Sandhill Fen Technical Advisory Committee

Reclamation research is integral to Syncrude fulfilling its commitment to return land disturbed by mining to a productive, biologically self-sustaining ecosystem. In 2008, Syncrude launched the Sandhill Fen Watershed Research Project to learn how to design and incorporate peat-forming wetlands into operational scale reclamation. The Sandhill Fen is the largest reclaimed wetland in the oil sands and the first ever landform constructed on a foundation of oil sands tailings. The project brought together experts from eight universities to achieve results that are holistic and applicable in the entire context of landscape development and function. After three growing seasons, the Sandhill Fen Watershed is thriving, attracting wildlife and providing valuable information for the future.