September 14, 2005

The newly established Eastern Interlake Conservation District will ensure water will be better managed and protected with assistance and input from local communities, Water Stewardship Minister Steve Ashton announced today.

A conservation district is a group of neighbouring rural municipalities working in partnership with the province to ensure water- and soil-management issues in the watershed are dealt with in a sustainable manner. Individual district boundaries may vary, however they are usually based on where watersheds are located.

"We have a great partnership with six rural municipalities, four towns and two villages to ensure soil- and water-management issues in the watershed are dealt with in a sustainable manner," said Ashton. "With the formation of the East Interlake Conservation District we now have 17 conservation districts in Manitoba, covering over 60 per cent of agriculture areas."

The participating municipalities in the East Interlake Conservation District are Bifrost, Gimli, Armstrong, Rockwood, Fisher and Rosser, the towns of Arborg, Stonewall, Teulon and Winnipeg Beach and the villages of Riverton and Dunnottar.

One of the first tasks a conservation district board undertakes is to develop an integrated watershed management plan which outlines programs, goals and priorities as local practices and attitudes change over time. The board may amend its programs to reflect these changes.

"This team approach to developing sustainable solutions has been proven to be beneficial to all partners," said Ashton. "The conservation program has succeeded because it puts the reins of control into local hands who know their area and people as well as the local priorities and concerns."

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