Project Profiles - Canada

Atocas Bay-A Piece of Prairie in Eastern Ontario
by Erling Armson, Ducks Unlimited Canada

Last fall, Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) began wetland restoration work on a 648-hectare parcel of land it purchased in spring 2001. Known as the Atocas Bay Project, this significant wetland pothole complex is located near the town of Alfred, fronting on the Ottawa River, approximately 50 kilometres east of Ottawa, Ontario.

Formerly owned by Bowater Pulp and Paper Ltd., the property was purchased by DUC, with financial assistance from Environment Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources under its Strategic Lands Initiative. Acquisition of this property is a major coup for conservation because it includes over 240 wetland basins, representing much of the key wetland habitats remaining in the entire landscape. Historically, half of the land-base was composed of marshes, swamps, and bogs. Now, almost 90 percent of these wetlands are gone.

The acquisition takes on added importance because of the intense pressure on the landscape and the potential threats posed by human activity. Human activities, including drainage and peat harvesting, have negatively affected wetland habitat and were expected to continue. Ottawa's rapid urban expansion is quickly moving eastward toward Alfred. Over time this urban sprawl could significantly affect the Alfred landscape given the region's relatively low land values and its close proximity to the Ottawa River and Quebec's Gatineau mountains.

In addition to these pressures, the area was not protected under existing municipal or provincial regulatory policies. It had been zoned "General Rural," allowing activities such as intensive agriculture, forestry, dwellings and communication facility contruction, and aggregate extraction to be undertaken, further threatening the long-term conservation of this remaining wetland resource.

Ducks Unlimited Canada has restored significant portions of the drained wetlands on the property using simple earthen plugs, small dykes, and water-management structures. This will rejuvenate more than 200 wetland basins. This area will also provide opportunities for research activities on waterfowl, wetlands, and surface water quality and groundwater recharge.

Implementation of conservation-oriented agricultural land-use practices will also be critical to enhancing the surrounding land cover. These practices will be demonstrated to the local farming community to encourage neighbouring landowners to incorporate these conservation techniques into their own farming practices.

Local grassland and cattle farmer, Rodney Maclaren, says, "I'm looking forward to working with DUC to help develop a management plan for the property that will integrate livestock management with wetland and upland conservation. It should be a win-win situation for everyone."

The Atocas Bay Project involves a remarkable wetland complex of great value to breeding waterfowl. Given its proximity to the Ottawa River, it is expected that these conservation efforts will also complement DUC habitat initiatives along the Quebec side of the river.

For more information, contact Erling Armson, Conservation Programs Leader, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Unit 1, 614 Norris Court, Kingston, Ontario, K7P 2R9, (613) 389-0418, e_armson@ducks.ca.