LUS in partnership with local organizations and Partnership Advisory Committees consisting of local farmers and technical experts, will select and prioritize projects to engage in wetland restoration within the Ontario side of the Lake Erie Basin, and the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. ALUS’ utilization of Integrated Modelling for Watershed Evaluation of agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) in the Lake Erie Basin  will extend to four additional sites. The model will help identify key locations for highest potential impact of BMPs – and the capacity to assess impacts to the ecosystem. In Quebec, a Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model will be applied to evaluate various scenarios of wetland creation and enhancement. Priority project types in Ontario, and Quebec will include:

 Wetland restoration repairing the natural function of a once-drained wetland from earthen ditch plugs to engineered structures. Restored wetlands provide wildlife habitat, water storage during times of drought, and have a sponge-effect in wetter seasons to mitigate overland-flooding.

 Riparian buffers to develop areas of seeded permanent cover between agricultural crop margins and an adjacent riparian zone. Grass buffers help to trap and filter excess sediment and nutrients, as well as slow water runoff.