The Intermountain Conservation District (IMCD), established in 1997, is a grassroots watershed based organization with a mandate to promote local education and cooperation towards sustainable management of the landscape for the creation of a healthy environment, now and in the future. The IMCD was formed in partnership with the Province of Manitoba Water Stewardship department and all or parts of eleven rural and urban municipalities including the Municipalities of Dauphin, Ethelbert, Mossey River, Mountain South, Gilbert Plains and Grandview. The urban municipal partners include the City of Dauphin, Towns of Grandview and Gilbert Plains and the Villages of Ethelbert and Winnipegosis.

The District encompasses two of nine watersheds that comprise the Lake Manitoba basin consisting of approximately 7,200 square kilometres or 720,079 hectares (ha) (1,779,290 acres). The IMCD is situated adjacent to the Northern boundary of Riding Mountain National Park (RMNP) in west-central Manitoba, and east of the Duck Mountain Provincial Park (DMPP). The westerly shores of Lake Dauphin and Lake Winnipegosis define the easterly most portion, with the entirety of the district being located between townships twenty-one (21) and twenty-seven (27) and Ranges seventeen (17) and twenty-six (26) West of the Principal Meridian (WPM).

The physiographic diversity between the uplands, escarpment, sub-escarpment and lowlands consistently presents a challenge in managing the areas soil and water resources.