Ducks Unlimited propose Site C wetland restoration to PRRD

DAWSON CREEK, B.C – Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) looks to restore and enhance wetlands in Upper Cache for BC Hydro.

Support is needed from the Peace River Regional District as the land is located in the Agricultural Land Reserve before sending an application to the Agricultural Land Commission.

In a letter to the PRRD, the company says it’s looking to mitigate the loss of wetlands due to Site C construction. The work will involve three dams on an existing ditch system near Szoo Road and Highway 29.

Wesley McKnight and Kathy McKnight, who own the land, are partnering with DUC for the project. The McKnight’s have used the property for livestock grazing and pasture for around 15 years, which the organization says will continue.

“The low-lying areas are already covered by water or are wet for the early half of the growing season, making them difficult to cut. The wetlands will capture and retain seasonal water which would otherwise pass through the farm and eventually drain into the Peace River,” DUC wrote to the PRRD.

“Surplus water will be available for farm and farm purposes (preferably via hardened access points) or via off-site watering. By providing more secure sources of water for the farm and farm animals, the wetlands will actually make the farm more sustainable.”

DUC wants to ensure the land continues to operate as a soil-based farm for the benefit of agriculture and for the benefit of waterfowl, unfragmented by new buildings, and utilities and roads.

Rip-rap and granular materials needed for the work will be transported from a nearby quarry. Dam materials will be excavated from borrow sources within the pond’s perimeter or the adjacent land.

Wetlands are designed to support breeding birds rather than migrants, according to DUC.

The PRRD will discuss the letter at a board meeting this Thursday.