In the 1970s, Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) enhanced Bummers Flats near Fort Steele to stabilize water levels to improve waterfowl breeding habitat. Alongside partners like ʔaq̓am, The Nature Trust of British Columbia (NTBC) and the Province of BC, the organization is now taking a further step by re-activating the natural flooding of the Kootenay River within the Bummers Flats Conservation Area Complex, managed by DUC, NTBC and the Province. Activities include removing dikes and ditches and re-establishing natural inlets and outlets to the river. The five-year project will positively impact ecosystems along the river, improving habitat for species like the Columbia spotted frog and the at-risk northern leopard frog.
“The project vision is to return Bummers Flats to a naturalized, self‐sustaining ecosystem, driven by natural flood pulses and processes,” said Matthew Wilson, Head of Conservation Programs. “Dynamic processes will create a mosaic of wetland habitats with varying characteristics, enhancing the landscapes for many native species, including plants, invertebrates, amphibians, birds and mammals.”
