The new model for watershed districts in Manitoba has been operating now for about two months.

The Pembina Valley Watershed District focuses on the Pembina River and the Plum River, which is a change from when it operated as a conservation district.

"In the past, we had some of the Cypress River, Tobacco Creek, Shannon Creek...and so the watershed districts are realigning more on watershed boundaries," said manager Cliff Greenfield. "For us, we're losing some territory in a sense and then we're gaining mostly to the west and north of the lakes."

The district stretches as far west as Boissevain-Morton Municipality and then east to the eastern edge of the RM of Stanley and includes Pelican, Rock and Swan lakes on the north side. Greenfield suggests there is some opportunity to extend the district further east to the Red River.

"We've had talks with Winkler. They're interested in joining as well as Rhineland. Eventually the Plum River, Deadhorse and Buffalo Creeks go right to the Red River and we hope to expand into that area including parts of Roland, Morris, and Montcalm. We're in the middle of those discussions and the province is heavily involved because they would provide a match for the funding that comes locally, but that may take a little while."

The Pembina Valley Watershed District board is made up of representatives from five sub-district boards. The chairs of each of those boards sit on the main watershed board of directors.

Bill Howitt, a counsellor with the RM of Pembina, was recently selected as chairman for the main Pembina Valley Watershed board of directors and Bob Giesbrecht with the RM of Stanley is the vice-chair.