Image: Chris Adams (left), Joseph Sutherland (middle), and Linden McCorrister (right), planting willows at the restoration site.
Photo credit: Armand Belanger
Netley-Libau Marsh is the largest freshwater coastal wetland in North America and forms an expansive delta where the Red River meets Lake Winnipeg. Over the last century, Netley-Libau Marsh has lost more than 10,000 acres of vegetation, reducing habitat quality and ecological functions in this critical wetland ecosystem. The Netley-Libau Marsh Restoration Project is an interdisciplinary partnership among many different organizations working towards a shared goal. The first step in restoring ecological functions in Netley-Libau Marsh is to reverse the loss of vegetation that has occurred over the last century.
In 2024, the Red River Basin Commission (RRBC) installed restoration structures that are designed to increase plant growth in the marsh. These structures, which we call biodegradable baffles, shelter plants from wave action and trap Red River sediment during periods of relatively high water. The baffles promote plant growth from the existing seed bank by reducing the stress of wave action and water depth. Manufacturing and installation were led by ECBVerdyol, with support from RRBC and Peguis First Nation staff. The baffles are made from 100% biodegradable materials, and designed to remain in place permanently, decomposing over time as they disappear under sediment and plant growth.
Image: Biodegradable baffles showing promising plant growth in first year of follow-up monitoring. Monitoring will continue in 2026 to evaluate plant growth and sediment trapping.
Photo credit: Chris Adams
RRBC and partners are monitoring the baffles over two years to evaluate their effectiveness at trapping sediment and increasing plant growth in Netley-Libau Marsh. Preliminary results from the first year of monitoring in 2025 show promising plant establishment. Vegetation in the project area was taller, denser, and more diverse than vegetation in similar areas outside the influence of the baffles. However, the water was too shallow to trap sediment this year. We will continue to monitor the baffles in 2026 to evaluate whether they are effective for trapping sediment and increasing plant growth.
Our partners from Peguis First Nation recommended that we reintroduce wild rice to the marsh as a food source for birds, fish, and mammals. Our partners from Brokenhead Ojibway Nation recommended that we expand seeding efforts to include a wide variety of traditional medicinal species. This Indigenous-led effort was supported by the Northeast Red Watershed District and the Fish and Wildlife Enhancement Fund. We also carried out willow transplanting in collaboration with Peguis First Nation and the Watershed Districts in 2025. The willow plantings help to reduce erosion and preserve adjacent high-quality marsh areas.
In addition to restoration efforts, the Red River Basin Commission is partnering with University of Manitoba researchers to better understand Netley-Libau Marsh and its ecological relationships with the Red River and Lake Winnipeg. Sediment core research has shown that carbon sequestration has declined over the past century, but that the marsh continues to intercept 11% of the Red River’s annual phosphorus load. In 2025, we began collecting environmental DNA (eDNA) samples to investigate the spread and impact of zebra mussels in the marsh. We are seeking funding to support a 2026 expansion of research to include fish and bird monitoring in partnership with the Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium, Ducks Unlimited Canada, and Red River College.
Image: Joseph Sutherland (left) and Darren Stevenson (right) from Peguis First Nation reintroducing wild rice to Netley-Libau Marsh.
Photo credit: Chris Adams