Alberta

Conservation Priorities

Conservation Champion
Ross Adam is working with DUC to restore wetlands on his bison ranch near Grande Prairie. Adam plans to restore 100 wetlands on 30 quarter sections of land over three years. Read more...

Did you know?

All wetlands, including those in land-locked Alberta, eventually drain into an ocean.

In This Section

Restoring Water On Your Land

DUC has been restoring wetlands in Alberta since 1938. In fact, DUC’s first project in the province, Many Island Lake near Medicine Hat, was a wetland restoration project and partnership with local farmers and ranchers.

If wetlands have been drained or altered on your land, DUC may be able to help you restore them to their natural state. Using historical aerial photography, DUC can determine the natural levels and conditions of your lost wetland basins and work with you to determine a restoration plan.

Aerial photo of drained wetlands.

Restoring wetlands on your property can provide a source of water for livestock as well as forage during times of drought. Wetlands also absorb and slowly release water after rainfall events, improving the quality of local groundwater supplies. If you are interested in taking advantage of these and other benefits that wetlands provide, download the Wetland Restoration Fact Sheet (PDF 282 KB) and Wetlands on My Lands (PDF 1.06 MB), a landowner guide to wetland restoration.

Aerial photos of restored wetlands in the same area.

It is estimated that up to 70% of wetlands have already been lost from settled areas of the country; in some areas, the loss rates are as high as 90%. Because wetlands continue to be lost at an alarming rate, the Provincial Wetland Inventory will help DUC’s wetland restoration efforts by identifying both existing wetlands as well as drained and altered wetlands.