A wetland near Pine Lake in east-central Alberta. Credit: Ducks Unlimited Canada
In Alberta, wetlands act as nature’s “sponges.” They store and slowly release water to help reduce the damaging effects of flooding and drought. Wetlands also filter runoff to help keep our rivers and lakes clean, recharge our groundwater and provide diverse habitat for plants and animals.
Alberta’s government is awarding $5 million through the Wetland Replacement Program to help three municipalities and two non-profits construct or restore seven projects affecting more than 165 hectares of wetlands throughout the province. This will help strengthen Alberta’s natural drought and flood protections, improve water quality and create healthier ecosystems.
“Wetlands not only help protect Alberta from the devastating impacts of droughts and floods, but also support healthy, thriving ecosystems all across this province. We have invested more into wetlands than any other government in recent memory.”
Alberta’s Wetland Replacement Program is a model for Canada and growing each year. The Wetland Replacement Program has been in place since 2020 and provides a way to restore wetlands across the province. Project proponents can choose to pay a wetland replacement fee to the Alberta government in lieu of replacing a lost wetland, which helps fund the province’s replacement program. Since 2020, Alberta’s government has invested more than $21 million, including this new funding, in the Alberta Wetland Replacement Program to restore or construct about 609 hectares of wetlands.
“Through its Wetland Replacement Program, the Alberta government has demonstrated a significant commitment to responsible environmental management. Ducks Unlimited Canada is proud to partner with the Alberta government to restore historically drained wetlands, contributing to water security, a healthy environment and a thriving economy in our province.”
The seven new projects funded through this investment are located across the province, from the M.D. of Opportunity in northern Alberta to Starland County in the south. This includes projects that will restore once-thriving wetlands previously drained for farming, as well as help Alberta researchers test new ways to help restore peatlands that have been damaged or destroyed. It will also help construct a new marsh wetland in an area that was once a reservoir.
“We are very pleased to partner with Alberta's Wetland Replacement Program and a local agricultural producer to deliver our fourth wetland project in Sturgeon County. Wetlands have a crucial role in our landscape and provide valuable benefits to our community and our environment such as biodiversity, drought resiliency, nutrient and sediment filtration and recreational opportunities. By working together, we’re affirming our commitment to environmental stewardship and ensuring that vital wetlands continue to exist and thrive.”
“Peatlands are the dominant wetland ecosystems in Alberta’s boreal region, playing a crucial role in carbon sequestration and storage, climate change mitigation, flow regulation and wildlife habitat. This provides a unique opportunity to test, develop and implement innovative and effective solutions to restore disturbed peatlands across Alberta. This not only achieves the goal of replacing disturbed wetlands but also contributes to the advancement of reclamation science and practice in Alberta and across Canada.”
Quick facts
- The Wetland Replacement Program facilitates the replacement of wetlands across Alberta, prioritizing watersheds which have had the greatest loss of wetlands since 2015 and areas with the highest rates of loss historically.
- Municipalities and non-profit organizations are eligible to participate in the Wetland Replacement Program.
- The following partners will receive funding in fiscal 2024-25:
- City of Red Deer – $220,085 to restore 1.11 hectares of wetlands in Red Deer.
- Lac La Biche County – $189,200 to restore 1.4 hectares of wetlands in Plamondon.
- Sturgeon County – $513,150 to restore 3.75 hectares of wetlands northwest of Morinville.
- Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) – $697,818 to restore 17.8 hectares of wetlands in the M.D. of Opportunity No. 17.
- Ducks Unlimited Canada – $663,912.01 to restore 16.79 hectares of wetlands in the County of Camrose.
- Ducks Unlimited Canada – $1,523,937.80 to restore 73.05 hectares of wetlands in Starland County.
- Ducks Unlimited Canada – $1,387,390.49 to restore 54.16 hectares of wetlands in Ponoka County.