Shared Industry Practices for Working In and Around Wetlands

This report provides an inventory of practices used to avoid and mitigate the impacts of roads and pads on adjacent wetlands, in the context of oil sands development. Catalogued practices include those related to peat strength and depth, culvert spacing and construction, water drainage, construction materials, and erosion control. Practices used by other sectors that may benefit oil sands operations are also included.

Each practice was evaluated from both environmental and construction perspectives, and ranked based on (1) frequency of use and (2) effectiveness of current implementation. To see the ranking of each practice, see Section 3.0, An Inventory and Evaluation of Current Practices (p.11). To see specific conclusions related to each practice, see Section 6.0, COSIA Toolbox of Wetland Shared Practices (p.33). Recommended areas of future study to improve practices: soil stabilization, erosion control, investigation of corduroy and geosynthetic building materials, improved understanding of hydrology and borrow pits.