Alberta’s policy on wetlands destruction

Alberta’s policy on wetlands destruction aims to balance the conservation of wetlands with ongoing economic development. The policy applies to all natural wetlands (including bogs, fens, swamps, marshes, and shallow open water), as well as restored and replacement wetlands. The destruction or alteration of wetlands is addressed through a strict regulatory and mitigation framework:

Key requirements and principles include:

• : Developers and proponents must follow a three-step process:

  1. impacts to wetlands wherever possible.

  2. If avoidance is not feasible, minimize impacts.

  3. As a last resort, if impacts cannot be avoided or minimized, replace wetland area and/or value lost through a calculated replacement fee paid to the Government of Alberta or by undertaking a wetland replacement project themselves123.

• : Any activity affecting wetlands—such as draining, filling, or developing on wetlands—requires authorization under Alberta’s Water Act, and in some cases the Public Lands Act or the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act. The province owns the bed and shore of all permanent and naturally occurring wetlands, and both provincial and municipal regulations may apply1237.

• : If wetland loss is unavoidable, proponents are required to compensate for this by either restoring wetlands elsewhere (ideally in the same watershed) or paying a monetary replacement fee set by the government13. Ephemeral water bodies (temporary pools) are not subject to replacement requirements, but avoidance and minimization of impacts are still encouraged13.

• : Wetlands are evaluated based on their type, value, and abundance in the region. The policy prioritizes the protection of wetlands deemed to be of highest value36.

• : Unlike some previous recommendations and certain federal policies, Alberta’s policy does not guarantee “no net loss” of wetlands. Instead, it aims to minimize net losses through the hierarchy described above35. Environmental groups have been critical of this, noting it allows for the permanent loss of wetlands in some cases5.

:
Destruction of wetlands in Alberta is regulated, not outright prohibited. The legal and policy framework emphasizes avoidance as a first priority, minimization of unavoidable impacts as a second, and compensation for any remaining loss through replacement or fees as a last resort. All alterations generally require provincial authorization under the Water Act, with additional requirements set out in the Public Lands Act and other legislation123.

1. https://abnawmp.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/NAWMP_MunicipalWetlandGuide_2024_WEB.pdf
2. https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-wetland-policy-implementation
3. https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/5250f98b-2e1e-43e7-947f-62c14747e3b3/resource/43677a60-3503-4509-acfd-6918e8b8ec0a/download/6249018-2013-alberta-wetland-policy-2013-09.pdf
4. https://wetlandsalberta.ca/policy/
5. https://www.pembina.org/media-release/weakened-policy-risks-destroying-thousands-hectares-alberta-wetlands
6. http://www.wetlandpolicy.ca/awp
7. https://www.albertaenvirolaws.ca/water/wetlands/
8. https://wetlandsalberta.ca/wetland-loss/
9. https://static.aer.ca/prd/documents/bulletins/AlbertaWetlandPolicyFAQ.pdf