The Red River Drainage Basin

The Red River basin is a complex watershed characterized by a very flat valley surrounded by relatively steep escarpments to the east and west. This has resulted in numerous spring time flood events over 1000's of years since the last ice age.

According to scientists at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, loadings of phosphorus from the Red River Basin have increased by over 50% in the last 10 years. The largest geographic source of phosphorus to Lake Winnipeg is the Red River basin. The largest anthropogenic source of phosphorus in the Red River basin is derived from the agricultural sector.

Since the early 1970's, phosphorus concentrations have increased by 194% in the La Salle River and 188% in the Seine River, both tributaries of the Red River. Manitoba's "hog alley" is situated mostly in the Seine River watershed, whereby saturated fields with manure can run-off into the surface water after heavy rainfall events and spring run-off.

South of the international border, the North Dakota government is proposing a project similar to the old Garrison Diversion. The Red River Valley Water Supply Project would divert water from the Missouri River across the continental divide into the Red River. This proposed inter-basin transfer of water has major implications for Manitoba's fisheries through the possible introduction of invasive species that can alter the ecology of Lake Winnipeg.