Inquiry on recent and upcoming policy changes impacting temporary and seasonal wetlands

December 16, 2025

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• Wetlands
• Wildwater

On December 16, 2025, AWA sent a letter to Minister Schulz inquiring about recent and upcoming policy changes by EPA that will impact seasonal and temporary wetlands.

AWA was made aware of an interim discretionary exemption that permitted private landowners to drain and remove seasonal and temporary wetlands without need for review or approval by Environment and Protected Areas (EPA). We now have been told to expect new policy reforms that will allow temporary and seasonal wetlands on private farmland to be cultivated, directly seeded, and sprayed without requiring a Water Act approval as long as they hold water for less than 17 weeks per year.

Such changes risk the further loss of wetlands in the province and will be concentrated in areas where loss has already been substantial. It is particularly concerning that changes are being made without public engagement or announcement; notably, this exemption is absent from the Alberta Wetland Policy Implementation website, which currently states,

“Anyone planning an activity within a wetland must submit an application and adhere to regulations”.

AWA requested the Minister answer the following questions:

1. When was the interim discretionary exemption first implemented?
2. What are the specifics of the exemption?
3. What initiated the EPA to adopt the interim discretionary exemption?
4. Why was 17 weeks chosen as the threshold for identifying wetlands that could be damaged without a Water Act approval?
5. The very nature of these classes of wetlands means the duration in which they contain water fluctuates from year-to-year. For example, the same wetland may hold water for greater than 17 weeks in a wet year, but less in dry or drought conditions. How will the EPA factor this variability when implementing the new policy reforms?
6. When does the EPA plan to notify the public and undertake proper consultation on these changes to which wetlands are considered under the Wetland Policy?
7. How does the EPA determine that potential impacts of removing a wetland will remain within the boundaries of the private land?
8. How many temporary and seasonal wetlands are at risk of being lost due to these changes?
9. How will EPA keep record of further losses of wetlands under these changes?
10. How will EPA ensure other classes of wetlands on private land are not accidentally impacted by these changes?
11. How are these changes consistent with the intent of the Alberta Wetland Policy, Alberta’s Water for Life Strategy, the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan, or the government’s current efforts to increase water availability in the province?

The letter can be read in full here.