Marion Creek Wetland Restoration Project

Awarded to the Nature Conservancy of Canada to restore six wetland features totalling 4 ha as well as 6 ha of associated upland habitat to benefit local populations of Westslope Cutthroat Trout and a diversity of other wildlife species.

PROPONENT: Nature Conservancy of Canada

DESCRIPTION: The Marion Creek Wetland Restoration project will restore six wetland features totaling 4 ha as well as 6 ha of associated upland habitat to benefit local populations of Westslope Cutthroat Trout and a diversity of other wildlife species. The project takes place on the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC) Thunder Hill Ranch conservation property located approximately 5 km northwest of Canal Flats on the west side of Columbia Lake. Thunder Hill Ranch encompasses 423 ha of grassland and dry open forest, hydroriparian, and wetland ecosystems, and provides a functional corridor for wildlife such as Gray Wolf, Cougar, and Grizzly Bear. Additionally, the property contains critical habitat for Lewis’s Woodpecker, Westslope Cutthroat Trout, and a variety of ungulates.

OBJECTIVE: Based on the Marion Creek Watershed Ecosystem Restoration plan developed for Thunder Hill Ranch, there are several goals of this project: (1) to improve landscape-scale climate resilience by constructing new wetlands in the floodplain of Marion Creek in a location that once contained natural wetlands that have since been drained and filled; (2) improve habitat for wildlife and species at risk by decompacting soil, enhancing riparian buffer around constructed wetlands, and encouraging growth of native plants; and, (3) enhance land management partnerships and increase opportunities for research in the RDEK Area F.

PHOTOS: Kate Mackenzie/NCC