West Souris Integrated Watershed Management Plan
The West Souris River Integrated Watershed Management Plan encompasses the area of land from the Saskatchewan and North Dakota borders which contribute water to the Souris River. This includes tributaries such as the Pipestone, Stoney, Jackson, Graham and Gainsborough Creeks. In partnership with government, non-profit organizations and watershed residents, the West Souris River Conservation District has led plan development as the Water Planning Authority, as designated under The Water Protection Act. |
It takes approximately two years to develop an integrated watershed management plan. The timeline on the right illustrates plan development progress. Once a plan is implemented the water planning authority can publish progress reports. |
In the development of an integrated watershed management plan the planning team invites a variety of groups to comment on issues important to them in the watershed. A summary of public comments can be found here once consultations have been held. |
Once a plan is initiated in an area a memorandum of understanding is developed between the water planning authority and the Province of Manitoba. The planning team then lays out the terms of the plan, including the timeline, budget, and scope of work.
Public consultations are held to better understand the concerns and issues of the watershed. The results of the issues discussed at public consultations are summarized here.
The planning team asks technical experts and relevant stakeholder groups to provide information and issues about the watershed. A significant amount of valuable information is provided by:
Manitoba Environment and Climate Change
Many other government departments, agencies and stakeholder groups.
Through a series of meetings with representatives from the Conservation District, and a broad range of technical and stakeholder representatives, a draft management plan is developed. Once this plan is reviewed by the public, the water planning authority and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, an approved plan is published and plan actions are implemented.