Manitoba Association of Watersheds

06/17/2026

Your tap water has a longer commute than you do. If you’re in Winnipeg, it starts at Shoal Lake, 160 km away, right on the Ontario border. It travels through an aqueduct, gets treated, and eventually makes it to your faucet. Most of us have never once thought about that trip.
Out in rural Manitoba, it’s a different story. A lot of communities and farms are pulling from groundwater, rivers, or local reservoirs, whatever the land around them can give. Which means a dry spring or a change in how someone’s using land upstream can show up in a well or a creek before long.

Winnipeg is located on Treaty 1 Territory, the traditional lands of Anishinaabe, Ininew, and Dakota peoples, and the National Homeland of the Red River Métis Nation. We're grateful for the clean drinking water that flows to Winnipeg from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation in Treaty 3 Territory. We honour this land and remain committed to reconciliation, equity, and anti-racism in all our work.

City or country, we’re all drinking from the same province.
Take care of what feeds it. 💧

06/16/2026

No one hired them. No one trained them.
Before there were watershed districts, there were beavers. They've been doing this longer than any of us.🦫

A single beaver dam can slow water flow, recharge groundwater, and create habitat for dozens of other species, all at once. In dry years, beaver ponds hold onto water that would otherwise be lost. In wet years, they can act as a buffer.

If you're farming near a creek outside or walking a trail in the city, there's a good chance a beaver has shaped the landscape around you more than you'd think.

06/15/2026

Each month, a special energy, only you can bring.✨🌱.

06/11/2026

These plants do more than just grow on the prairie....🪴

Native prairie plants are an important part of Manitoba’s ecosystems, not only along waterways, but across upland areas, grasslands, and working landscapes. These species are adapted to local climate conditions and play a key role in supporting biodiversity, pollinators, and soil health.

💜Purple coneflower (Echinacea spp.) is a well-known prairie wildflower that blooms through the summer months. Its large flower heads provide a reliable source of nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Native flowering plants like coneflowers are especially important because they produce the types of nectar and pollen that local pollinators depend on.

⭐Meadow blazing star (Liatris ligulistylis) blooms later in the season, making it an important food source when many other plants have finished flowering. Late-season species help support pollinators, including migrating butterflies, by providing consistent access to nectar during critical periods.

👵Blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) is a native prairie grass found across Manitoba and the Great Plains. It is well adapted to dry conditions and produces roots that can extend deep into the soil, helping improve soil structure and retain moisture. Native grasses like blue grama also provide habitat for insects and contribute to overall ecosystem stability.

Restoring native plants is an important part of keeping our watersheds healthy throughout the province.

06/10/2026

A snapshot of the 2026 Manitoba Envirothon! 🏆🌳

06/10/2026

06/05/2026

🌎 Its World Environment Day!
If you’ve been meaning to do something but keep putting it off…this is your reminder that it really doesn’t have to be anything big.
Here in Manitoba, it can be as simple as: – grabbing some garbage on your walk
– planting a few flowers for pollinators
– taking the bus or biking for the day
– learning a bit more about the water we all rely on
– sharing or supporting local groups doing this work every day
You don’t need to do it all. Just pick one thing that fits into your day and go from there.

06/04/2026

One minute it’s hitting your roof, your driveway… and the next it’s just gone. But really, it’s not.
It’s easy not to think about it. Most of us don’t. But the way we care for the land, in our yards, on a farm, or in our community, ends up showing up in our water.
That’s a big part of the work happening through MAW. It’s not just about projects, the everyday things that help water flow, keep soil healthy, and protect the spaces it flows through.
Take a second look next time it rains. You might notice a lot more than you think. 🌧️🌿

06/02/2026

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

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

🧑‍💼 SRWD Board Meeting
We held our regular SRWD Board Meeting, keeping projects, programs, and partnerships moving forward across the district.

🤝 Connecting with Assiniboine College
Staff met with Erinn Heinrichs from Assiniboine College to talk about how we can strengthen communication and collaboration, including student engagement, mutual projects, and the scholarship that SRWD provides to students interested in watershed and environmental work.

🌳 Shelterbelt planting and mulching
Out in the field, we were planting trees and mulching for our shelterbelt program. Shelterbelts (tree barriers) help reduce and redirect wind, trap snow, absorb excess moisture, and remove carbon dioxide from the air. We offer different options for planting and w**d control, and SRWD staff can also install plastic mulch for w**d control for an added fee.

💻 Sharing GROW database tools
We met with West Interlake Watershed District (WIWD) to go through our database and show how we enter GROW projects at SRWD, helping support consistent tracking and reporting across watersheds.

📊 GROW database training
Our team also took part in a database training session with GROW coordinators and Planning Intelligence, building skills so project information is accurate, up to date, and easy to use for planning future work.

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! 🌿

06/02/2026

🚜💧
When we talk about protecting water, it can feel like something big… something out of reach.
Across Manitoba, farmers are making changes that add up for our watersheds. Things like planting cover crops to keep soil in place, maintaining buffer strips along waterways, protecting wetlands that naturally store and filter water, and moving herds to help prevent overgrazing.
These practices help keep soil where it belongs, reduce runoff after heavy rains, and protect the lakes and rivers we all rely on and love.
Through the Manitoba Association of Watersheds (MAW), 14 watershed districts are working directly with producers to support these kinds of practices. It’s about finding solutions that work for the land and for the people who depend on it.
Healthy watersheds don’t happen by accident. They’re built through everyday choices, partnerships, and a shared commitment to protecting our water. 🌱💙