CANADA’S WETLANDS
ENVIRONMENT
Photo courtesy of: Syncrude
Wetlands are low-lying areas of land covered by water for periods of time long
enough to support aquatic plants and wildlife as part of their life cycle. Wetlands
are vital to the sustainability of ecosystems as they filter water, store carbon,
recharge groundwater, protect biological diversity and act as flood protection.
In Alberta, about
20 per cent of
the province
is covered by
wetlands.
Source: Government of Alberta, 2016
OIL SANDS LAND AREA
PERCENTAGE COVER OF WETLANDS
0–5%
6–25%
26–50%
51–75%
76–100%
Source: Canadian Geographic
THE OIL AND NATURAL GAS INDUSTRY AND
CANADA’S WETLANDS
ALBERTA
Canada’s oil sands lie under 142,000 km2 of land. The current active mining
footprint is 904 km2, about the size of Calgary. Since wetlands cover about 50
per cent of the oil sands region, some of the land currently affected is classified
as wetlands.
Canada’s oil and natural gas industry is committed to reducing its footprint,
reclaiming all land affected by operations in a timely manner and maintaining
biodiversity. The Alberta Wetland Policy is in effect province-wide. The policy
minimizes the loss and degradation of wetlands, while allowing for continued
growth and economic development in the province.
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Oil Sands Deposits
Active Mining Footprint
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PEACE
RIVER
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ATHABASCA
AREA
COLD LAKE
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SASKATCHEWAN
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WETLAND RECLAMATION RESEARCH
ENVIRONMENT
Oil sands companies are collaborating to minimize the footprint of current and
planned operations and to advance the understanding of wetland reclamation.
Current efforts include:
• Contribution of funding and trial locations for regional collaborative research on
wetlands reclamation;
• Partial pad removal for wetland reclamation, including site prep to compact
peat and re-establish hydrology: and
• Use of native plant seeds to establish wetland plants at reclaimed sites.
Alberta’s wetlands
host about 400
species of plants.
INDUSTRY IN ACTION
Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) is an alliance of oil sands
producers focused on accelerating the pace of improvement in environmental
performance in Canada’s oil sands through collaborative action and innovation.
www.cosia.ca
NIKANOTEE FEN
In 2013, Suncor Energy, with the help of Joint Industry Project (JIP) partners
Imperial Oil Limited and Shell Canada, completed the Nikanotee Fen. Fens,
unlike other peat-forming wetlands, are fed primarily by groundwater rather
than surface water, so in order to construct a fen, the groundwater system
needs to lie at or just below the surface. Suncor constructed the watershed to
supply the fen with groundwater using materials available on the mine site.
SYNCRUDE SANDHILL FEN RESEARCH WATERSHED
Syncrude developed the project as part of a research watershed that covers 52
hectares of sand-capped soft tailings. Scientists introduced a variety of wetland
plants throughout the fen and planted more than 100,000 trees and shrubs on
the uplands surrounding the project. Additionally, a number of native plants
have successfully taken seed and are growing on their own. Syncrude completed
construction in 2012 and will closely monitor its progress over the next 10-20
years. This project has demonstrated the first constructed fen watershed in
the world.
FOREST WATERSHED AND RIPARIAN DISTURBANCE (FORWARD) PROJECT
The FORWARD Project is a collaboration between 10 cross-industry partners and
was initiated in 2001 to study water quality impacts and recovery following
watershed disturbance in the boreal forest. Now in its third phase, FORWARD
continues to assess recovery of reclaimed oil sands mine sites. The data collected
by the FORWARD Project has been used to improve forest management practices
and improve modelling in the boreal forest, which can be used in forest
management planning.
To learn about more about wetland reclamation research visit www.cosia.ca
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