15 Years of Detailed Wetland Mapping and Partnership Building

Quebec City, Q.C., October 22, 2025 – For the past 15 years, the Quebec team at Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) has partnered with the ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP), as well as various collaborators and financial partners, to produce detailed mapping of wetlands in the populated regions of southern Quebec.

This tool, which is publicly accessible, plays a crucial role in preserving biodiversity and combating climate change. Approximately 11% of Quebec’s territory is made up of wetlands (marshes, bogs, wet meadows, etc.), which help filter water, control floods and store carbon, among other benefits.

Detailed wetland mapping addresses a crucial need: proper planning of large-scale wetland conservation.

“We protect what we know. Identifying the location of wetlands is the first step in conserving these vital ecosystems. That is why detailed wetland mapping is central to DUC’s mission. We are very proud to have built strong expertise in this field over the past 15 years,” says Stéphanie Murray, detailed wetland mapping coordinator at Ducks Unlimited Canada.

The history of this essential tool is showcased in a brand-new StoryMap.

Recognized expertise

Combining technology with on-the-ground expertise, the mapping is carried out by DUC in collaboration with various partners and collaborators. It identifies and delineates areas of high ecological interest, providing information that supports informed decision-making. It is therefore a key starting point for the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of wetlands.

This reference tool is used by regional county municipalities (RCMs), watershed organizations (WOs), metropolitan communities, and professionals working in conservation and sustainable development.
Given its relevance to stakeholders across the region, this map has become one of the most frequently downloaded datasets on the Données Québec government website.

A continually evolving tool

The journey began in 2008, with pilot projects in the Lotbinière RCM and the ommunauté métropolitaine de Montréal (Montreal Metropolitan Community).

These early initiatives helped refine the expertise and methodology that are now being applied on a broader scale. Since then, numerous projects have followed, continually expanding the map’s coverage and improving data accuracy.

More than 10 members of the DUC team are currently dedicated to the project. In addition to updating data for areas that have already been mapped, the team is regularly assigned to new knowledge-acquisition projects. As a result, new sectors are continually added to the map, thus expanding its scope.

As part of its work, DUC is currently leading several detailed wetland mapping projects across Quebec in collaboration with a range of regional partners.

Update of detailed mapping in the Lotbinière RCM

• Lotbinière RCM
• Organisme de bassins versants de la zone du Chêne
• Groupe de concertation des bassins versants de la zone Bécancour (GROBEC)
• COBARIC, the Chaudière River watershed organization

Update on the territory of the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM)

• Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM)
• Regional stakeholders present in the territory were invited to share knowledge

New project in the Pontiac RCM

• Pontiac RCM
• Bureau des ressources naturelles et de la faune de Kitigan Zibi
• Agence de bassin versant des 7 (ABV des 7)

New projects in the Chaudière-Appalaches region

• La Nouvelle-Beauce RCM
• Beauce-Centre RCM
• Bellechasse RCM
• Montmagny RCM
• Etchemins RCM
• Appalaches RCM
• L’Islet RCM
• Organisme des bassins versants de la Côte-du-Sud
• Conseil de bassin versant du fleuve Saint-Jean
• Conseil de bassin de la rivière Etchemin (CBE)
• COBARIC, the Chaudière River watershed organization
• Organisme de bassins versants de Kamouraska, L’Islet et Rivière-du-Loup (OBAKIR)
• Conseil de gouvernance de l’eau des bassins versants de la rivière Saint-François (COGESAF)

Update on the territory of the City of Gatineau

• City of Gatineau

Project collaborators and financial partners

DUC would like to recognize the essential contributions of the more than one hundred regional and local collaborators and financial partners who have supported this work, with special thanks to the following partners for their major support of the overall project:

• The ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP), a key partner whose ongoing involvement, along with its technical and financial support, has been instrumental to the project’s success.
• Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), whose financial contribution provides vital support for the project as a whole.
• The North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant program, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, whose support has also made this initiative possible. Additional funding is provided through contributions from U.S. state partners under the Fall Flights program.