Human Use
Much of the marsh is still quite pristine. The barrier dune ridge has however been settled with cottages, and Delta Beach, on the lake-side of the ridge, is a popular swimming beach in summer. The access road to the beach does however cross the marsh along a relatively dry path, and so disruption to the marsh habitat is minimal.
A more obvious man-made disruption of the marsh is the Assiniboine River Floodway, which crosses the marsh near its west end. This floodway diverts Assiniboine River floodwater northwards from just upstream of the town of Portage la Prairie directly into Lake Manitoba, thus protecting the town and the city of Winnipeg from spring flooding. Controversy continues to surround the issue of the environmental impact of the floodway upon the marsh.
The Delta Waterfowl Research Station was established in 1938 east of Delta Beach to carry out waterfowl research. In 1966, the University of Manitoba leased lands at the west end of the marsh from the Province of Manitoba and developed the Delta Marsh Field Station (University of Manitoba) as a teaching and research centre. The Delta Waterfowl Foundation is an international research and conservation organisation inspired by and named for Delta Marsh. Delta Marsh is listed as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention.
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