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The
Important Bird Area Program
The Canadian Important Bird
Areas Program (IBA) was established
by the Canadian Birdlife Partners,
the Canadian Nature Federation
and Bird Studies Canada, as
part of an international effort
to identify and conserve sites
important to all bird species
worldwide. In Manitoba, the
IBA program is being delivered
and administered by the Manitoba
Naturalists Society. Conservation
planning began in Manitoba
in August 1999.
Goals
of the Canadian IBA Program
The
goals of the program are to:
- identify
a network of sites that
conserve the natural diversity
of Canadian bird species
and are critical to the
long-term viability of
naturally occurring bird
populations;
- determine
the type of protection
or stewardship required
for each site and
- ensure
the conservation of each
site through partnerships
with local stakeholder
groups who develop and
implement an on-the-ground
community conservation
plan.
Whitewater
Lake
Once known as "White
Lake" because of its
white alkali flats, Whitewater
Lake is one of Canada's best
known staging areas for waterfowl
and shorebirds. The lake is
a 9,000 ha saline wetland
situated in southwestern Manitoba
between the towns of Boissevain
and Deloraine and within the
Rural Municipalities of Morton
and Winchester. Whitewater
Lake is within the mixed-grass
prairie biome.
Significant
Bird Numbers
Whitewater
Lake is recognized as a Canadian
Important Bird Area of global
significance. Whitewater Lake
provides habitat for over
110 species of birds as well
as over 40 species of other
wildlife. There are at least
8 bird species that meet IBA
population criteria at the
globally significant level.
Surveys
have indicated that during
the either the fall or spring
migrations, Whitewater Lake
may serve as staging area
for as many as 190,000 Snow
Geese, over 509,000 ducks
and some 23,000 shorebirds.
About 7% of the mid-continent
population of Snow Geese consistently
pass through the Whitewater
Lake area in the fall. As
many as 20,000 Tundra Swans
have been recorded in November.
Sandhill Cranes (not meeting
IBA threshold criteria) have
been observed at Whitewater
Lake during their fall migration
in numbers as high as 1,200
birds.
Periodically,
when the lake levels are low,
the largest shorebird concentrations
in southern Manitoba occur
on Whitewater Lake. An impressive
10,000 White-rumped Sandpipers
were seen here in 1988. This
is 2.5% of the known winter
population of the species.
Black-crowned
Night-Herons breed at Whitewater
Lake in Nationally significant
numbers with 85 pairs recorded
which represents 1.7% of the
estimated Canadian population
of this species. Franklin’s
Gulls nest here in globally
significant numbers with over
3,000 pairs or 1% of the estimated
North American population,
observed in past years and
as many as 30,000 birds seen
on May 7th, 2000.
Other
Birds
Once known as "White
Lake" because of its
white alkali flats, Whitewater
Lake is one of Canada's best
known staging areas for waterfowl
and shorebirds. The lake is
a 9,000 ha saline wetland
situated in southwestern Manitoba
between the towns of Boissevain
and Deloraine and within the
Rural Municipalities of Morton
and Winchester. Whitewater
Lake is within the mixed-grass
prairie biome.
Threats
Whitewater Lake has a long
history of botulism outbreaks
and water level fluctuations.
During the drought years of
the "Dirty Thirties" (1932-1937)
Whitewater Lake dried up and
local residents were able
to use the area as a road.
Other threats include the
agricultural use of pesticides,
drainage, oil extraction,
and invasive alien species.
Past Conservation Efforts
Past conservation and restoration
effort
Past
Conservation Efforts
Past conservation and restoration
efforts have been championed
by Ducks Unlimited Canada,
Manitoba Conservation and
the Turtle Mountain Conservation
District. These management
efforts have included water
management, habitat enhancement
projects in the east end of
the lake, as well as construction
of wildlife observation facilities.
Whitewater Lake is designated
a Wildlife Management Area
and is a candidate Manitoba
Heritage Marsh.
Conservation
Goals and Objectives
The present IBA working group
was formed to develop an IBA
community conservation plan
(CCP). The intent of this
CCP will be to increase awareness
of Whitewater Lake and the
associated birding and ecotourism
opportunities. This may best
be accomplished through education,
extension and promotional
programs.
INTRODUCTION
Situated
between the towns of Deloraine
and Boissevain, Whitewater
Lake is a globally significant
IBA. It is known as a major
staging area for waterfowl,
shorebirds and Tundra Swans
(see Appendix II and VIII).
Once known as "White Lake"
because of its white alkali
flats (Ducks Unlimited,
2000), it has been reported
that Whitewater Lake provides
habitat for over 110 species
of birds as well as over
40 species of other wildlife.
As
a result of the high biodiversity
found at Whitewater Lake,
it has received a number
of designations:
- it
is recognized as a Canadian
Important Bird Area of
global significance;
- it
is a Manitoba Wildlife
Management Area (WMA);
- it
is recognized as a priority
migratory bird habitat
of Canadian importance
for staging shorebirds
and geese by Posten et
al. (1990); and
- it
is a candidate Manitoba
Heritage Marsh.
Whitewater
Lake has been featured in
a number of recent Manitoba
birding books. Cuthbert (1990),
in his book entitlted "Birder’s
Guide to Southwestern Manitoba",
reported the following bird
species can be found at Whitewater
Lake - Burrowing Owls; Chestnut-collared
Longspurs; Orchard Orioles
(breeding); Swainson’s Hawks;
Upland Sandpipers; Marbled
Godwits; Chestnut-collared
Longspurs; Sparage’s Pipits;
Ferruginous Hawks; Sedge Wrens;
Marsh Wrens; Le Conte’s Sparrows;
Sharp-tailed Sparrows; Short-eared
Owls; Wilson’s Phalaropes;
Baird’s Sparrows; Piping Plovers;
California Gulls; Ring-billed
Gulls; and the Prairie Falcons.
Stilwell (1997), in his book
"The Scenic Secrets of Manitoba",
notes that Whitewater Lake
is a major breeding, nesting
area, and migration stop for
waterfowl, Tundra Swans, Snow
Geese, Mallards, Northern
Pintails, Marbled Godwits,
Piping Plovers, Sprague's
Pipits, American Avocets,
Orchard Orioles and Marsh
Wrens.
Both these books are recommended
reading for birders visiting
Whitewater Lake and Manitoba.
