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Conserving
a natural resource
Manitoba's major natural resource
is fresh water, with 101,592 sq. km. in lakes and rivers.
Water represents one-sixth of Manitoba’s total area with
a total estimated volume of 900 trillion litres. Aquifers
contain some 700 trillion litres of groundwater, and the atmosphere
over the province holds, on average, another 34 billion litres.
Three of the 15 largest lakes in Canada are in Manitoba. Lake
Winnipeg, the 10th largest freshwater body in the world (by
surface area) is used for commercial transportation, recreation,
and commercial fishing. Water flows into Manitoba from as
far away as the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, from the northern
United States and from within a few miles of Lake Superior.
These vast freshwater resources
permit the production of hydroelectric power at costs among
the lowest in the developed world. Manitoba possesses 70 percent
of the total hydroelectric capacity potential for the entire
Prairie region.
Surface water provides nearly 80
percent of Manitobans with their drinking water. It also serves
as the focus of much outdoor recreational activity. Groundwater
is the main source of water in much of rural Manitoba. Agriculture,
forestry, urban, and recreational development are typical
of land uses that impact surface water and groundwater. Most
of these activities take place in southern Manitoba and collectively
they place stress on water resources.
For the men and women who work
for Manitoba Conservation, understanding water and all of
its ramifications is something they have trained for and something
they address every day. Although Manitoba Conservation has
many branches and divisions within its corporate structure,
whether they be crown land management, wildlife, forestry,
fisheries, provincial parks or pollution prevention, they
are all concerned with water. It's a big job and it calls
for a unique blend of talents and skills; sound public policy
and administration, knowledge, specialized personnel, good
science, prudent regulation and enforcement capability. These
attributes need to be matched with the
ability to assist developing projects, assess opportunities
and effectively communicate the diversity of Manitoba Conservation’s
activities to the general public.
Fortunately, for Manitobans, and
for the aquatic environment, Manitoba Conservation meets these
challenges! |
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