Description:
The Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners (CWSP) received funding from Kootenay Connect ECCC for three projects in Columbia Valley. The projects in year 5 of the KC/ECCC projects continue the work from the year 4, providing more detailed science, more on the ground conservation actions and more community involvement. The projects included the 5CW Conservation & Mitigation of Wetland Basins Vulnerable to Drought (5CW Hydro & Beaver), which involved assessing the impact of beaver dams in the Columbia Wetlands, and selecting and constructing artificial beaver dams to mitigate the loss of water overwinter on species at risk (SAR) and waterbirds, and assessing the status of benchland wetlands along the western side of Columbia Valley and restoring degraded beaver dams to restore wetlands in the uplands of Columbia Valley. The second subproject, 5CW Western Painted Turtle and SAR (5CW WP Turtle & SAR) project, sought to enhance conservation actions that would benefit American badger, western painted turtle, Lewis’s woodpecker, and osprey. The third subproject, 5CW Conservation Lands has identified and ranked important biodiversity hotspots in riparian and upland habitat in Columbia Valley.

Keywords: wetlands; riparian; birds; beaver; hydrology; climate change

Authors:

Organization: Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners

Category: Project Overview

Focal Area: Columbia Wetlands

Resource Type: Report

Year: 2024