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

Lake Manitoba Lake Manitoba () is the 14th largest lake in Canada and the 33rd largest lake in the world with a total area of . It is located within the Canadian province of Manitoba about northwest of the province's capital, Winnipeg, at . History The la ...

, 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. In 2016, the population was 13,304 and the land area was . Portage la Prairie is approximately west of Winnipeg, along the Trans-Canada Highway (exactly ...

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 ...

. 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, archetypically triangular, created by the deposition of the sediments that are carried by the waters of a river, where the river merges with a body of slow-moving water or with a body of stagnant water. The creat ...

. However, it was originally the delta of the

Assiniboine River The Assiniboine River ( ; ) is a long river that runs through the prairies of Western Canada in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is a tributary of the Red River. The Assiniboine is a typical meandering river with a single main channel embanked ...

, which flowed into

from the southwest until approximately 2,500 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 Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

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

Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie Portage la Prairie is a rural municipality (RM) 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 ...

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 generally have an anisodactyl arrangement of their ...

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

First Nations First nations are indigenous settlers or bands. First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to: Indigenous groups *List of Indigenous peoples *First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...

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''), sometimes called Canadian goose, is a large species of 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 ...

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. It 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 Common name, commonly as the whitetail and the Virginia deer, is a medium-sized species of deer native to North America, North, Central America, Central and South America. It is the ...

, are also hunted in and around the marsh, and

beaver Beavers (genus ''Castor'') are large, semiaquatic rodents of the Northern Hemisphere. There are two existing species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers are the second-large ...

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 public research university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1877, it is the first university of Western Canada. Both by total student enrolment and campus area, the University of ...

leased lands at the west end of the marsh from the Province of

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. Charity Navigator has ranked it among the top 10 conservation gr ...

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 site, Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on We ...

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 Wetlands of Manitoba Pembina Valley Region Lake Manitoba