Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 1

Environmental spills are common in the boreal region of Alberta, where oil sands exploration and extraction activities occur. Remediation and reclamation of spill affected wetlands, particularly peat-forming fens, presents a series of challenges due to the complex hydrology, vegetation, and soil of these ecosystems. Practical solutions are scarce, and often SMEs and practitioners lack appropriate knowledge and skills to meet industry client demands. This project aims to test several site preparation and revegetation techniques in order to reclaim a hydrocarbon contaminated/ remediated fen complex and to restore its function through the development of a functional fen vegetation community. The principle of using a combination of fill material to create suitable substrates and topography to restore hydrologic and vegetation functions of boreal peatlands can be applied to restore spill affected wetlands. It can also be adapted to restore thousands of well pads and linear features and their associated borrow pits built in wetlands across Alberta.