Geography Matters: Targeting “hotspots” for cumulative environmental benefits

The IISD briefing identifies three environmental 'hotspots' in Manitoba—the Southwest Red River Valley (high fertilizer use), Southwestern Manitoba (high conservation tillage), and the Southeast Red River Valley (unincorporated manure)—where targeted investments in natural infrastructure and beneficial management practices can most effectively improve water quality and reduce nutrient runoff into Lake Winnipeg.

• The Southwest Red River Valley, which includes the LaSalle, Boyne, and Morris River watersheds, is a water quality hotspot due to having the "highest proportion of fertilizer applied relative to watershed area". In the western Red River Valley, some watersheds report that as much as "76 per cent of the total land area" is applied with commercial fertilizers.
• Southwestern Manitoba, including the Souris and Cypress River watersheds and part of the Assiniboine River between Brandon and Portage la Prairie, is a hotspot for conservation tillage (zero and reduced till). While beneficial for soil health and carbon sequestration, this practice may lead to "increased dissolved phosphorus runoff" because spring freeze-thaw cycles release water that pools around straw, carrying nutrients off fields.
• The Southeast Red River Valley, specifically the lower portions of the Rat, Seine, and Marsh rivers, is a hotspot for manure application that is "not incorporated into the soil". This region shows concentrations "three to four standard deviations above the provincial mean", increasing the risk of manure runoff during storms.
• Natural infrastructure, such as engineered wetlands, can effectively mitigate nutrient runoff and flood risk. The 500 ha Pelly’s Lake engineered wetland in Manitoba has "removed over 5 tonnes of phosphorus" and provides "1,200 acre feet of controlled water storage". Similarly, the 780 ha North Ottawa impoundment in Minnesota reduces nitrogen and phosphorus loading by "68 per cent and 54 per cent respectively".
• The Red River Basin is a major contributor to nutrient loading in Lake Winnipeg, accounting for "almost 70 per cent of the lake’s nutrient loads".

APA

Gunn, G., Roy, D., & Grosshans, R. (2019). Geography Matters: Targeting “hotspots” for cumulative environmental benefits. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/geography-matters-hot-spots-benefits.pdf

Chicago

Gunn, Geoff, Dimple Roy, and Richard Grosshans. Geography Matters: Targeting “hotspots” for cumulative environmental benefits. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2019. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/geography-matters-hot-spots-benefits.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gunn |first1=Geoff |last2=Roy |first2=Dimple |last3=Grosshans |first3=Richard |title=Geography Matters: Targeting “hotspots” for cumulative environmental benefits |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=May 2019 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/geography-matters-hot-spots-benefits.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gunn2019geography, author = {Gunn, Geoff and Roy, Dimple and Grosshans, Richard}, title = {{Geography Matters: Targeting “hotspots” for cumulative environmental benefits}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2019}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/geography-matters-hot-spots-benefits.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }