Municipal Wetlands Data / Survey Results Wetlands Datasets and Municipal Issues / Needs GUY GREENAWAY, Senior Project Manager MIISTAKIS MONDAY WEBINARS April 6, 2020 Innovative Research. Engaged Communities. Healthy Landscapes. The Miistakis Institute The Miistakis Institute is a not-for- profit, charitable, applied research institute affiliated with Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta, Canada Our goal – a world where communities have genuine access to the science and research they need to make choices that promote healthy landscapes Our work – make innovative research accessible to communities and decision makers Outline • Regional Wetlands Data Strategy project • Wetlands datasets in use in Alberta • Municipal wetlands data issues and needs • Acknowledgements: • Ken Sanderson – Data Catalogue • Holly Kinas – Municipal Survey Regional Wetlands Data Strategy Regional Wetlands Data Strategy Why this project? • Recognition of importance of wetlands, the continuing loss of wetlands, efforts to restore wetlands, and the impact that municipal decision-making has on wetlands • Municipalities in southern Alberta do not have access to wetlands data that serves their planning and decision-making needs • Not the case that wetlands data do not exist for the Bow River basin • When a municipality comes to use wetlands data, the mix of standards and accuracy, and lack of awareness of what is available, lead to a low level of usability and trust Regional Wetlands Data Strategy What is this project? • Miistakis launched a project to help municipalities address this issue by – Surveying and interviewing to determine municipal wetlands data needs (DONE) – Cataloguing the available wetlands data sets / information sources (DONE) – Convening a municipal wetlands data needs workshop (DONE) – Developing a recommended wetlands data strategy for southern Alberta municipalities (CURRENT) Wetlands Data Sets in Use in Alberta Available Wetlands Datasets ‘GREEN AREA’ VS ‘WHITE AREA’ Green Area Green Area (58%); includes most of northern Alberta as well as the mountain and foothills areas along the province’s western boundary. White Area White Area (42%); populated central, southern and Peace River areas of the province. 75% privately- owned. Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, 2015 Available Wetlands Datasets ABMI WETLAND INVENTORY Coverage Classes • Green Area, west side of Bow River • Open Water, Fen, Bog, Marsh, Watershed Swamp, General Wetland Last Update • June 2019 Notes • ‘Wetland General’ is wetlands that are not fen, bog, marsh or swamp and is specific to rocky mountains. • Can combine with AMWI for better overall coverage (AMWI is White Area only) Available Wetlands Datasets ALBERTA WETLAND RELATIVE VALUE EVALUATION TOOL Coverage Classes • White Area • Relative wetland value categories (A, B, C, D) Last Update • June 2015 Notes • Report details ‘factors’ that went into evaluation • Data summarized by section (ha of each class per section • Source data linked to individual wetlands within AMWI (GoA will not release this information) Available Wetlands Datasets ALBERTA MERGED WETLAND INVENTORY Coverage Classes • White Area • Open Water, Fen, Marsh, Swamp, Last Update • March 2017 Notes • Last ‘updated’ in March, 2017 but source data could be older • Component datasets vary in detail and accuracy • Dataset being considered for revamp to allow for more detail and sub classes Available Wetlands Datasets CANADIAN WETLAND INVENTORY (DUC) Coverage Classes • Partial coverage of Bow River Basin • Bog, Fen, Marsh, Swamp, Shallow/Open Water Last Update • 2006-2017 Notes • Includes extra information, including if it is ‘impacted’ Available Wetlands Datasets CITY OF CALGARY / ROCKY VIEW COUNTY WETLANDS Coverage Classes • City of Calgary, Rocky View County, • Dugout, Headland, Marsh, Marsh west third of Wheatland County, Worked, Open Water northern tip of Foothills County Last Update • Based on 2005 data Current Notes • Current Inventory derived from photography flown in 2005 • Classes: Emergent Vegetation, Open Water, Cropped Basin • Used as current reference point for Impact Wetland Inventory Available Wetlands Datasets YYC / RVC HISTORIC WETLAND INVENTORY Coverage Classes • City of Calgary, Rocky View County, • Dugout, Headland, Marsh, Marsh west third of Wheatland County, Worked, Open Water northern tip of Foothills County Last Update • Based on 1962 and 1967 data Current Notes • Derived from 1962 and 1967 + Historic photography • Classes: Emergent Vegetation, Open Water, Cropped Basin • Used as historic reference point for Impact Wetland Inventory Available Wetlands Datasets YYC / RVC IMPACT (DRAINED) WETLAND INVENTORY Coverage Classes • City of Calgary, Rocky View County, • Altered, Drained/Altered, west third of Wheatland County, Drained/Consolidated, northern tip of Foothills County Drained/Lost, Intact Notes • Characterizes abundance, Current distribution, and state of wetland (geoprocessing model) + Historic • Model compares historic and current wetland features and = Impact assigns impact category based on (drained) changes to wetland extent and presence/absence of drainage infrastructure Available Wetlands Datasets OTHER DATASETS / INITIATIVES Wheatland County – Wetland County Inventory completed in 2016 Ducks Unlimited Canada – DUC has various datasets including Engineered Wetlands Western Canada Wetland Inventory (2009) Rocky View County/Town of Cochrane – Wetland Inventory for Cochrane and some of Rocky View completed in 2011 Town of Cochrane - Wetland Inventory for one neighbourhood in Cochrane completed in 2009 City of Calgary - Wetland Inventory created by Fiera (updated 2015) Municipal Wetlands Data Issues and Needs Wetlands Data Needs / Issues PRE-WORKSHOP SURVEY Current Situation Awareness of, and current use of, existing wetlands data Challenges and Needs Biggest challenges with, and primary needs for, existing wetlands data Methods Informal survey sent to all municipalities in the Bow River Basin (Oct – Dec 2019) Fifteen (15) respondents Wetlands Data Needs / Issues PRE-WORKSHOP SURVEY Municipalities Replying City of Airdrie Town of Cochrane City of Calgary Town of High river County of Newell Town of Okotoks Mountain View County Wheatland County Oldman River Regional Services Commission Town of Black Diamond Town of Canmore Wetlands Data Needs / Issues WHO ANSWERED I represent a ... 40% 35.71% 35.71% 35% Other (please specify) Planning Commission 30% 25% 21.43% 20% 15% 10% 7.14% 5% 0% Town County / MD City Other (please specify) Wetlands Data Needs / Issues WHO ANSWERED I am a ... 60% 50.00% 50% 40% 28.57% 30% 20% 14.29% 10% 7.14% 0.00% 0.00% 0% CAO Other (please specify) Councillor/mayor/reeveOther (please specify) GIS staff member/manager first three bullets Planning staff member/managerConservation/parks/environment… Planning, Parks, Sustainability Wetlands Data Needs / Issues WETLANDS DATA USE I have heard of / used ... I have heard of or used ... 54.55% Alberta Merged Wetland Inventory 45.45% 50.00% Drained Wetland Inventory 50.00% Have heard of AND used 30.00% Have heard of ABMI Wetland Inventory 70.00% 28.57% Ducks Unlimited Wetlands Data 71.43% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Wetlands Data Needs / Issues WETLANDS DATA USE In our municipality, we USE wetlands data ... 100% 93.33% 90% 80% 70% 60.00% 60% 50% 46.67% 40.00% 40% 30% 20.00% 20% 13.33% 10% 0% As part of our As part of our As part of our Other (please To identify As part of an development review environment or stormwater specify) opportunities for offsetting or in-lieu process conservation management wetland restoration payment program planning strategy Wetlands Data Needs / Issues WETLANDS DATA USE We GET wetlands data from … 80% 73.33% 70% 60.00% 60% 53.33% 50% 40% 33.33% 30% 26.67% 20.00% 20.00% 20% 10% 0% The provincial The development Environmental Reconnaissance / NGOs An inventory we Other (please government proponent (or consultant ground-truthing developed specify) their consultant) (directly) ourselves Wetlands Data Needs / Issues WETLANDS DATA USE We update our wetlands data … 80% 73.33% 70% 60% 50% 46.67% 40% 30% 20.00% 20.00% 20.00% 20% 10% 6.67% 0.00% 0% We have no Whenever the When When NGOs Other (please When funding When we update mechanism for Government of development provide it to us specify) allows relevant policies updating our dataAlberta updates it proponents provide it to us Wetlands Data Needs / Issues WETLANDS DATA USE We currently have the following wetland resources: 90% 85.71% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 35.71% 28.57% 30% 21.43% 20% 14.29% 14.29% 10% 7.14% 0% An MDP that Wetlands that we A wetland policy Restored Constructed A municipal Other (please references the have protected by wetlands wetlands wetlands specify) importance of some mechanism inventory wetlands Wetlands Data Needs / Issues ISSUES Our biggest CHALLENGES with wetlands data are … It is too expensive to gather / update 3.08 It is outdated 2.83 The data fields do not serve our purposes 2.45 We have limited capacity (computer, personnel, 2.38 knowledge) We are unclear what data is available 2.33 Weighted Average The classification system does not work for our needs 2.2 Its resolution is too coarse for our purposes 2.08 It does not cover our area 1.55 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 "Not an issue" ----------> "Always an issue" Wetlands Data Needs / Issues ISSUES Additions at the workshop • Roles and responsibilities of • Can map wetlands you think municipalities – the ‘vision’ of are crown and environmental municipalities: what and why? reserve • Developers tool for