Saving the wetlands

Andrea Roberts
Times Intern

 

Wetlands are a vital part of the ecosystem and help with a number of processes such as flood and drought prevention.
Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) understands the need for wetlands. The group recently held their 34th Annual Strathmore Dinner and Auction on June 4 at the Strathmore Civic Centre to continue to fund their restoration efforts.
“So we are a conservation company,” said Warren Robb, conservation program specialist who is in charge of parts of Wheatland County and Vulcan County. “We try to conserve the land so it can stay as the native prairies. We try to keep the land as it has always been for wildlife and especially waterfowl.”
Wetlands are important parts of the ecosystem. While acting as habitats for waterfowl, they also act as buffers for floods and droughts, and provide a water source for cattle. They help with ground flow, contribute to the ground water table and help filter contaminants, such as an excess of phosphorus, out of the water before it travels into the lakes and streams to form algae blooms.
In Canada up to 70 per cent of wetlands have been destroyed or degraded, some due to having been drained for agricultural use of the land. DUC works alongside farmers to form a symbiotic relationship allowing for continuing agricultural practices while protecting and revitalizing wetland areas. An example of this relationship is Shell Buffalo Hills Conservation Ranch.
DUC bought the 6,000 acres of land in 2013; it is the organization’s largest land purchase to date. It is also ecologically important because of the native prairie habitat. The Shell Buffalo Hills conservation ranch is made up of two historical ranches: the UM Ranch formed in 1904, and the Buffalo Hills Ranch formed in 1911. In 1950 the ranches were merged and became King Ranch, which would continue until 2003 when it was again merged with the Willard Ranch and became known as Marsh Ranch. The owner of the land at the time, Gordon Marsh, decided to sell the land to DUC in order to conserve it.
Since then the organization has helped restore the wetlands that were drained while allowing the wetlands left on the land to thrive. The land is leased out so that cattle can still graze in the area. Farmers who do decide to have their wetlands restored are compensated by the group.