Project Profiles - Canada

Restoring Wetlands and Watercourses the Island Way
by Sandy Burnett

What is the difference between financial loss and long-term profitability? For many Prince Edward Island (Island) farmers, the answer lies in a regime of soil management that is paying big dividends for wetlands and wildlife.

The Island’s brick red soil has produced high quality, world famous potatoes and dairy products for generations. Since the 1980s, however, technological and economical pressures have exacted a heavy environmental toll on expanding fields and farms. The fundamental problem is soil erosion.

Heavy rain can strip thousands of tons of precious topsoil from unprotected, sloping fields. The loss of soil, though costly, is only the beginning. Silt-clogged waterways and wetlands lose their value as habitat for waterfowl and fish. Surface runoff carries pesticides and dissolved nutrients into streams and marshes, causing substantial fish kills or triggering algae blooms, and accelerating the aging of aquatic ecosystems.

Unrestricted livestock access also threatens waterways. Cattle, horses, and sheep break down stream banks. This causes erosion, adding to nutrient and bacterial loading and contributing to contamination of estuarine shellfish beds.

Faced with these challenges, governmental and nongovernmental agencies began seeking solutions. Since 1987, North American Waterfowl Management Plan partners, through the Eastern Habitat Joint Venture, have invested heavily in Island projects. North American Wetlands Conservation Act funding has helped protect wetlands against the impact of erosion and contamination.

The problem resulted from two types of farm operations: cropping and livestock. Therefore, two remedial and preventive strategies were needed. Firstly, the loss of topsoil from exposed fields had to be reduced. Secondly, livestock access to ponds and streams had to be limited.

Incentives and regulations have curbed the loss of topsoil. Starting in the 1990s, the Island supported soil conservation measures, such as strip cropping, grassed waterways, and diversion terracing. With the support of the agricultural community, the Environmental Protection Act was amended to require the maintenance of buffer zones to protect watercourse and wetland boundaries. In 2002, a new Agricultural Crop Rotation Act introduced steps to reduce water runoff and erosion.

The second action was addressed when Wildlife Habitat Canada provided seed funding to initiate livestock fencing and alternate watering programs. This triggered a federal, provincial, and private agreement to eliminate the problem. Environment Canada, Prince Edward Island’s Departments of Agriculture & Forestry and Fisheries, Aquaculture & Environment, the joint venture, and Ducks Unlimited Canada contributed funds. The Prince Edward Island Soil and Crop Improvement Association, closely allied with the farming community, delivered the program.

Voluntary participation has been strong. With one year to go, 70 percent of operators have already installed wells, waterlines, or reservoir systems to water their stock and have erected 100 kilometers of fencing to protect streambanks, ponds, and wetlands.

The benefits of erosion control and stock exclusion are evident. Less topsoil is lost and fewer nutrients contaminate waterbodies. Cattle are more productive and less susceptible to ailments and infections. Finally, the premature aging of the Island’s wetlands, coastal marshes, and estuaries has been stopped. It is a success story for the long-term environmental quality of all Islanders.

For more information, contact Alan McLennan, Eastern Habitat Joint Venture Program Manager, Fish and Wildlife Division, Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment, 11 Kent Street, 4th Floor, P.O. Box 2000, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island C1A 7N8, (902) 368-4667, admclennan@gov.pe.ca.