World Wetlands Day 2011The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, the “Ramsar Convention,” is a global inter-governmental treaty that provides a framework for national and international action and cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. Since 1997, government agencies, non-governmental organizations and groups of citizens have held an annual celebration of “World Wetlands Day” on February 2nd to mark the anniversary of the day in 1971 that the Convention was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. World Wetlands Day is used to raise public awareness of wetland values and benefits in general, and to recognize the contribution of the Ramsar Convention towards the promotion of sustainable development throughout the world.

Wetlands improve water quality through filtration. As water passes through a wetland, impurities are removed.

UPSTREAMQ U A R T E R LYW

INTE

R2

01

1Is

sue

Ten

Wetlands provide valuable habitat for countless birds and animals and

perform essential ecosystem services like storing water, filtering runoff

and reducing the impact of floods. Despite their value wetlands are

under threat from continued development within our watershed and

many others. We invite you to read this issue of Upstream Quarterly to

learn more about why they deserve our attention and how they can be

better protected.

Wetlands Special Edition Wetland areas are very important features of a

watershed. These unique ecosystems are transition

zones; critical links between land and water.

As of January 2011 over 1,900 Ramsar sites have been recognized throughout the world covering a total area of almost 187 million hectares.

Alberta has almost 14 million hectares of wetlands (11% of Canada’s total wetland area) and several Ramsar sites are located in the province including: the 18,000 hectare Beaverhill Lake site near Edmonton; a 50,000 hectare Alberta Fish and Wildlife Crown Reservation at Hay-Zama Lakes; 321,000 hectares of the Peace-Athabasca Delta, a National Park and World Heritage Site; and the almost 1,700,000 hectare Whooping Crane Summer Range World Heritage Site, National Park and International Biological Programme Site straddling Alberta and the Northwest Territories.

Alberta WetlandsIn Alberta, wetlands are typically defined as areas where the land is saturated with water long enough to have poorly drained soils, water-loving plants and biological processes suited to wet areas. Climate, landform, surface water, groundwater, vegetation and soil factors all combine to determine the type and extent of wetlands present in a region and wetlands

in the province have been broken down into five types based on differences in how saturated they are, how permanent they are, and the types of plant and animal communities they support. There are two main categories: peatlands (also known as muskeg) found in central and northern Alberta, and non-peatlands (sloughs)

found in central and southern Alberta. Peatland wetlands are further divided into Bogs and Fens; non-peatland wetlands are divided into marshes, ponds and swamps. Recent estimates suggest about 18% of Alberta is covered by wetlands, most of which are permanent wetlands in the north. In central and southern Alberta most of the wetlands are either temporary,

UPSTREAM Q U A R T E R LY World Wetlands Day 2011 continued...

WIN

TER

20

11

Issu

eTe

n

Wetlands provide opportunities for tourism, boating, bird watching, nature photography, hunting, fishing and more.

Wetlands help reduce the effects of flooding and soil erosion by storing runoff water and releasing it slowly.

holding water only in the spring, or semi-permanent, holding water most years, but not all.

Wetlands provide some of the most productive habitats in the world and support a high natural biodiversity of plants and animals. Numerous studies have shown that both permanent and temporary wetlands are critically important for waterfowl and wildlife. They nurture hundreds of different species and provide vital breeding and rearing habitat. According to Alberta Environment, over 150 species of birds depend on wetland environments in Alberta for at least some part of their life cycle while many others, though not wholly dependent on wetlands, use these areas for feeding, nesting or cover. In total, Alberta’s wetlands are used by about 250 species of birds. Other animals also depend on Alberta wetlands: 17 species of mammals and 15 species of amphibians and reptiles must have wetland habitat to survive and over 40 fur-bearing species such as mink, beaver and muskrat, as well as larger mammals like deer and moose use wetlands for a variety of purposes. Wetlands are also important for many species of fish; seasonal, shallow wetlands connected to lakes offer spawning and rearing grounds.

Alberta Environment, Ducks Unlimited and the Alberta North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) have partnered to develop “Wetlands Alberta” an excellent website on provincial wetlands. For more information about the website or for more information about wetlands in Alberta, please email them at: info@wetlandsalberta.ca or visit the site: http://www.wetlandsalberta.ca

A number of other websites and publications are available for students and teachers or for the general public – email: maggie@seawa.ca for more information.

SEAWA WetlandsLast year was a good year for wetlands in the area and most, if not all, saw high water marks and related high productivity.The South Saskatchewan River watershed is littered with ponds, sloughs and marshes of various sizes and degrees of permanence. While many of those wetlands will only be remnants of their former selves by next summer others are more permanent and ecologically significant features of the SEAWA landscape. Pakowki Lake is one example of a very productive, regionally important wetland. This intermittent lake is a major stop on a North American waterfowl flyway and is considered internationally significant for its shorebird and waterfowl habitat. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified Pakowki Lake as a Category IV Habitat/Species Management Area, and Pakowki Lake is also listed by Bird Studies Canada and Bird Life International as globally significant for congregatory species and waterfowl concentrations, and nationally significant for congregatory species and shorebird concentrations. The area was also designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) in the early 2000s to identify it as a globally important conservation priority. Part of the lake is designated a Provincial Game Bird Sanctuary and hunting of game birds is prohibited except with a special permit.

Stirling Lake (occasionally called Michelson Marsh) is also well known for its wide variety of bird species, and the Tyrrell-Rush Wetland Complex north-west of Warner was the first Wetlands for Tomorrow project built in Alberta. Funds were contributed by Alberta Environment, Ducks Unlimited (Canada) and Fish and Wildlife, and it was built in cooperation with the County of Warner and the St. Mary River Irrigation District (SMRID). Canals and structures were built to stabilize water levels in both Tyrrell Lake and Rush Lake, and in a large marshland south of Rush Lake. The extensive wetland area that was created provides valuable waterfowl habitat in a drought-prone area. Many Island Lake, north of Medicine Hat also provides valuable wetland habitat and supports a large bird population.

Alberta wetlands are under tremendous pressure from agriculture, urban expansion and industrial land use development. Wetlands in the settled areas of Alberta have been managed by an interim policy for a number of years but the province is in the process of drafting a new provincial wetland policy. The government has spent years debating whether Alberta should implement a “zero-net-loss” policy where rural and urban municipalities as well as oil and gas, forestry and construction companies are forced to physically replace or financially compensate for any wetlands they damage or destroy. Alberta Environment Minister Rob Renner recently announced however, that type of policy is not going ahead. “Not all wetlands are alike,” Renner said. “A one-size-fits-all policy isn’t going to work.”

The province is now considering a system where wetlands are rated for their importance (based on factors such as location or biodiversity) and then creative penalties or exchanges can be made. The details of the policy have not yet been finalized but Renner said new regulations could be in place by late 2011 or 2012. According to the Calgary Herald Minister Renner also said the new policy was developed to encourage wetlands conservation, but also to “serve the needs of all of the players.” A number of Alberta conservation groups have gone on record to oppose the new “flexible” approach to wetland conservation and say the government has “caved to industry complaints about the previously proposed zero-net-loss province-wide wetlands protection policy.”

Alberta Wetland Policy

For More Information on Wetlands

South East Alberta Watershed Alliance • 721-97 Carry Drive SE • Medicine Hat • Alberta • T1B 3M6 • Canada

ph: 403.488.8110 • admin@seawa.ca • www.seawa.ca

UPSTREAM Q U A R T E R LY

For More Upcoming Events:Please check our website www.seawa.ca or

follow us on twitter: twitter.com/SEAlbertawaters

Upcoming MeetingsSEAWA Board of Directors Meeting – February 16, 2011, 12 to 3:30 pm

SEAWA State of the Watershed Technical Committee Meeting – February 24, 2011, 1 to 4 pm

WIN

TER

20

11

Issu

eTe

n

Graphic Courtesy of Cows and Fish

Threats to Our WetlandsHistorically, wetlands were perceived as having very little value and not much consideration was given if they needed to be drained or filled for agriculture, housing, roads or industry. We now recognize however those natural wetland areas produce a number of economically important goods and services including: non-consumptive recreation (photography, bird-watching and education); recreational sport fishing and hunting; and commercial and native harvesting of wetland dependent game. A number of wetlands are also economically useful for peat production for horticulture and energy; flood peak modification; shoreline protection; and water filtration.

Alberta’s wetlands have been disappearing since late 1800s and the Institute of Wetlands and Waterfowl Research estimates that about 64% of the slough/marsh wetlands in the settled areas of Alberta no longer exist. Wetlands are both directly and indirectly threatened by human activities. The main types of activities that negatively impact wetlands include: dredging, draining, and/or filling wetland areas for conversion to agricultural, industrial or residential lands; sand and gravel mining, mineral and peat extraction activities; timber harvesting; oil and gas exploration; waste disposal; storm-water pollution and water contamination; nutrient enrichment; and pesticide accumulation. The loss or destruction of wetlands from these activities can result in a reduction of plant and animal biological diversity and an increase in weeds and invasive species. Wetland destruction can also result in a reduction in the range of recreational opportunities; deterioration of wetland water quality; increased soil erosion; increased sedimentation; reduction in water supply and water storage; reduction in groundwater recharge; and an increased occurrence of algae blooms caused by nutrient overload from land adjacent to wetlands.

UPCOMING SPECIAL EVENTSEAWA is working to develop an initial set of State of the Watershed indicators to illustrate changes in the watershed’s condition and stresses over time, and to measure the organization’s progress towards improving the health of its watershed. Our final indicator development workshop will be held Thursday, January 20th, 2011 from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm at Medicine Hat College, Crowfoot Room.

Alberta’s wetlands have been disappearing since late 1800s and the Institute of Wetlands and Waterfowl Research estimates that about 64% of the slough/marsh wetlands in the settled areas of Alberta no longer exist.