A PRELIMINARY VEGETATION SURVEY OF THE GULL LAKE WETLAND AREAS

have been concerned about the fluctuating water levels on the lake in recent years. In August 1996 the Management Board submitted a lake management plan proposal to Manitoba Environment and Manitoba Natural Resources, since it required an Environment Act Licence and a Water Rights Licence before it could proceed. One component of the lake management plan called for the establishment of a groundwater well west of the lake from which water could be drawn to supplement lake levels during periods of low water. The proposal was met with some opposition because of concerns about possible negative impacts the groundwater well might have on the wetland areas west of Gull Lake. These wetlands reportedly contained a significant number of provincially rare plant species, as well as other species of special ecological interest. In response to this concern, the Terrestrial Quality Management Section of Manitoba Environment and the Conservation Data Centre of the Wildlife Branch of Manitoba Natural Resources agreed to undertake a joint preliminary vegetation survey of the wetlands. The two objectives of the survey were to: 1. establish the boundaries of the wetlands in relation to the proposed pumping station, and 2. describe the main vegetation communities and habitats present in the wetlands in terms of thei