The Stephenfield Lake watershed is a 370 square mile area located approximately 60 miles south west of Winnipeg along the Manitoba Escarpment. The population of the watershed is approximately 3885. Land use/cover is approximately 81.5% agriculture, 13.5% trees, 3.5% urban & transportation and 1.5% water. The major economic resource is agriculture.
In the fall of 2001, the Stephenfield Lake watershed planning process began in response to concerns regarding water quality and quantity. Stephenfield Lake area stakeholders, from various organizations, agencies and industry, were invited to participate in a consensus based planning process and in the spring of 2002, a 20 member planning Round Table was formed. A 17 member Technical Advisory Group from various provincial and federal agencies was also formed in 2002 to put together a background report on watershed inventory and concerns.
In June of 2005, the watershed plan was completed and passed on to Manitoba Water Stewardship for official approval. The 20 member Round Table group has since become the Boyne River Watershed Action Group, and meets regularly to oversee the implementation of the strategies laid out in the plan.
