Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants
University of Waterloo
$220,003.00
Fen creation in the post oil sands landscape: Phase 2
FY 2022-23
Summary
In Northern Alberta, where oil sands are extracted, open pit mining covers an area of ~895 km2, and peat dominated wetlands fed by groundwater, mostly fens, cover about half of this area. Industry is required to return the landscape to equivalent functionality. This means that functioning wetlands must be returned to the landscape as part of their landscape reclamation effort. An experimental fen system was constructed, along with the entire watershed that is required to generate groundwater flows that sustain an appropriate level wetness in the fen peatland. This system, the Nikanotee Fen Watershed, was constructed of overburden stripped to access the oil sands, and processed materials including tailings sands and petroleum coke, with construction completed in January 2013. The goal was to construct a self-sustaining ecosystem that accumulates peat, is capable of supporting a representative assemblage of plant species, and is resilient to normal periodic stresses such as those associated with climate variability. The system was designed and constructed using the best knowledge available at the time. Our initial assessment (2013-2017) showed the system remained wet under moderately dry conditions, was carbon accumulating, and had plants that included those found in nearby natural systems. It also showed the system was undergoing rapid change as soils and vegetation developed. The focus of this proposal is to evaluate the nature and extent of those changes, and use them to predict how the system will function in the future. For this we will continue to study how this system functions, and how this compares to nearby natural sites To predict future behaviour we will develop mathematical models, which must be constrained with parameters measured in the field. We will also use models to refine designs that can function with more efficient use of material and resources, as well as recommend where and how to place these wetlands in the final closure landscape, after a mine lease is completed.
Program
Collaborative Research and Development Grants
Recipient
Location
Ontario, Canada
Recipient Type
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
As published
Application id
523334-2018
Name nom
Price, Jonathan JS
Department département
Geography and Environmental Management
Organization id
33
Institution établissement
University of Waterloo
Province en
Ontario
Province fr
Ontario
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2022
Competition year année de concours
2018
Award amount
220003
Program id
CRDPJ
Program name en
Collaborative Research and Development Grants
Program name fr
Subventions de recherche et développement coopérative
Group en
RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS
Group fr
PARTENARIATS DE RECHERCHE
Committee code
96
Committee name en
RPP Internal Decision Cttee
Committee name fr
Cté de décision interne - PPR
Area of application code
400
Area of application group en
Environment
Area of application group fr
Environnement
Area of application en
Environment
Area of application fr
Environnement
Research subject code
4500
Research subject group en
Hydrology
Research subject group fr
Hydrologie
Research subject en
Hydrology
Research subject fr
Hydrologie
Installment
inst:5
Partie
1
Nb partie
5
Application title
Fen creation in the post oil sands landscape: Phase 2
Application summary
In Northern Alberta, where oil sands are extracted, open pit mining covers an area of ~895 km2, and peat dominated wetlands fed by groundwater, mostly fens, cover about half of this area. Industry is required to return the landscape to equivalent functionality. This means that functioning wetlands must be returned to the landscape as part of their landscape reclamation effort. An experimental fen system was constructed, along with the entire watershed that is required to generate groundwater flows that sustain an appropriate level wetness in the fen peatland. This system, the Nikanotee Fen Watershed, was constructed of overburden stripped to access the oil sands, and processed materials including tailings sands and petroleum coke, with construction completed in January 2013. The goal was to construct a self-sustaining ecosystem that accumulates peat, is capable of supporting a representative assemblage of plant species, and is resilient to normal periodic stresses such as those associated with climate variability. The system was designed and constructed using the best knowledge available at the time. Our initial assessment (2013-2017) showed the system remained wet under moderately dry conditions, was carbon accumulating, and had plants that included those found in nearby natural systems. It also showed the system was undergoing rapid change as soils and vegetation developed. The focus of this proposal is to evaluate the nature and extent of those changes, and use them to predict how the system will function in the future. For this we will continue to study how this system functions, and how this compares to nearby natural sites To predict future behaviour we will develop mathematical models, which must be constrained with parameters measured in the field. We will also use models to refine designs that can function with more efficient use of material and resources, as well as recommend where and how to place these wetlands in the final closure landscape, after a mine lease is completed.
