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Wetlands Alberta

Engaging Albertans to conserve and protect wetlands


A watershed is an area of land that drains to a common point.

You are here: Conservation


Wetlands dot the landscape but are often misunderstood for the values they provide. Alberta’s wetlands are one of this province’s most beautiful natural resources – that are are most often, taken for granted. They are seen as wastelands or impediments to progress; they are often filled, drained or ignored. But without wetlands Alberta would be a poor place to live.

Take a trip in rural Alberta, or along most any provincial highway and you are bound to encounter at least one of these natural wonders. Sometimes called sloughs, marshes, ponds or potholes, they team with aquatic plant and animal life and add a natural beauty to Alberta’s prairies, parkland and boreal forests.

Wetlands nourish a variety of wildlife. They filter and replenish the water Albertans depend on. Wetlands provide water for Alberta’s livestock industry and renew the groundwater supplies that help grow Alberta’s crops. In urban and rural municipalities, wetlands can boost the economic value of many residential and recreational properties.

Is there any wonder why it is so important to conserve them? Find out why stopping wetland loss is so important and learn what you can do to help.

Wetlands provide habitat for waterfowl and over 600 species of plants, animals and insects.