Wetlands are areas saturated with water long enough to influence plant and soil characteristics. There are three main groups of indicators when it comes to wetlands: water, soils, and plants. Wetlands are areas that have water long enough that the soils are altered and the plants are either water-loving or water-tolerating types. 

Wetlands naturally come in many shapes and sizes. Their appearance can also change dramatically from spring snowmelt to dry days in the summer. Many wetlands also go through longer term fluctuations in response to wet and dry cycles. For example, a wetland basin may be filled with water all spring and summer for many years in a row, followed by several years with no water or water only in the spring.  

The goal of No Net Loss is to balance the loss of wetland functions through rehabilitation of former degraded wetlands or enhancement of healthy, functioning wetlands. As a last resort, replacement for lost functions will be sought through creation of wetlands where there was none before. 

The WRP is a provincial program run by Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (AEPA). Wetland replacement projects will be implemented by municipalities, such as Strathcona County, in accordance with individual MOUs that are signed with the Province. 

In the past, as per provincial and municipal policy, replacement fees for lost wetland area due to activities on the landscape were provided directly to Ducks Unlimited Canada. Those funds were dedicated to priority wetland restoration projects across the province. In 2018, with the newly developed program, those funds are now managed by Alberta Environment and Protected Areas and are now available to Strathcona County to complete wetland replacement projects on our landscape. 

A priority of the Alberta Wetland Policy and WRP is to replace wetlands within municipalities and watersheds that have had the highest amount of lost wetland area and value since 2015, as well as areas of high historical loss. Strathcona County has been identified by Alberta Environment and Protected Areas as a high priority area for wetland replacement. 

An internal WRP committee was developed to help direct WRP projects within Strathcona County. The committee uses a number of site selection priorities, such as location of historical wetlands and public accessibility, to identify potential project sites, which are brought to Council for approval

Initially, Strathcona County will be focusing on projects that can be completed on public land before considering projects on private land. The County has a Committee made up of various department representatives that will identify potential projects, bring them forward to Council for approval, and help guide the projects through to completion. Come back to this page for updates on new projects! 

The Busenius Estates wetland replacement project consists of approximately two hectares of land that will be transitioning back to wetland, while the remaining area will continue to be leased out as part of the Municipal Land Licensing program (MLLP). The area at Uncas that was leased as part of the MLLP was adjusted to accommodate the wetland replacement project. There will continue to be area leased out as part of the MLLP.

The standing logs, or snags, as they are called when installed upright in the wetland area, are decaying or dead trees, which have been repurposed into wildlife wonderlands. They are used by insects, birds, mammals and amphibians as sites for perching, resting, roosting, feeding, grooming, hibernating, courting, laying eggs and more!

Part of the process in creating the wetland areas included spreading ‘rough and loose’ soil around the area. This is what is seen early in the construction process. It may look messy initially, but it helps immensely with erosion and sediment control that naturally occurs in these areas. 

Weather conditions and timing of construction to avoid prime wildlife reproductive time may delay seeding and planting of the areas. Busenius Estates and Uncas remained ‘dirty’ and bare until later the following spring when willow staking and aquatic species plugs were planted to further help with vegetation establishment.