Conservation groups are getting ready for a multi-year wetland restoration project north of Fort Steele.
ʔaq̓am, Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Nature Trust of B.C. and the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship will work together to improve the Bummers Flats wetlands.
“There is old infrastructure from an old Ducks Unlimited project, where there are dykes along the shoreline of the Kootenay River and plumbing systems to control water levels for waterfowl habitat,” said Matthew Wilson, BC Conservation Lead for Ducks Unlimited Canada.
“That project was done in the 1970s and 80s, now we and our project partners are looking to renaturalize that area and restore floodplain connectivity.”
The project is still in its planning phases, with the aim of creating more natural, biodiverse habitats.
“Since the 1970s, these water management impoundments have slowly begun to dry up through leaking infrastructure and this turned into a less biodiverse habitat because we interrupted natural processes,” said Wilson.
“We want to reconnect and revitalize those processes.”
The project will also create suitable habitats for the endangered northern spotted leopard frog, laying the groundwork for future reintroduction programs.
“Floodplains and wetlands have a high level of ecological significance and provide a lot of ecosystem values,” said Wilson.
“This particular area is home to a lot of different species, like songbirds, waterfowl, muskrats, beaver, elk, deer, beaver and amphibians.”
The project has been in the making for two years, with restoration work to begin this fall.
“We’ll start by doing some of the internal work, so removing some of the existing dykes and ditches to let the wetland basin to re-establish itself so it can hold water for longer periods through the year,” said Wilson.
“That will require a lot of construction work with some heavy equipment involved to plug ditches, block drainage features and remove dykes. We’re looking at working in a three-week period every year for the next three to four years.”
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