Delta Marsh consists of an extensive open marsh located near the south shore of

Lake Manitoba Lake Manitoba (french: Lac Manitoba) is the List of lakes of Canada, 14th largest lake in Canada and the List of lakes by area, 33rd largest lake in the world with a total area of . It is located within the Provinces and territories of Canada, Cana ...

, approximately 24 km north of the town of

Portage la Prairie Portage la Prairie () is a small city in the Central Plains Region of Manitoba, Canada. As of 2016, the population was 13,304 and the land area of the city was . Portage la Prairie is approximately west of Winnipeg, along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

. The marsh extends for nearly 30 km along the shore of the lake, and has a breadth of up to 4 km. The marsh consists of a network of interconnected shallow bays separated from

by a wooded barrier dune ridge of 300m to 600m width. Despite its name, Delta Marsh is no longer a

river delta A river delta is a landform shaped like a triangle, created by deposition (geology), deposition of sediment that is carried by a river and enters slower-moving or stagnant water. This occurs where a river enters an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, res ...

. However, it was originally the delta of the

Assiniboine River The Assiniboine River (''; french: Rivière Assiniboine'') is a river that runs through the prairies of Western Canada in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is a tributary of the Red River of the North, Red River. The Assiniboine is a typical meand ...

, which flowed into

from the southwest until approximately 2500 years ago. (The current course of the river continues east past

until it intersects the Red River in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

). The marsh is situated in the northern part of the

Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie Portage la Prairie is a rural municipality in the province of Manitoba in Western Canada. It surrounds the city of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba's fifth-largest city. Also within the borders of the municipality are the Dakota Plains First Nation an ...

Flora and fauna

Delta Marsh is a wildlife breeding and migration staging area of major importance. Waterfowl and songbirds are especially abundant in the marsh, either as breeding residents or seasonal migrants. The wooded dune ridge is also migratory pathway for

passerine A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by t ...

birds. Hunting is permitted in a portion of the marsh in the autumn by sportsmen, and by

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

year round, under the auspices of the Delta Marsh Wildlife Management Area, which controls hunting pressure and safeguards the marsh environment.

Canada geese The Canada goose (''Branta canadensis''), or Canadian goose, is a large wild goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the arctic and temperate regions of North America, and it is o ...

mallard ducks The mallard () or wild duck (''Anas platyrhynchos'') is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Argen ...

, and

snow geese The snow goose (''Anser caerulescens'') is a species of goose native to North America. Both white and dark morphs exist, the latter often known as blue goose. Its name derives from the typically white plumage. The species was previously placed ...

are the three primary bird species hunted, both in the marsh itself and in nearby grain fields, where these birds feed on autumn days. Of these, Canada geese and mallards breed in the marsh, while snow geese are strictly seasonal migrants. Hunting of waterfowl contributes in a significant way to the local economy. Other game, including

white-tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...

, are also hunted in and around the marsh, and

beaver Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...

and other fur bearing mammals are commercially trapped.

Climate

Human use

Much of the marsh is still quite pristine. The barrier dune ridge has however been settled with cottages, and Delta Beach, on the lake-side of the ridge, is a popular swimming beach in summer. The access road to the beach does however cross the marsh along a relatively dry path, and so disruption to the marsh habitat is minimal. A more obvious man-made disruption of the marsh is the Assiniboine River Floodway, which crosses the marsh near its west end. This floodway diverts

floodwater northwards from just upstream of the town of

directly into

, thus protecting the town and the city of

from spring flooding. Controversy continues to surround the issue of the environmental impact of the floodway upon the marsh. The Delta Waterfowl Research Station was established in 1938 east of Delta Beach to carry out waterfowl research. In 1966, the

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

and developed the Delta Marsh Field Station (University of Manitoba) as a teaching and research centre. The field station closed in 2011 after massive flooding of

caused some damage to the buildings. The

Delta Waterfowl Foundation Delta Waterfowl Foundation is a non-profit organization operating in both Canada and in the United States whose mission is to secure the future of waterfowl and waterfowl hunting. Delta provides knowledge, leaders, and science-based solutions th ...

is an international research and conservation organization inspired by and named for Delta Marsh. Delta Marsh is listed as a Wetland of International Importance under the

Ramsar Convention The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It i ...

Gallery

Image:Delta Marsh Manitoba Canada.JPG, Delta Marsh Image:Delta Marsh Manitoba Canada (4).JPG, Delta Marsh Image:Delta Marsh Manitoba Canada (2).JPG, Delta Marsh Image:Delta Marsh Field Station Manitoba Canada (11).JPG, Delta Marsh Image:Delta Marsh Field Station Manitoba Canada (12).JPG, Delta Marsh Image:Delta Marsh Field Station Manitoba Canada.JPG, Delta Marsh Field Station Image:Delta Marsh Field Station Manitoba Canada (4).JPG, Delta Marsh Field Station Image:Delta Marsh Field Station Manitoba Canada (10).JPG, Delta Marsh Field Station Image:Delta Marsh Field Station Manitoba Canada (13).JPG, Delta Marsh Field Station Image:Delta Marsh Field Station Manitoba Canada (14).JPG, Delta Marsh Field Station Image:Delta Marsh Field Station Manitoba Canada (17).JPG, Delta Marsh Field Station Image:Delta Marsh Field Station Manitoba Canada (19).JPG, Delta Marsh Field Station Image:Delta Marsh Field Station Manitoba Canada (3).JPG,

From Delta Marsh Field Station

References

External links

Delta Marsh Bird Observatory

Delta Marsh Field Station

Delta Waterfowl Foundation

Delta Marsh
at IBA Canada {{authority control Lakes of Manitoba Marshes of Canada Ramsar sites in Canada Important Bird Areas of Manitoba