Pine Grove Wetland Enhancement Project

To build a station under Stage 2 of its light trail transit project, the City of Ottawa had to remove wetlands.

To compensate for this loss, the NCC is restoring seven hectares of wetland in the Pine Grove sector.

Before the construction, this wetland area was a mosaic of marsh and thicket swamp. It also had a high presence of invasive species, including buckthorn and reed canary grass.

The Pine Grove Wetland Enhancement Project will create the same type of wetland as the one that was removed.

The project will do the following:

• improve water quality
• provide flood storage
• offer quality habitat and opportunities for wildlife, including species at risk, reptiles and amphibians
• increase the diversity of native plant, tree and shrub species
• remove invasive species, like reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea), purple loosestrife (Lyrithum salicaria) and glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula)

The project is scheduled to begin in fall 2022, and should be completed in spring 2023.

We will monitor the site for five years after the work to ensure that the restoration is on track.

Located in the south end of Ottawa, Pine Grove is the largest forest in the Greenbelt. It features a mixture of tree plantations and natural forests, and boasts a network of natural trails.

Pine Grove is also an important plant and wildlife habitat. It hosts hundreds of species of plants and animals, including many species at risk, such as the snapping turtle (special concern), midland painted turtle (special concern) and wood thrush (threatened).

This project is possible thanks to our partners: the City of Ottawa, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Transport Canada, the Ottawa International Airport Authority, Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, and South Nation Conservation Authority.