Course Overview
This course covers the fundamentals of wetland and estuary form, function, classification and restoration in Canada. The wetland section of the course covers wetland classification, examines mechanisms of wetland loss and the importance of wetlands in storing carbon, and the physical, chemical and biological mechanisms by which constructed wetlands remove pollutants from urban storm water. The steps for building groundwater wetlands, surface water wetlands, wetlands with liners and floating surface wetlands will be examined, in addition to the steps for building and maintaining constructed wetlands. The estuary section of the course covers estuary classification, reviews the ecological importance of estuaries and reviews the physical, chemical and biological nature of estuaries. Procedures for restoring estuaries is covered, including dealing with invasive species (plant and animal) and legacy contaminants. The course will focus on re-establishing the carbon flux and storage in the estuaries through re-planting of sub tidal eelgrass, emergent sedges and strategic placement of large woody debris. Students will participate in a field trip to design a wetland for construction the following year, construct a wetland, or monitor the performance of a recently constructed wetland.
Prerequisite(s)
- Acceptance into the Ecological Restoration degree program or by departmental approval.
Credits
4.0
Registration requirements
Departmental approval is required to register for this course. You must have approval from the department to register. Students accepted into a program can register directly.
Domestic fees
$1,096.16
International fees are typically 3.4 times the domestic tuition. Exact cost will be calculated upon completion of registration.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Categorize the wetland regions in Canada, and Ramsar sites.
- Categorize wetlands according to Canadian classification of wetland system, recognize wetland loss, and outline the rationale behind wetland restoration.
- Examine the history of wetland drainage, evaluate soil taxonomy and texture, assess water chemistry and pollutant removal mechanisms.
- Conceptualize carbon storage and wetlands, and the process of carbon sequestration mechanisms and emerging markets.
- Contrast the three main types of wetlands: restored, created and constructed, outline how to find places to build wetlands, and how to build a surface water wetland.
- Design groundwater wetlands, wetlands with liners, and floating wetlands.
- Detail how to build a constructed wetland, and develop the mechanisms for pollutant removal.
- Classify the types of estuaries on the Pacific Coast of North America.
- Assess the ecological importance of estuaries, and review causes of estuary losses.
- Assess estuarine chemistry, physics, stratification and circulation.
- Evaluate estuarine biota; assess carbon storage, eelgrass and sedge ecology; and propose invasive-species management actions.
- Assess the problems with restoring urban estuaries – heavy metals, oils, contaminated soils, urban drainage issues.
- Design basics estuary restoration techniques – physical and large wood.
- Design basic estuary restoration techniques – biological, aquatic, and terrestrial.
Effective as of Winter 2013
Related Programs
Wetland and Estuary Restoration (RENR 8106) is offered as a part of the following programs:
- Indicates programs accepting international students.
- Indicates programs eligible for students to apply for Post-graduation Work Permit (PGWP).
School of Construction and the Environment
- Ecological Restoration
Bachelor of Science Full-time/Part-time
Course Offerings
Fall 2026
Below is one offering of RENR 8106 for the Fall 2026 term.
CRN 40005
Dates
Sep 09 - Dec 09 Loading
- CRN 40005
- $1096.16 Domestic fees
Class meeting times
| Dates | Days | Times | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 09 - Dec 09 | Wed | 13:30 - 17:30 | Burnaby |
Duration
15 weeks
Instructor
TBD
Course outline
Course outline TBD — see Learning Outcomes in the interim.
Important information
- This course is reserved for Ecological Restoration program. Please contact Anita Lai at anita_lai@bcit.ca or 604-432-8465 to request permission for registration.
Confirmation
Required
To proceed with registration and add this course to the cart, please confirm:
No approval yet? Request approval You must have approval from the department to register. Students accepted into a program can register directly.
Status
If you have any questions about this course, please contact us.
Programs and courses are subject to change without notice. Find out more about BCIT course cancellations.