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Whitewater Lake Wildlife Management Area

Public Information SessionDecember 7th, 2011

WWL - History• Early recognition as an important staging and

moulting area for waterfowl and other marsh birds.

• Designated as a Public Shooting Ground by federal government in 1925.

• During the drought of the 1930’s dugouts were blasted into lakebed to hold water in dry years

• Identified as a Candidate Heritage Marsh in early 1980’s.

WWL - History

• Designated as a Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in 1974

• At one time WMA boundaries described as “the waters from day to day on Whitewater Lake”.

• WMA boundaries surveyed and designated in 1994

WMA Boundaries

Wildlife Management Areas• The Manitoba Wildlife Act provides for the designation of

Crown lands as wildlife Management Areas (WMA's) for the "better management, conservation and enhancement of the wildlife resource of the province.“

• Wildlife Management Areas exist for the benefit of wildlife and for the enjoyment of people. They play an important role in biodiversity conservation and provide for a variety of wildlife-related forms of recreation.

International Recognition• Whitewater Lake is one of Manitoba’s most

productive large wetlands.• Categorized as a Marsh of Great Significance

in the NAWMP Implementation Plan • Recognized as a globally significant

Important Bird Area by Bird Life International

Rare Species at Whitewater

• Species diversity – Manitoba’s most diverse basin for waterbirds

• Unique species – Only location in province for some

Threatened and Endangered Species

• In low water cycles various threatened and endangered species utilize shore and upland habitat

• Ferruginous Hawk, Piping Plover, Loggerhead Shrike, Sprague’s Pipit.

Colonial Nesting Species• Critical nesting area for Franklin’s Gulls

Recreation at Whitewater

• Watchable wildlife• Waterfowl hunting in spring and fall• Furbearer trapping

Ecosystem Dynamics at WWL

• Large shallow terminal basin with no outlet• Flood – drought cycle is a key factor to the

lakes productivity• Development may introduce exotic

species• Stable water levels could negatively

impact wildlife habitat

Summary• The solution to the current situation

requires an integrated approach that recognize the ecological values of Whitewater Lake, as well as the human needs and engineering options