Research in Lake Winnipeg Watershed

The Watershed Systems Research Program is just getting started, and it will work with researchers in University of Manitoba and elsewhere working in and beyond the watershed, to address the priorities for the WSRP program.

Where we do research
The program uses model watersheds to conduct research, such as Tobacco Creek and Broughton's Creek, and other sub-basins. Research at a watershed scale, over long periods of time, give the best opportunities to test integrated approaches and identify the environmental and socio-economic benefits.

Research by University of Manitoba and its collaborators is also happening in Red River, Churchill River, Nelson River Basin, Prairie and Taiga wetlands, Lake Winnipeg, and Hudson Bay which covers seven Ecozones. It also takes place at research stations such as Carman, Glenlea, at field stations such as Delta Marsh and Churchill, and on board MV Namao (Lake Winnipeg) and CCGS Amundsen (Hudson Bay and Arctic).

Research focus·  

• Landscape processes and how they result in losses of nutrients and contaminants to water
• Fingerprinting technique development to investigate: how nutrients and contaminants travel through watersheds and in-stream erosion processes
• Hydrologic connectivity - how water moves 
• Ecosystem interfaces where complex biogeochemical and biophysical processes occur in: Agricultural fields and the interfaces between atmosphere, soil and water; shorelines and riparian areas and the interfaces between soil and water; and estuaries and the interfaces between rivers and receiving waters
• Measurement of the cumulative effects of natural and man-made processes in watersheds
• Management systems for flooding - reducing nutrient losses AND maintaining agriculture
• Beneficial management practices to reduce nutrient losses from agriculture

Current Projects

CWN - TCMW Cumulative Effects Monitoring (David Lobb, Howard Wheater, Joseph Culp)

NSERC Sediment Fingerprinting (David Lobb, Phil Owens, Ellen Petticrew, Jane Elliott)

NSERC Hydrologic Connectivity (Genevieve Ali)

MIT Watershed 14 (Genevieve Ali)

EC Event Driven Run-off (Genevieve Ali)

Nutrient Loading Sources (Genevieve Ali)

Water transit times (Genevieve Ali)

Watershed Classification Network (Genevieve Ali)

UofM Optimum Sampling Frequency (Genevieve Ali)

CWS Wetland Critical Assessment Criteria (Genevieve Ali)

LWBSF-MCDA Retention Project (David Lobb, Selena Randall)

LWBSF-UNBC Riparian management (Phil Owens, Selena Randall, David Lobb)

LWBSF Sediments (David Lobb)

LWBSF Wetlands study (Genevieve Ali)

NSERC Create H2O (David Lobb)

Completed Projects

LWBSF Riparian Study (David Lobb, Phil Owens)

MRAC Retention Study (David Lobb, Selena Randall)