In the fall of 2013, the Government of Alberta announced a new Wetland Policy for the province. The goal of the Policy is to conserve, restore, protect and manage Alberta’s wetlands to sustain the benefits they provide to the environment, society and the economy. The Policy represents a significant shift in wetland management and considers not only the physical area of a wetland but also the relative value it provides. Relative wetland value is based on relative abundance on the landscape, supported biodiversity, ability to improve water quality, importance to flood mitigation, and human uses.
As part of the implementation of this policy the Government has released its implementation guide for agricultural lands which can be downloaded below.