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Alberta has been working with researchers at the University of New Brunswick since 2004 to develop and test the effectiveness of a depth-to-water table mapping tool. This initiative spans some 22 million hectares from the province’s foothillsto the boreal region. Spatially explicit datasets are used to predict the location of small water bodies such as intermittentsand wet, saturated soils which are currently not known to resource planners but yet are sensitive to disturbance. Datasets also identify the locations of dry, drought prone areas where limited soil moisture may limit forest productivity. Significant efforts are underway to explore this new planning approach within the forestry, parks, and energy sectors. THis is further complemented by research dealing with access management, silviculture, growth and yield, biodiversity, reclamation, recreational trail and road routing, and emergency spill management. Approximately 14 million hectares of lands have been mapped thus far. |