Lying along the west shore of Lake Manitoba, the district encompasses approximately 3,397 km2 with more than 600 km of order in council infrastructure drains.
The district includes the Rural Municipalities of Alonsa, the north part of Lakeshore and a little section of the south east part of the Mossey River.
The beef cattle industry dominates the local economy along with a considerable involvement in commercial fishing in the winter months.
Established in February 1978, Westlake Watershed District (previously known as Alonsa Conservation District) has always been involved in soil and water management, with its initial establishment being to deal with issues pertaining to agricultural drainage.
The district originally encompassed 2,680 km2. In April 1999, the majority of the RM of Lakeshore joined the existing district, bringing the new area to the present 3,397 km2. In 2020 a portion of the Mossey River Municipality also joined our district, which added approximately 14.5 more km2.
In December 2014, WWD completed the Westlake Integrated Watershed Management Plan (WIWMP) which focuses on employing watershed-based decision-making. This provides an opportunity to address water quality, water quantity, community, and habitat issues beyond municipal boundaries, allowing a focus on cumulative impacts of land use practices in the watershed.
Also in 2014, the district added GIS equipment to its assets, allowing the organization to complete ground survey work more efficiently.
In 2016, the district acquired an eBee RTK surveying drone, now allowing the completion or aerial surveying for quick and easy data collection.
The WWD strives to promote stewardship of our land and water resources to ensure a healthy and prosperous lifestyle for all watershed residents, now and in the future. In doing so the District assists the province to achieve these goals and objectives in Manitoba’s Land and Water Strategy. Watershed Districts’s operate under the authority of The Watershed District's Act.
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