba Eco-network celebrated with a conference in Brandon entitled “Keeping Water on the