Description:
In this study, MacDonald Hydrology Consultants Ltd. develop a quantitative restoration feasibility index to help score wetlands based on their likelihood of long-term restoration success. We use publicly available data to develop an approach that can be modified for other areas. As wetlands within the benchlands of the Columbia Valley have been shown to be highly dependent on reliable water sources, the type of water source contributing to a wetland is the first contributing score, where intermittent streams are the lowest ranked, and larger streams are ranked higher. Measures of the contributing area and slope, which create a wetness index, are taken from a digital elevation model (DEM). And finally, measures for how dry a region might be, taken from climate data to simulate precipitation minus evapotranspiration (PET) were used. All these combined to provide the restoration feasibility index, which ranks wetlands as having low, moderate, high, or very high potential to be successfully restored. Of the 443 bench wetlands examined, 168 wetlands were found to have a low wetland restoration feasibility index, 153 had a moderate wetland restoration feasibility index, 74 had a high wetland restoration feasibility index, and 48 had a very high wetland restoration feasibility index.

Keywords: wetlands; beaver; hydrology; climate change; restoration

Authors:

Organization: Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners

Category: Hydrologically Vulnerable Wetlands

Focal Area: Columbia Wetlands

Resource Type: Report

Year: 2025