LAKE WINNIPEG

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A central feature of our landscape, this body of water is an obvious point from which to begin a discussion of water issues in the province. Fondly dubbed our 'prairie ocean', the lake is home to a stunning variety of aquatic life, a source of water to the creatures that populate its shores and is a major flyway for migrating birds. It is also a place rich in the history of the First Nations People and of the settlers who came later. Today it is held dear as a special place in the hearts of people as a spectacular holiday destination and natural retreat. Add to that its economic role in sustaining the largest freshwater commercial fishery in western Canada and its hydroelectric capacity, and it is easy to recognize its importance to life in Manitoba.

However, the vitality of Lake Winnipeg is in jeopardy. Scientists have alerted us to the fact that the health of this beautiful lake is seriously threatened. Indeed, its current state is comparable to that of Lake Erie in the 1970s. In a complex play of cause and effect these ills include: pollution, invasive species, loss of biodiversity, E.coli contamination, climate change, controlled water levels, erosion, and habitat destruction. And on top of all that there is an over riding threat: the lake is suffering from an overload of nutrients. Satellite images reveal massive blooms of algae covering vast stretches of the north basin and areas farther south. These sickly lime green patterns as seen from space are nothing short of alarming. Eutrophication, as this problem is known, is caused by human activities that result in an excess of phosphorus entering Lake Winnipeg. This phosphorus is generated from a multitude of sources, but comes primarily from municipal and industrial wastewater and intensive agricultural production throughout the watershed.

The Lake Winnipeg watershed (the area of land that drains into the lake) is vast. It covers nearly one million square kilometres, and reaches west to the Rockies, east almost to the Great Lakes and into four states south of the border. Within it are numerous sub-watersheds each draining an area of land into rivers that empty into the lake. What goes on in these smaller watersheds has a direct impact on Lake Winnipeg. Indeed, the consensus among government, academia and environmental groups is that the key to solving the issues facing Lake Winnipeg lies in the sustainable management of its watershed. In other words, the fate of the lake will be determined in the meadows, fields and forests well beyond its shores. With this holistic approach in mind let us take a closer look.