BC Hydro celebrates bear tracks at new wetland on former Site C construction land

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A newly-formed wetland near the Site C generating station is already attracting wildlife, including bears, less than a year after reclamation work began on former construction lands.

According to BC Hydro in a blog post published on February 3rd, the wetland has emerged from an area once used for dam construction and is part of broader land reclamation efforts around the Site C dam on the Peace River near Fort St. John. 

It says during a site visit in October 2025, environmental specialist Matt Barnette pointed out fresh black bear paw prints in the mud, a sign the habitat is beginning to function as intended.

BC Hydro said the wetland, located within sight of the generating station, features dense rushes and native plant growth where bare soil and debris sat the year before. 

According to the utility, it was developed through careful excavation followed by limited planting, allowing natural regrowth to play a major role.

BC Hydro partnered with Ducks Unlimited Canada to design and assess new wetlands, including one near the dam itself. 

Ducks Unlimited biologist Bruce Harrison said the site shows how effective a blend of excavation, strategic planting and natural regrowth can be.

“I was surprised at how little planting was required there, how much natural regrowth there was,” Harrison said. 

“That’s a really cool site built in a location where wetlands didn’t exist before the excavation was done.”

Reclamation efforts around Site C also include planting native trees and shrubs, installing nesting and denning structures for birds, bats and mammals and restoring former sections of Highway 29 to wildlife habitat.

Environmental groups have previously criticized the Site C construction, citing concerns about its effects on wildlife and the environment.

Site C became fully operational in August 2025.