Methane Emissions from a Constructed Wetland: The Sandhill Fen 10 years post construction as an oil sand reclamation project
Obeda, K.. 2026.
Abstract
The Sandhill Fen Watershed is a large-scale wetland reclamation project in
Canada%u2019s oil sands. Methane emissions were low during the first three years after
construction (2013-2015). It was hypothesized that unfavourable redox conditions for
methanogenesis due to alternative electron acceptors like sulfur may decrease with time.
In 2022, methane emissions were measured at 20 plots along with ion adsorption rates in
the soil. Sulfur adsorption rates were significantly lower, and methane emissions were
significantly greater in 2022 than in 2015. However, methane emissions remained low
with median emissions of 0.06 mg C-CH4 m-2
h-1
, which was significantly affected by the
presence of vegetation. One plot displayed persistently elevated emissions exceeding 1.9
CH4 mg-2h-1
, but was not representative of the whole site. Ebullition was also more
frequent in 2022, but overall, the Sandhill Fen Watershed does not yet show conditions
favourable for elevated methane emissions.
