Bummers Flats Wetland Restoration

Project Highlights

Restoring a Historic Floodplain

The Bummers Flats Wetland Restoration Project demonstrates how restoring natural floodplain processes can create lasting environmental benefits. Located along the Kootenay River near Fort Steele, British Columbia, the multi-phase project focuses on approximately 500 hectares of wetlands that have been altered over several decades through the construction of dikes, pumps, drainage channels, and water control structures. These modifications disrupted natural connections and water movement between the river and the floodplain, reduced habitat quality, and increased reliance on ongoing management and maintenance. The project aims to restore seasonal floodplain connectivity with the Kootenay River, re-establish more natural hydrologic processes, and increase the productivity of waterfowl, terrestrial wildlife, and native vegetation by creating a diverse mosaic of wetland habitats.

Understanding the River & Wetland System

Working with Ducks Unlimited Canada and project partners, KWL completed hydrologic and hydraulic assessments to better understand how water moves through the floodplain and how the wetland system could be restored. The team conducted field investigations, flood frequency analyses, climate change assessments, and developed a two-dimensional HEC-RAS hydraulic model of the Kootenay River and surrounding floodplain to evaluate flood behaviour, seasonal inundation patterns, and restoration opportunities. The modelling informed the restoration strategy by evaluating how reconnecting the floodplain could restore wetland function while protecting nearby infrastructure, including Highway 93 and the Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway.

From Modelling to Restoration

Using these assessments, KWL has supported the implementation of the initial phase of restoration by reconnecting portions of the floodplain to the river through the strategic breaching and removal of dikes and berms, plugging drainage ditches, and creating new wetland areas to improve water retention. During a recent freshet event of approximately a 5-year return period, the completed restoration area performed as intended, allowing river flows to naturally inundate the wetlands and validating both the restoration approach and the hydraulic modelling used to guide the design.

The project is now progressing through subsequent phases. KWL is continuing to refine hydraulic modelling, complete detailed design, and support planning for additional restoration areas that will further improve hydraulic connectivity and restore natural floodplain processes across the broader site. The phased implementation approach allows lessons learned from completed works and observed flood events to inform future designs through adaptive management, resulting in increasingly effective restoration outcomes.

An additional benefit identified through the modelling is the potential for restored floodplain areas to reduce flood levels along portions of the Kootenay River, demonstrating how nature-based solutions can simultaneously enhance ecosystem function and improve flood resilience.

Lasting Benefits for Wildlife and Communities

As each phase is completed, the restored wetlands will continue to provide improved habitat for waterfowl, fish, amphibians, and other wildlife while enhancing biodiversity and ecological resilience. Healthy wetlands also store floodwaters, improve water quality through natural sediment filtration, and support the long-term health of the Kootenay River ecosystem. Through advanced hydraulic modelling, adaptive restoration planning, and ongoing implementation support, KWL is helping transform a highly altered landscape into a more resilient and self-sustaining floodplain system that will provide lasting benefits for both the environment and surrounding communities.

Project Partners

Ducks Unlimited Canada
Nature Trust BC
ʔaq̓am Community
Province of British Columbia

Subconsultant

Tannas Conservation Services Ltd. (Wetland Assessments)