Aquatic Habitat Features At Wapisiw Wetland

Wapisiw Wetland is situated in the former Suncor Energy Inc. Pond 1 Tailings Pond area, constructed in winter 2009/2010. Surrounding upland habitat reclamation began in spring 2009 with commercial seedlings and native grass species. The wetland portion was reclaimed to open water and marsh habitat. The objective of this aquatic habitat program was to increase wildlife diversity in reclaimed wetlands, by enhancing wetland plant community establishment and increasing biodiversity through aquatic vegetation planting and vegetated floating logs.

The project concluded that vegetated floating logs can enhance wetland biodiversity and wildlife habitat, but stability and anchoring remain critical challenges. Revised construction improved log orientation, and four plant species—Carex pseudocyperus, Carex disperma, Carex retrorsa, and Beckmannia syzigachne—showed strong growth, increasing vegetation cover from 2% to 45%. Wildlife, including 36 bird species and one mammal, utilized the logs for foraging and resting, indicating ecological benefits. Future efforts should focus on forming logs into anchored rafts and conducting additional trials to confirm their effectiveness in improving structural diversity and supporting wetland restoration.