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The Fort St. John Potholes landscape is the largest of 18 program delivery landscapes in the BC Peace Parkland. It extends for 20 miles north of the city of Fort St. John.
In This Section
- Peace Parkland Region (Summary)
- Fort St. John Potholes
- Doe River
Fort St. John Potholes 
The Fort St. John Potholes landscape is located within the Peace Parkland Biome in northeastern BC. The knob and kettle topography is a result of glaciation and historically provided abundant shallow, productive, pothole wetlands. Interspersed with aspen forests and grasslands, the resulting habitat mosaic was home to a diverse array of wildlife species.
Since the region was opened to homesteading in the 1920’s, it has undergone dramatic changes that reflect the impact of industries active here. Native parkland has been converted to cultivated agriculture. Wetlands have been drained to expose some of the most productive agricultural soils. Aspen forests have been harvested to feed the pulp and paper industry. And the entire landscape has been dissected by seismic lines cut to reveal the locations of valuable oil and gas reserves.
Ducks Unlimited Canada’s habitat program in the Fort St. John Potholes landscape is focused on securing remaining wetlands and restoring wetlands that were drained in the past. At the same time, DUC is working with agriculture and the oil and gas industry to promote management activities that benefit wildlife. Riparian buffers, grazing management systems, stock watering facilities, and permanent forage cover are tools that agricultural producers can use that also benefit their bottom line. The Oil and Gas Commission uses research information generated by Ducks Unlimited Canada and its partners to direct industry activities away from sensitive areas. The goal is to restore the capability of the landscape to some of its former capacity.
