Columbia Wetlands

The Columbia Wetlands from highway 95

The Columbia Wetlands is a 15,070 hectare wetland in the Columbia Valley region of southeastern British Columbia, Canada. It was designated a wetland of international importance on World Environment Day, June 5, 2005, and is the thirty-seventh such site in Canada.^[1] The wetland satisfies all the inclusion criteria of the Ramsar Convention. It is maintained by the Columbia Wetlands Wildlife Management Area (CWWMA, designated in 1996) and administered by the Canadian Wildlife Service. It is also part of the Living Lakes Network.

It is "one of the longest intact wetlands in North America",^[2] is the headwaters for the Columbia River system, and "comprises a regionally unparalleled diversity".^[1]

Fauna and flora

Columbia Wetlands from the air

The extensive wetland provides habitat for several endangered species, including the bull trout, peregrine falcon and American badger.^[1]

See also

• Columbia Icefield
• Columbia Lake

External links

• Columbia Wetlands Project

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Canada names new Ramsar site in British Columbia". Ramsar Convention Secretariat. 2005-06-05. http://www.ramsar.org/wn/w.n.canada_columbia.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-30. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ "Columbia Wetlands: Backgrounder". Wildsight. 2007. http://www.wildsight.ca/programs/columbiawetlands/backgrounder. Retrieved 2008-05-30. 

Coordinates: 50°57′N 116°27′W / 50.95°N 116.45°W / 50.95; -116.45