Manitoba has proclaimed the Watershed District Act and added two regulations to form a watershed-based approach to watershed management.
The act will modernize the Conservation District Program by changing districts to watershed-based boundaries and adding some flexibility for local watershed districts.
The flexibility is for board appointments and terms, calculating municipal contributions, handling board contracts and agreements related to water and soil projects that build watershed resiliency in a changing climate.
The changes made are renaming conservation districts to watershed districts with watershed-based boundaries, allowing partnerships with non-municipal entities to improve watershed management plan implementation, identifying a consistent approach to the transition into watershed districts, and clarifying watershed district board policies and procedures.
Manitoba has also announced more than $150 million in funding to the GROW Trust and the Conservation Trust.
The Conservation Trust is intended in part to help support the work of the now Watershed Districts including for watershed planning and projects.
