
Wastewater Treatment Plant
Optimization
In Partnership with the International Joint Commission, International Red River Watershed Board, and Environmental Protection Agency



We are pleased to share the exciting progress this project has achieved.
Mechanical Plant Webinars were held Summer 2021
and Lagoon Seminars started Fall 2021.
All Mechanical Plant Site Visits occurred in 2022.
This project will end with a Final Report that summarizes
workshop results, identifies a list of best practices, and
highlights performance improvements at specific facilities.
RRBC is a proud partner in bringing the exciting webinar training series for mechanical treatment plants - that were offered across the basin - in Minnesota, North Dakota and Manitoba.
"Reducing Nutrient Discharges Through Low-Cost Operational Changes"
was the Red River Basin Webinar Training Series that was was offered.
We are very excited to share that in this series of webinars,
120 attendees learned how to improve their mechanical wastewater treatment system’s nutrient removal performance without capital upgrades!




The training sessions were led by one of the America’s premier subject experts – Grant Weaver of CleanWaterOps – who has helped facilities across the U.S. reduce their nitrogen and phosphorus discharges
using their existing facilities and equipment.
Participants attended each training session free of charge and received credit for operator certification in their state or province.
This training webinar series was brought to you as part of the National Study on


Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs)
Adopting agricultural Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) is critical to reducing nutrient runoff into and improving water quality of the Red River and, ultimately, Lake Winnipeg.
At the same time, the impacts of these BMPs on other resource concerns, such as flooding, habitat, and soil health, must be considered.
The Red River Basin/Cold Climate Agricultural Nutrients
BMP Workshop was held with the purpose to review
and explore the available research on the effectiveness
of BMPs with consideration of colder climates
that we have in the Red River Basin.
Click on button below to view presentations...

Exciting times!
LiDAR data is being utilized throughout the entire southern basin!
Red River Basin Commission's US states have been using LiDAR data collected in 2006 in the LiDAR software - Prioritize, Target, and Measure (PTM) application - for years in their target planning while addressing areas of concern. This data will also soon be updated as it is slated to be reflown.
RRBC, Province of Manitoba and the partnering municipalities, are excited to share that final LiDAR data has been collected, along with re-flying the Red River corridor!
Continuing on from the very engaging and successful kickoff of our Workshop on LiDAR uses and tools, we are excited to share that we have released a series of videos on our YouTube and
an accompanying "Introduction to LiDAR" Manual.
No prior experience is required to use the resources.
Our LiDAR in Manitoba Virtual Launch, which was open to everyone, but developed for Municipal and First Nation staff, to learn a basic capacity of LiDAR, how to use it and how it can benefit your community. We had an amazing attendance at our Launch with great audience/speaker interactions.
After our Launch, ALL Videos became available on our YouTube and the Manual was shared with all Attendees
and shared here on our website (see below)!!
Click on the images of the Manual below to review/download:
-
Introduction to LiDAR Manual,
LiDAR Training Series: Module 1
-
Climate Adaptation Plans: Novel Applications of LiDAR
for Climate Adaptation in the Red River Basin
We are excited to share that ALL 13 LiDAR and
Climate Adaptation Videos are NOW available on our YouTube!
Click on the button below to view these informative videos!

Netley Marsh Restoration
Red River Basin Commission and its partners are very pleased to share
that we have completed the first phase of this very important project!
Please see our Project Update on
the "Save Netley Marsh" website
We are continuing to monitor the construction achieved in our first phase and
are aiming to grow our successes in helping to protect
the Netley Marsh for us and future generations!
We want to give thanks to our partners and funding partners
that are bringing success to this exciting project!
We hope that you will take a moment to watch the video below to learn more!


After a very successful and first-of-its-kind conference,
we will continue carrying the conversation started by
"One Basin One Governance".
The success of these conversations, with listening and adding more voices to the building of
a new water governance model that includes our First Nation and Metis governments,
were the foundation of our Final Report.
It is our hopes, that our future leaders would embrace and not be afraid of
a new model of water governance, where decisions are made with one united voice!
One Basin, One Governance Final Report - Released October 2022;

Several grant applications are ongoing and as much as 8 years of research will occur
on the changes to practices and water quantity and quality.
As regulations have changed in Manitoba, the RRBC, its partners,
including the Province of Manitoba and our local watersheds,
will soon be coming forward with a new tile drainage by-law template.
See our Tile Drainage videos below for more details...
Tile Drainage Webinar 1;
What Does Tile Do for My Land and Crops
Tile Drainage Webinar 2;
How Does Tile Impact Downstream Environments?
Tile Drainage Webinar 3;
Tile Drainage, the Watershed, and the Environment
Tile Drainage Webinar 4;
Policy and Local Government Considerations


Water Supply is an important goal
outlined in the Red River Basin Commission's
Natural Resource Framework Plan.
RRBC has a Working Group that is
dedicated to Water Supply.
RRBC works with stakeholders to ensure that there is adequate and safe water supply
for all the residents in the Red River Basin.
This Working Group has membership/participation representing
Manitoba, Minnesota, North Dakota and US Federal:
-
North Dakota
- Department of Water Resources
- Grand Forks
- Fargo
- Red River Valley Water Supply
-
Minnesota
- MN Pollution Control Agency
- Department of Natural Resources
- East Grand Forks
- Moorhead
-
Manitoba
- Pembina Valley Water Co-op
- Agriculture and Resource Development
-
US Federal
- National Weather Service
- US Corps of Engineers
Water Supply
Their Mission Statement;
Facilitate understanding and education of stakeholders throughout the basin on the potential for drought or other emergency water supply conditions; and ensure that the
local plans have been coordinated regionally or from a basin wide perspective.