South Peace Historical Society

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  • Table of Contents

    • Part 1: First Nations of the Peace River Region
    • Part 2: The Fur Trade Era
    • Part 3: Transportation and Communication
    • Part 4: Old Timers and the Price of Land
    • Part 5: Dawson Creek: The Story of the Community
    • Part 6: Mysteries, Adventures and Indian Legends
    • Part 7: Arts, Crafts and Recreation
    • Part 8: Agriculture
    • Part 9: Church Histories
    • Part 10: Schools
    • Part 11: Health Care
    • Part 12: Industries and Enterprises
    • Part 13: Policing the Peace
    • Part 14: Pouce Coupe, Rolla, and Other South Peace Communities
    • Part 15: Chetwynd and the Fort St. John Area
    • Part 16: The Alberta Peace
    • Part 17: Natural History of the Peace River Region
    • Part 18: Interviews with Old Timers
    • Part 19: Remembering Our Veterans

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BN17-33: Restoring the Wetlands

Recent Items – 2004-2005

By Gary Rusak — August 23, 2005

Ducks Unlimited, in partnership with a handful of other agencies, is working to turn back the clock for an 80-acre parcel of land north of the city.

“This is a natural area,” said Murray Clark, a consultant who is working on the project for Ducks Unlimited, as he surveyed the land that was formerly the Donaldson farm 20 miles north of Dawson Creek.

“There would have been little wetlands here but the land was all drained for agriculture.”

The low-lying area had been continuously drained since the 1940s in order to cultivate crops, mostly alfalfa. After years of cultivation, the owners decided to sell the land to a conglomerate of interests including Ducks Unlimited, Peace Wilderness Watch, Public Conservation Assistance Fund, The Nature Trust, and the provincial government.

“Since we bought it in March 2004, we had to survey the whole thing,” said Clark adding that the group decided on a multi-year plan that will include up to 20 different dams. “This year we started the construction on the first five sites. We have been at it for five days now and we figure we have another three days left.”

Currently, two separate work crews are using an excavator and shovels to construct the dams in the area. According to Clark, the cost of building each new structure is approximately $5,000.

The results of the project will be evident as early as next spring. If all goes according to plan, a new marsh, with its full complement of waterfowl, ungulates, and other wildlife, will inhabit the area once again.

“This will all be flooded next year,” said Clark. “There will be lots of deer and elk and moose and they will all be coming right here to the water.”

Local conservation officer Brad Lacey said it would be a positive step for the diversity of the wildlife in the region.

“It’s a big conservation bonus for the district,” he said. “There will be more of a diversity in the landscape. Rather than taking the land and using it for one purpose, you are going to be bringing the diversity back. So you get the wetlands and everything that comes along with it.”

Besides being a conservation success, Lacey said that the project is also proof that the area’s young people are dedicated to wildlife issues.

“It is real community-based,” he said, pointing out the young volunteers on the site. “The thing that is going to be fun to watch is next year they will be able to show their parents this is what I did, and this is the result. I think it’s great.”

This article is taken from the Peace River Block Daily News, Dawson Creek, with the permission of the publisher. The Daily News retains all rights relating to this material. The information in this article is intended solely for research or general interest purposes.

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BN17-34: Another Step Towards a Wind Farm »

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