Study region: A moderate rich fen near Slave Lake, Alberta, Canada. Study focus: Peatlands in western Canada are subjected to extensive disturbance, including the construction of well pads within them by the oil industry. The introduction of peatland mosses onto the residual mineral fill left after partial removal of decommissioned pads has been proposed as a novel technique to restore these sites. We assessed whether hydrological connectivity between a peatland and a residual pad was sufficient to sustain hydrological conditions requisite for peatland moss establishment. Specifically, the hydrophysical properties of the mineral fill and adjacent peatland were characterized, and were related to subsurface hydrological dynamics within and surrounding the residual pad. New hydrological insights for the region: Flow through the peatland was disrupted by the low saturated hydraulic conductivity of the fill (1.15 x 10-5 m s-1) and underlying compacted peat (4.91 x 10-6 m s-1), resulting in preferential flow through the peatland around the pad. On the residual pad, hydrological connectivity with the peatland resulted in a well-regulated, near-surface water table across just under half of its surface area. However, limitations on subsurface flow through the pad resulted in a variable water table in interior areas which may pose a limitation on peatland moss establishment. There is therefore a need to further refine the partial removal technique and its application at the site level.
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