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Ktunaxa wetland restoration project presses forward

Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi’it  First Nation is making progress on its wetland restoration project at Shottanana Lake
20241029-wetland-restoration-project
Pictured is Shottanana Lake, the site of the recent Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi’it wetland restoration project (Courtesy of Columbia Basin Trust)

Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi’it (Tobacco Plains) First Nation is making headway with a project to restore the wetland at Shottanana Lake.

The First Nation is undertaking a five year project at the lake, located on reserve land south of Grasmere, to restore a healthy functional wetland ecosystem and create more spaces where wildlife can thrive.

Wetlands provide a crucial water source for elk, deer, waterfowl, and the at-risk western painted turtle, and a breeding habitat for frogs, toads and salamanders.

”We hold a covenant with the Creator to be the caretakers and stewards of Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi’it lands,” said Nasuʔkin (chief) Heidi Gravelle. “With that we have an obligation to restore, protect and be the voices of our lands.”

“Our lands provide us with an ecosystem where our waters, plants and animals work together to provide us with the sustenance to maintain our ways of life since time immemorial,” she added.

Recent efforts have focused on deepening the basin and loosening compacted soil to restore connection between the lake's surface water and the groundwater springs that feed it.

Natural features like floating and partially submerged logs were added to help attract western painted turtles and give them a place to bask, and steps were taken to manage invasive plants like Canada thistle, bull thistle, hound’s tongue and downy brome.

Further work will continue to prevent the spread of invasive plants, with the seeding and planting of native vegetation and a temporary fence to protect it from the elk that roam the reserve while it grows.

The project is one of 31 ecosystem enhancement initiatives the Columbia Basin Trust has financially supported, to help strengthen wetlands, fish habitat, forests and grasslands in the basin. The CBT has provided $16.6 million towards such projects to date.

As of spring 2024, the project had restored 1.1 hectares of open water, 4.9 hectares of upland planting areas and 0.3 hectares of turtle nesting habitat.



About the Author: Gillian Francis

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