Three months after approving $4,600 funding for the project, Mountain View County (MVC) has installed floating islands on Hiller's Dam reservoir northeast of Didsbury.
Hiller's Dam is a public day use area owned and maintained by Mountain View County. The 54-acre area includes a 23-acre water reservoir.
Due to the reservoir's shallowness, the water body is prone to algae blooms, which can cause high fish mortality due to a lack of oxygen.
“The floating islands are being installed to improve the fish habitat, create more riparian habitat, increase biodiversity and improve the water quality of the dam,” said Jane Fulton, MVC manager of agricultural services.
The islands are planted with a mixture of native grasses and wetland plants such as sedges, rushes and cattails, she said, noting the plants will absorb sediments and take up nutrients like phosphates, nitrates, ammonia, heavy metals and other pollutants in the dam with their exposed roots, she said.
On March 23 councillors approved $4,600 for the project. A $24,000 grant from the Alberta Conservation Association through the association's community and education grant program is also being used for the undertaking.
County staff members installed the floating islands last week.
