1. Wetlands and Resource Roads

2. Source of information:
Operational Guide: Forest Road Wetland Crossings – Learning From Field Trials in the Boreal Plains Ecozone of Manitoba and Saskatchewan Canada
Photo Credits All photos provided by Ducks Unlimited Canada excluding those noted.

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

4. 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

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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

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

10. 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

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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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