Five years of monitoring and measuring results will begin as construction is now complete to restore a wetland in Campbell River’s Jubilee Heights.
Work with heavy equipment put the final touches on restoring the area that had been previously filled in.
The area now has more woody debris, additional deep and shallow depressions, less steep bank edges, and loosened and roughed up the soil in some areas.
“The original fen peatland took literally thousands of years to develop, so it’s impossible to replace exactly what was there, but this work has created satisfying complexity for a new wetland. Ranging from larger areas of open water to small deep pools and shallow depressions, this habitat variety is vital for wetland plants and creatures,” says Terri Martin, the City’s environmental specialist. “It’s also encouraging to see the amount of natural generation from seeds and plant remains in the original soils and peat that had been stockpiled. This really boosts the potential for a wetland to function here.”
Parkway Properties must register a conservation covenant on the 2.1 hectares of forest land near the west property boundary. This is part of the conservation solution as set out in the City’s development permit. The development permit also specifies that a conservation covenant is placed on the wetland.
A post-development report summarizing restoration work and a survey of as-built areas of habitat, along with a five-year post-construction monitoring plan will be prepared this winter.
