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Land Designation

Wildlife Management Area

Landscape Description

The Pembina Valley Wildlife Management Area Addition protects an extra 129 hectares of wildlife habitat along the Pembina River near the Canada-United States border, southwest of Morden. In stark contrast to the uplands that surround it, the valley is characterized by wooded slopes of bur oak, ironwood and birch, steep ravines, and boulder filled creeks descending to the Pembina River below. These lands are protected from logging, mining, hydroelectric development, oil and gas development, and any other activities that could significantly and adversely affect habitat.  

Outstanding Features

The Pembina Valley Wildlife Management Area was shaped by an ancient glacial meltwater channel. As the rushing water carved into soft shale bedrock, enormous blocks of earth slumped, forming hills and knobs and other irregularities in the young terrain.  Today, this rolling landscape, gouged with dramatic ravines, continues to be eroded by small creeks.  At the valley floor, oxbows and sandbars are continually shaped by the meandering Pembina River.

This varied terrain supports a diversity of vegetation. A unique paper birch-ironwood forest occurs along a steep, dry, northwest facing slope of the Wildlife Management Area Addition. Ironwood (also known as hop-hornbeam) is rare in Manitoba. Other plant species rarely seen in the province have also been observed in the vicinity including Canada wild-ginger, Wilcox’s panicgrass, and honewort.

Abundant and richly diverse habitats in the lower Pembina Valley support a wide variety of wildlife species. Many bird species found here are at the northern fringe of their ranges including the indigo bunting, brown thrasher, rufous-sided towhee, orchard oriole, and lark sparrow.  This part of the valley is a key migratory route for red-tailed hawks, Swainson’s hawks and golden eagles.  In winter, woodpeckers, wild turkeys, and other resident wildlife abound.  In summer, year-round residents, such as white-tailed deer and the occasional elk or moose may be observed.
 
This portion of the valley represents a largely undisturbed landscape that provides an important habitat linkage with surrounding protected areas.  Protecting this compelling landscape in an area where little natural habitat remains, ensures that it will continue to be enjoyed by future generations.