ALUS demonstrates a continued commitment to improving water quality in the Lake Winnipeg basin with support from the Canada Water Agency.
ALUS Assiniboine West participant, Sean Smith, manages a solar watering system, which prevents fouling of the wetland in the foreground and still provides his herd with fresh water.
Through ALUS, during the 2025 growing season farmers in the Lake Winnipeg basin added more than 190 hectares of water quality improvement projects to the agricultural landscape. With $72,000 in funding from the Canada Water Agency through the Lake Winnipeg Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative, ALUS engaged 9 farmers and ranchers in on-the-ground restoration projects.
Farmers in the Assiniboine watershed were supported in implementing projects that convert marginal agricultural land to perennial grasses along sensitive creeks and waterways. Establishing permanent vegetation along riparian areas helps to filter nutrients from surface water through their deep root structures, contributing to healthier local waterways and ultimately mitigating downstream impacts in the Lake Winnipeg basin.
“ALUS supports communities to take action on shared priorities for the health of the broader environment. We all know how important it is to have healthy lakes, rivers, and soils. A healthy environment is at the core of healthy food and resilient communities,” says Paige Englot, ALUS Senior Hub Manager for the Prairies. “Farmers are working with ALUS, because it gives them the tools to do good for their communities and for the agricultural community.”
ALUS provides financial support to farmers for establishing water quality improvement projects that are maintained through 5-year conservation agreements. Project guidance is led at the local level by engaging grassroots communities and technical experts in project planning. Providing producers with the tools and guidance they need to create positive environmental outcomes leads to improved water management on the working landscape, while also reducing the inputs and costs of operating on marginal lands.
ALUS is proud to continue its relationship with the Canada Water Agency, building on recent collaborative efforts that support farmers in delivering water-quality improvements across the Lake Winnipeg basin. Together, both organizations share a commitment to strengthening water management and enhancing sensitive landscapes, positioning them to advance meaningful, community-driven environmental outcomes.
About ALUS
ALUS is Canada’s community-led, farmer-delivered model for nature-based solutions on agricultural lands. As a national charitable organization, ALUS works with farmers and communities to restore marginal and environmentally sensitive agricultural land back to nature, delivering measurable environmental outcomes across Canada. Through land restoration and practice change—including restoring wetlands, grasslands, and tree and shrub plantings—ALUS strengthens ecosystems while supporting sustainable agriculture and resilient rural communities.
ALUS supports more than 360 community leaders across 41 communities, working with close to 2,200 farmers to establish and manage over 57,200 acres of nature-based projects across Canada.
Media Contact:
Shayne Meechan
Senior Manager, Communications, ALUS
[email protected]
About Canada Water Agency
The Canada Water Agency works with provinces, territories, Indigenous peoples, local authorities, scientists and others to find the best ways to keep Canada’s water safe, clean and well-managed for future generations. This includes leading on the delivery of the Freshwater Action Plan to support regionally specific initiatives to restore and protect water quality and ecosystem health across Canada. The goal of the strengthened Freshwater Action Plan and the Freshwater Ecosystems Initiatives (FEIs) is to restore, protect, and manage waterbodies of national significance, effectively engage partners and stakeholders, and advance freshwater science.
Funding for this project was provided in part through the Lake Winnipeg FEI. Lake Winnipeg is one of eight freshwater ecosystem initiatives and supports partner-led actions to improve water quality and ecosystem health for Lake Winnipeg, including efforts focused on reducing nutrient loading to the lake. More information on the Canada Water Agency and the FEIs can be found on their website.
