Souris River Watershed District

06/05/2026

🌱 What we were doing this week at Souris River Watershed District! 🚜

It has been another busy and rewarding week around the watershed—here’s what our team has been up to:

📜 New storyboard at Newcomb’s Hollow
We installed the new Newcomb’s Hollow storyboard, sharing the history of the area and helping visitors better understand the natural and cultural significance of this beautiful site.

🚌 Turtle Mountain field trip with Deloraine School
Staff took students from Deloraine School on a field trip around Turtle Mountain, visiting fields to explain what a watershed is, how we work with farmers to protect the environment, touring dam projects, talking about the GROW and PWCP programs, and finishing the day at Newcomb’s Hollow to explore the area’s history.

🚧 Fencing natural areas
We installed new fencing around natural areas such as Adair’s Dam, helping protect sensitive spaces, guide access, and support safe recreation and habitat.

🌍 Learning at IISD’s climate resilience conference
SRWD staff attended the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) “Weathering Waters: Building Climate Resilience in Canada” conference in Winnipeg, learning from experts and other organizations about how we can better prepare our watersheds and communities for a changing climate.

Thank you for following along and supporting the work we do for water, land, and communities across the Souris River watershed—we wish you all an amazing weekend! 🌿

06/03/2026

Animal of the Week – Monarch Butterfly 🦋🌾

Ever spotted a bright orange and black butterfly gliding over a roadside ditch, shelterbelt, or wet meadow in summer? 🌼🚜 That’s likely the Monarch (Danaus plexippus) – a long distance migrant that uses the Souris River watershed as a breeding and refuelling stop on its journey between Canada and central Mexico 🗺️🏔️.

Monarch caterpillars feed only on milkweed 🌿🐛, growing in sunny prairies, field edges, pastures, and backyard gardens 🏡. Adults rely on nectar from wildflowers like goldenrod, asters, and clover to power their migration, turning every flower patch – from road allowances to riparian buffers – into an important rest stop 🌸🦋⛽.

Across North America, Monarch numbers have dropped 📉, and the species is now considered at risk due to ongoing declines ⚠️. Habitat loss, herbicide and insecticide use, and climate driven extreme weather are major threats – especially where milkweed and wildflower habitat have been removed from farm fields, roadsides, and urban edges 🌪️🧪🚧.

Why does this matter for the Souris River Watershed District? 💧 When we lose native wildflowers and milkweed to intensive agriculture, tidy fencelines, and mowed ditches, we also lose food and nursery habitat for Monarchs and many other pollinators 🐝🦋. Pollinators support canola, berries, fruit trees, and countless wild plants, which in turn feed birds, bats, and other insects – so helping Monarchs means helping the whole prairie food web 🌾🐦🦇.

You can help Monarchs by planting native flowers and milkweed in gardens, shelterbelts, and around dugouts or wet spots 🌼🌿💧. Reducing or avoiding pesticide and herbicide use, especially where milkweed and wildflowers grow, keeps nectar and leaves safe for caterpillars and adult butterflies 🚫🧪🦋. Leaving some “messy” corners – unmowed ditches, field margins, and flower strips – creates continuous habitat that supports their migration route 🚜➡️🌾🗺️.

Next time you see a Monarch drifting over prairie flowers in the Souris River watershed, remember that your yard, farm, or favourite trail could be one vital link in a continental journey 🌼🚶‍♀️🦋. By keeping our landscapes blooming and buzzing, we help ensure these iconic butterflies keep returning year after year 🌺🐝🧡.

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06/02/2026

06/01/2026

Our May 2026 SRWD Newsletter is here!

Catch up on what’s happening across the Souris River Watershed District this month, including local project highlights, program updates, and ways you can get involved in caring for our land and water.

Take a few minutes to read, share, and stay connected with your watershed community.

👉 Read the May 2026 SRWD Monthly Newsletter on our website:

Welcome to the Newsletters section of the Souris River Watershed District. Here you can explore and download our monthly newsletters, each highlighting our ongoing efforts, community events, and the latest updates on watershed projects. Stay informed and engaged with our work as we strive to protect...

06/01/2026

Did you know that cracked soil after a dry spell isn’t just an “aesthetic problem” in the Souris River Watershed—it’s a sign your soil is seriously thirsty? 🌞🌱😬

When heavy clay or compacted soils dry out hard, they shrink and split into big polygon shaped cracks, a process called desiccation cracking. 🧩🌍 Those cracks can run surprisingly deep, breaking apart soil structure and making it harder for roots to explore and for microbes to thrive. 🌱🦠 The next time a warm rain arrives, some water will rush into those cracks—but if the surface is really sealed and bare, a lot still runs off instead of soaking in, carrying sediment and nutrients toward our ditches, creeks, and rivers. 🌧️➡️💦🌊

Over time, repeated cycles of drying, cracking, and rapid runoff can mean more erosion, poorer water holding capacity, and lower resilience to both floods and droughts. 🌪️💧🔥 The good news is that living roots and soil cover act like natural armour and scaffolding. 🛡️🌾 Cover crops, perennial grasses, and reduced tillage keep the surface shaded, protect against crusting, and help the soil sponge up rain more evenly—reducing how extreme those cracks get in the first place. 🌿🧽

As young adults in the Souris River Watershed, you can be part of the solution even if you don’t farm. 💚 Try keeping soil covered in your yard or garden with mulch or plants instead of bare dirt, support farmers who use cover crops and conservation tillage, and pay attention to how water moves across cracked ground after a storm. 🏡🌱🌧️ Next time you see those dramatic soil cracks on a hot day, look closer and ask: is this soil protected with roots and residue—or left exposed? Snap a photo and share it in the comments along with where you spotted it in the watershed. 📸👇🌾

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05/30/2026

For the safety of visitors, the observation tower at the Lake Metigoshe Nature Trail is temporarily closed until further notice. The boardwalk and the rest of the interpretive trail remain open for public use at this time.

Please respect all posted signage and barriers around the tower area while repairs and safety assessments are completed.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work with our partners to ensure this popular lookout can be safely enjoyed again in the future.For updates, follow our page or contact the Souris River Watershed District office in Deloraine at 204‑747‑2530.

05/29/2026

🌱 What we were doing this week at Souris River Watershed District! 🚜

It has been another busy week across the watershed—here’s a look at what our team has been working on:

🌿 Planning for Newcomb’s Hollow
We held a Newcomb’s Hollow board meeting to discuss potential future uses of the area, including a natural trail that would highlight local flora, fauna, and the site’s historical importance.

🏛️ Meeting with Boissevain–Morton Council
Staff met with Boissevain–Morton Council to continue building relationships and talk about shared priorities for land, water, and community in the region.

🚁 Field seeding by drone
Our crew used a drone to capture a seeding operation on a field, helping us document land management practices and keep a broader view of activity across the district.

🧪 Water sampling for Lake Winnipeg Foundation
We were out on the landscape taking water samples for the Lake Winnipeg Foundation, contributing data that supports the long-term health of Lake Winnipeg and its watershed.

🌳 Preparing shelterbelt projects for 2027
Staff met with a landowner to plan shelterbelt preparation for 2027, laying the groundwork for future tree planting that will protect soils, provide habitat, and improve resilience.

💧 Well sealing and fences
We spent time lining up upcoming well-sealing projects, an important step to protect groundwater, and started work on several fence projects that will help manage livestock and safeguard riparian areas.

Thank you for following along and supporting the work we do for water, land, and communities across the Souris River watershed—we wish you all an amazing weekend! 🌿

05/28/2026

Water Wonders Series 🌊
Busy Beavers – Nature’s little dam builders in the Souris River Watershed! 🦫💧

Hey kids! Have you ever seen a pile of sticks and mud across a creek and wondered who built it? That’s the work of beavers, one of our watershed’s hardest-working water engineers! Beavers cut down small trees and branches with their super-strong teeth, then stack them with mud and stones to build dams that slow down flowing water in streams and ditches. 🪵🌊

When beavers build dams, they create ponds and wetlands that store water like natural reservoirs. These beaver ponds help soak water into the ground, reduce erosion, and release water slowly during dry times, which supports frogs, ducks, fish, insects, and thirsty wildlife all around. They also trap sediment and some pollution, helping keep water downstream a bit cleaner for everyone in the Souris River Watershed. 🐸🦆🐟🌿

Sometimes, beaver dams can flood roads or fields, so people need to carefully manage where dams are allowed—but when they’re in the right places, beavers are amazing partners for healthy wetlands and better water storage. Next time you spot chewed stumps, a lodge, or a stick dam, imagine the busy beaver family inside, working day and night to build a watery neighborhood that helps nature and our watershed. 🦫🏞️💙

💧 🦫 🌾 🏞️ 👧🧒 🌿

05/27/2026

Animal of the Week – Tiger Beetle 🐞⚡

Ever seen a tiny “cheetah” of the prairie sprinting across a sandy trail? 🏃‍♂️🌾 Meet the tiger beetle – a fierce little hunter found on open, sunny patches of soil, sand, and short grass across the Souris River Watershed District 🌞. With metallic colours and lightning-fast legs, these beetles are small but mighty members of our local ecosystem 💪🌍.

Tiger beetles are incredible predators 🐞🍽️. They use their sharp jaws and speed to chase down flies, ants, and other insects, helping keep pest populations in balance ✅. Their larvae live in narrow burrows in the ground 🕳️, ambushing passing prey from the safety of their tunnel. When these beetles are present, it’s a good sign your local soil and plant community are still supporting a rich web of life 🌱🕸️.

Because tiger beetles need bare or lightly vegetated ground, they are sensitive to habitat loss, soil compaction, and heavy pesticide use ⚠️🚜🧪. When natural areas are plowed, paved, mowed too short, or sprayed, the open, sandy spots they rely on can quickly disappear ❌. That makes them important “indicator species” for the health of prairies, riverbanks, and sandhill habitats in our watershed 🌾🏞️.

You can help tiger beetles and other beneficial insects by keeping some spaces a little wild 🌿💚. Maintain patches of native grasses and flowers 🌸, avoid unnecessary pesticide use 🚫🧪, and protect sandy or lightly vegetated areas near trails, shelterbelts, and water 🚶‍♀️💧. Every small pocket of habitat adds up for the many species that share our prairies and wetlands 🐦🦋🐸.

Fun Facts 🐞✨
• Some tiger beetles are so fast they briefly outrun their own eyesight and have to stop to re focus 🤯👀.
• Their bright, metallic colours help them blend into sunlit sand and gravel 🌈⛱️.
• They can fly short distances ✈️ but often prefer to run, stop, and turn – just like tiny, darting sprinters 🏃‍♀️💨.

Next time you’re walking a sandy trail, prairie path, or gravelly riverbank, watch for a small beetle that sprints ahead of you and then freezes 👀🏞️. You might be looking at one of the Souris River watershed’s tiniest, toughest predators – the tiger beetle! 🐞⚡

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