This article appeared in the Dec. 19, 2012 issue of the Interlake Enterprise…by Teresa Carey
East Interlake Conservation District (EICD) held its annual general meeting at the Fraserwood Hall on Dec. 10. There were 58 people in attendance, with representation from the Manitoba government and from all of EICD’s Sub districts.
After the approval of the agenda and last year’s AGM minutes, the Chairmen and Mangers’ reports were heard, followed by a documentary called “What We Do Matters” and a presentation by Christopher Randal from the University of Manitoba, “Where there’s a willow there’s a way”.
Elections of Sub-district Chairpersons for Fisher River/Washow Bay Creek , Grassmere/Parks Creek , Icelandic River/Lower East Interlake/Willow Creek Sub-district, and Netley/Wavey Creek Sub-districts took place.
There were no changes from last year for any of those positions, nor were there changes in the EICD Vice-Chairperson, or signing officers.
After dinner EICD manager, Armand Belanger reviewed all the work done during the past year in the four Sub districts, summarized as follows:
Fisher River – Held five public consultation meetings in the first steps of the development of the Fisher River Integrated Watershed Management Plan; Hosted a Water Days event in Fisher Branch for 120 school children; Sealed an abandoned well; Surface water sampling on the Fisher River
Netely-Grassmere – Sampled surface water along Netley, Wavey, Parks, and Grassmere Creeks; Tested eleven private wells for bacteria and nitrates; Storm water sampling done in Spring and Fall in Selkirk; Sealed five abandoned wells; Completed two water retention pond projects; Donated 100 ash and oak trees to be planted in Selkirk Park; Assisted Rockwood Environmental Advisory Community Taskforce (REACT) with planting trees on Arbour Day; Handed out 1,000 white spruce trees at Stone-wall Quarry Days, with assistance from REACT; Handed out 4,000 willows and 1,500 poplar trees at the Selkirk Fair and Rodeo; Invited Omega School to attend benthic sampling along Wavey Creek for educational purposes; Helped fund aeration projects to improve aquatic habitat in Norris Lake and St. Andrews; Participated in Stonewall’s Earth Week Expo.
Icelandic River and Washow Bay Creek – Sampled surface water along Icelandic River and Washow Bay Creek; Focused its Well Inventory Program on this watershed; sampled a total of 377 private wells for bacteria and nitrates; Funded four exclusion fencing projects and a solar watering system to improve surface water quality; Gave a presentation to Riverton’s Grade 5/6 class; Sealed four abandoned wells
Willow Creek – Completed the Integrated Watershed Management Plan; Piloted a Conservation Incentive Program in the Willow Creek- Dennis Lake watershed; Surveyed 90 per cent of the 1st-4th order drains in the Willow Creek Watershed; Did surface water sampling along Willow Creek and Fish Lake Drain; Handed out 2,350 willow and poplar trees at Gimli’s Canada Day Parade; Handed out 600 trees; Gave three presentations at George Johnson Middle Years School; Gave a presentation at the Gimli High School ; Sponsored Gimli High School Environmental Club’s Envirothon team; Gave a composting and riparian presentation to the Gimli Environ-mental Advisory Committee (GEAC); Tested fourteen private wells for bacteria and nitrates; Sealed two abandoned wells; Volunteered for the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup.
Across the entire East Interlake conservation district, EICD held the workshop, “Using Willows for Shoreline Stabilization”; hosted the Manitoba Conservation Districts Association (MCDA) Tour; completed surface water sampling of nine main waterways across the district and used the data to calculate Water Quality Indices (WQI); provided expertise to shoreline landowners willing to implement bioengineering techniques; participated in 12 community events and/or school presentations; donated and/or handed out approximately 9,600 trees and mulch blankets for tree planting projects; was featured in broadcast radio interviews on local radio station CJ 107; appeared in film “What you Do Matters,” a documentary made by Lake Friendly; did Benthic Invertebrate sampling along major waterways; and donated Big Bluestem grass seed to the RMs.
