GROW & Watershed Funded Projects 2020

Project Name: Recognizing Ecological Services from Farms and Ranches in Assiniboine West Watershed District

Project Description: Through this program, the beneficial ecological services from farms and ranches will be enhanced in the Assiniboine West Watershed District. This work will engage and train landowners to:
(1) conserve, enhance or restore 563 acres of wetlands, enhance or restore 650 acres of uplands, and conserve 250 acres of riparian areas. It will also protect downstream infrastructure and combat drought by creating retention structures capable of retaining 200 acre-ft of water.

Amount: $ 750,000

Project Name: Farming the Best - Conserving the Rest within the Central Assiniboine Watershed District

Project Description: Our project aims to offer targeted EG&S programming to improve watershed health by offering a number of programs. The programs are targeted towards wetlands, water retention, riparian areas, buffer establishment, and upland area. The projects will conserve, enhance or restore 1,194 acres of targeted sensitive habitat.

Amount: $ 500,000

Project Name: Wetland and Riparian Area Restoration/Enhancement and Protection Program (WRAPP)

Project Description: This program will significantly increase EIWD’s current Wetland and Riparian Area Restoration/Protection Project sites which will improve watershed resilience to the impacts of climate change and improve water quality. It is estimated that: 200 acres of wetland/riparian and 200 acres of upland areas will be restored/enhanced and protected, 170 acre feet of water storage will be created and/or protected, 4 acres of native vegetation will be planted and 50 cows will be removed from waterways.  

Amount: $ 250,000

Project Name: Advancing Landscape Resiliency within Inter-Mountain Watershed District

Project Description: GROW funding will enable us to work proactively, instead of being in a defensive/reactive mode every flood or drought. We recognize the pressure in the District to convert existing natural areas into annual cropland, so we look to protect these areas that are key to water quality, species biodiversity, water infiltration, runoff reduction & carbon storage. By using a combination of in-field projects and ongoing landowner incentives, we will improve the resilience of our watershed.

Amount: $ 500,000

Project Name: Off-Site Watering for Riparian Health 

Project Description: Kelsey Watershed Districts proposal for off-site watering for riparian health will accomplish the removal of livestock from waterways and sensitive areas. The benefits of this are well proven and will include restoration of the riparian area and improved water quality. Offsite watering will accomplish increasing the biodiversity of the riparian zone, reducing nutrient loading and improve water quality.

Amount: $ 40,000

Project Name: NRWD GROW Program

Project Description: The Northeast Red Watershed District Grow program will work with local landowners to provide Ecological Goods and Services to the watershed. The NRWD will aim to restore and enhance 200 acres of wetlands and riparian areas in the next 2 years. 

Amount: $ 250,000

Project Name: Pembina Valley Watershed District Pembina Plum Initiative

Project Description:  PVWD CT GROW program outputs; 825 acft of storage, 409 acres protected class 1/2 wetlands, build 12 water retention structures, exclude 750 cattle, install 2 km of riparian fencing, protect 5 acres of the riparian zone, install 6 erosion control projects, plant 10,120 trees, Improve soil health on 1567 acres, protect 80 acres of an at-risk natural landscape.

Amount: $ 500,000

Project Name: Boyne River Watershed GROW Program

Project Description: The Redboine Watershed District will partner with landowners & Municipalities in the Boyne River Sub-Watershed to create a GROW program that will increase the watershed’s resiliency to a changing climate and help increase water quality throughout the area. This GROW program will implement beneficial management projects that will manage surface water, alleviate flooding and erosion issues, help to increase water quality and increase the water supply security of the Boyne River Sub-Watershed.

Amount: $225,000

Project Name: GROWing EG&S in the Seine Rat and Roseau Watershed District

Project Description: The Seine Rat Roseau Watershed District will improve water quality, build resiliency to climate change and reduce erosion of marginal or environmentally targeted soils across 690 acres in the watershed. Additional benefits will include the creation of wildlife habitat, carbon sequestration and, soil enhancement and protection. The SRRWD GROWing EG&S program is voluntary. Farmers, ranchers, and community members work together to identify environmental priorities and implement solutions.

Amount: $ 750,000

Project Name: Water Retention & Wetland Conservation Programming in the Souris River Watershed

Project Description: The project will enhance the climate and ecological resiliency of the Souris River Watershed through the conservation of class 1 & 2 prairie pothole wetlands, construction of water retention structures, and conservation/restoration of upland and riparian areas. Project will provide annual incentive payments for the conservation of 519 acres of class 1 & 2 wetlands, conservation/restoration of 500 acres of upland areas and 1500 acres of riparian areas and 100 acres water stored.  

Amount: $ 440,000

Project Name: Surface Water Quality Improvement for the Swan River Valley

Project Description: The SLWD is aiming to develop a wetland conservation and riparian restoration program with a main goal of surface water quality improvements within the Swan River Valley. Term conservation contracts will include 5 wetland incentive projects (providing and protecting ecological goods and services), five kilometers of river shorelines protected (minimizing livestock access), 150 acres of wetland conserved, 40 acres of riparian zones protected, and 40 acres of buffer strips each year. 

Amount: $ 167,120

Project Name: Working together to improve watershed health in the West Interlake Watershed

Project Description: GROW projects will improve water quality and watershed resilience to the impact of a changing climate, by engaging producers and providing establishment cost to implement beneficial management practices. This project will conserve 100 acres of wetlands, enhance 75 acres of riparian areas, restore 2000 acres of tame upland grassland, establish 7.5 acres of shelterbelts, install 7 Off-site watering systems. Benefits also will include improved biodiversity and habitat, carbon sequestration.

Amount: $ 250,000

Project Name: Integrated Watershed Management Plan Fulfillment Project

Project Description: The proposal will improve watershed resiliency, improve water quality, increase biodiversity, enhance riparian and aquatic habitat, improve on-farm water management and enhance sustainable agricultural production. Estimated outputs include: restoration of 50 acres and enhancement of 30 acres of riparian habitat, enhancement of 960 acres of upland/grassland, construction of 3 water retention projects and ~900 acre feet storage, and construction of 10 km fencing and 6 new cattle crossing.

Amount: $ 220,000

Project Name: Whitemud Watershed 2020-21 GROW Program

Project Description: The WWD 2020-21 GROW Program will achieve 200 ac-ft of water storage; protect 500 ac of wetlands, 500 ac of riparian area, and 500 ac of upland area; enhance 415 ac of riparian habitat through stabilization, improved crossings, vegetation reestablishment, exclusion fencing, and alternative watering systems; plant 17500 tree seedlings; establish 20km of shelterbelts; 15 ac of perennial buffers; 10 acres of grassed waterways; and enhance 3300 ac of soil organic matter.

Amount: $ 500,000