Located within the High Plains Industrial Park (HPIP) near Balzac, Alta., the Shuttleworth Conservation Park (SCP) serves as a large-scale living laboratory for applied stormwater research, developed in collaboration with Highfield Investment Group. The park includes a network of engineered water bodies, including a system of four cascading ponds that function as a natural treatment train, designed to mimic water purification processes commonly found in natural wetland ecosystems.
Since 2014, this research initiative has utilized the park’s stormwater infrastructure to study how runoff generated within the industrial park can be captured, treated and reused. Water collected within the system is stored in a series of ponds where natural and engineered processes improve water quality before it is reused for industrial purposes and explored for potential controlled environment agriculture (CEA) applications.
Through ongoing monitoring of water quality and ecosystem conditions within the constructed wetland ponds, the site provides valuable opportunities for applied research, student training and environmental innovation in an industrial setting. Researchers and students conduct weekly to monthly field visits to:
Results support the development of cost-effective stormwater treatment strategies and water reuse frameworks applicable to Alberta’s growing industrial–agricultural interface. Learnings are also informing approaches to improve water quality in agricultural dugouts, wetlands, catch basins and manure storage systems on farms and ranches.