Wetlands and Resource Roads

Source of information: Operational Guide: Forest Road Wetland Crossings – Learning From Field Trials in the Boreal Plains Ecozone of Manitoba and Saskatchewan Canada http://www.ducks.ca/resources/industry/operational-guide-for-forest-road-wetland-crossings/ Photo Credits All photos provided by Ducks Unlimited Canada excluding those noted.

Wetlands Store water and release it when warranted Regulate water flow reducing erosion Filter sediment, excess nutrients and pollutants Provide fresh surface water

Wetlands Provide food and habitat for species such as moose and woodland caribou and a variety of furbearers Provide migratory stopover or breeding habitat for waterfowl and shore birds Some species are wetland specialists such as muskrat and beaver Some species require wetlands as part of their life cycle including spawning areas for fish

Wetlands Provide recreational activities such as canoeing hiking and birdwatching Wetlands store large amounts of carbon aiding in the mitigation of climate change impacts

Resource Roads Resource roads are used for Access for forest harvesting activities Log hauling Access for forest renewal activities Access for other industries such as mining and oil & gas exploration Due to the large number of wetlands in Saskatchewan, resource roads cross wetlands Wetlands are sensitive ecosystems and need to be treated with care

Classes of Wetlands Wetlands are separated into 5 classes based on their hydrology These classes range from being stagnant (no water movement) to Shallow open water Each class is unique and needs to be treated as such

Bogs - Stagnant Flow No or minimal water flow Ground is saturated with water Includes the following classes Open bog Shrubby bog Treed bog Treed poor fen Treed Bog Shrubby Bog

Fen - Moving Flow Slow lateral flow Slow moving flows at and below the surface Includes Grassy, shrubby and treed fens Grassy Fen

Swamps - Moving Flow Moving – Seasonally Fluctuating Typically part of a flowing water system Slow water movement at and below the surface Includes various types of treed swamps Treed (Mixedwood) Swamp

Flooded Wetlands Water levels will fluctuate seasonally, annually and/ or may dry out Includes marshes and open water Open Water Meadow Marsh

Building Roads Building roads over wetlands are based on a number of things including: Timing of construction Lifetime of the road There are 3 main materials used in road-building Geosynthetics Corduroy Culverts

Corduroy Use of small logs lined up in a “corduroy” fashion to support equipment travel Allows for unimpeded water flow Can be layered to increase load bearing capacity Corduroy Construction

Corduroy Use of small logs lined up in a “corduroy” fashion to support equipment travel Allows for unimpeded water flow Can be used in combination (layering) with geosynthetics to increase strength Culverts are also used in combination with corduroy and geosynthesis Corduroy Construction

Geosynthetics A strong woven fabric used for: Reinforcing the road Placing it between one or more layer oflogs increases stability between layers (no mixing) above or below Containment of fill material to prevent runoff Layering of Logs and Geosynthetics Final Layer

Culverts Are used to allow surface water or sub-surface water to flow naturally Can be used in combination with corduroy and geosynthetics Different size culverts are used based on the expected maximum flow of water

Snow and Ice Roads The snow is compacted The roadway is graded The graded surface is flooded Results in a stable driving surface This approach minimizes the impact to the wetlands given it is reclaimed properly Photos: Sourced from the Internet

Ecological Indicators Blockage of flow often results in changes in native vegetation: presence of aquatic vegetation such as cattails growing on one side of the road more vigorous tree growth on one side of the crossing resulting from a lowered water table an increase presence of snags on one side of the crossing as a result of tree death from flooding

Operational Indicators perched culverts that prevent the natural flow of water sunken culverts that block natural water flow soft road surface and rutting as a result of blockage of flow through the crossing Loss of road fill material into the wetland which can result in the blockage of flow flooding or icing on road surface

Bulrushes and Dead/Dying Trees What Caused This? Bulrushes and Dead/Dying Trees on One Side of the Road Ponding Along the Road Side Soft surface and Rutting