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High water levels demonstrate effectiveness of recent dike breaches, reconnecting southern interior BC rivers to their floodplains
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KAMLOOPS, British Columbia, Sept. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In spring 2026, rising waters in the Kootenay River and Columbia River put two of Ducks Unlimited Canada’s (DUC) major floodplain restoration projects to the test. The result: water flowed into newly reconnected wetlands and floodplains, demonstrating the value of restoring natural hydrological processes in a changing climate.
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In fall 2025, DUC and project collaborators completed restoration work at North Bummers Flats, near Cranbrook, and Moberly Marsh, near Golden. These multi-year projects aim to transform engineered wetlands previously managed through pumps, dikes and water control structures into natural, self-sustaining floodplains.
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During this year’s spring freshet, rising river water levels coursed into floodplain areas through dike breaches, turning dry floodplains into a lush mosaic of shallow open water, emergent marsh and shrub swamp habitats. The first phases of these two projects resulted in an impressive area of restored habitat – 155 hectares (383 acres) at North Bummers and 57 hectares (142 acres) at Moberly Marsh. Combined, this restoration area is about the size of 1,345 hockey rinks.
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“This year we were very fortunate to get the right conditions to test the project design when high temperatures, a higher-than-average snowpack and heavy rains coincided to create an event of rising and fast-flowing water” says Matthew Wilson, DUC’s Head of Conservation Programs for British Columbia and lead on both projects. “The re-activated floodplain helped to slow and spread water across the landscape, supporting flood control while also transforming the lands into vast wetlands supporting high biodiversity.”
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Ducks Unlimited Canada is working with ʔaq̓am, The Nature Trust of BC (NTBC) and the Province of British Columbia at Bummers Flats and with BC Parks at Moberly Marsh, which is within Burges James Gadsden Provincial Park.
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The two projects reflect a growing acceptance of restoration approaches that work with natural systems. By restoring floodplains and wetlands, landscapes regain their natural ability to store water, distribute nutrients, support biodiversity and adapt to increasingly variable weather conditions including flooding and drought.
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Teams will monitor the effects of the natural flooding to further understand how these sites respond to restoration efforts and to guide future projects across British Columbia.
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Media Contact: [email protected]
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Ducks Unlimited Canada
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Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is the country’s largest land conservancy and a leader in wetland conservation. A registered charity, DUC uses sound science and partners with Indigenous Peoples, government, industry, non-profit organizations and landowners to conserve wetlands that are critical to waterfowl, wildlife and the environment. To learn more about DUC’s innovative environmental solutions and services, visit www.ducks.ca.
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