Parts of the wetland area before the restoration measures. In the lower part of the image, an area of vegetation-free peat is visible, among other features.
150 hectares of wetland re-wetted in Västerbotten
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Over the past year, SCA has blocked ditches across a 150-hectare wetland area in Lycksele Municipality. In total, around 15 km of century-old ditches have been restored with funding through LONA. “We can already see positive effects of the re-wetting, with beautiful pools of water that benefit biodiversity,” says Ulf Hallin, Nature Conservation Specialist at SCA and the person responsible for the restoration.
The area is located near Toskbäcken in the western parts of Lycksele municipality. It was manually drained with shovels between 1915 and 1928, with the aim of creating more arable land for agriculture.
“Back then, there was also a belief that drainage could remove cold air,” Ulf explains. “But the result here was probably only a marginal increase in arable land and hardly any improvement in growing conditions. Instead, the ditches contributed to some afforestation of what had previously been open wetland. In addition, the peat in the more drained parts of the wetland began to break down after drainage, creating more uniform habitats.”
Dedicated work
For several years, SCA has been working in a dedicated way to restore selected wetlands that were previously drained, with the aim of re-wetting them. Wetlands are also a priority area for the Swedish government, which wants to see more restored wetlands.
“Since these ditches no longer serve any purpose and are also harmful to biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions and the water cycle in the landscape, we considered the area suitable for restoration,” says Ulf.
Raised water levels
The excavator used to fill in the ditches is equipped with wide tracks, giving it low ground pressure
Using an excavator, the ditches were filled in, partly completely and partly with peat dams to prevent a water channel from re-forming in the old ditch. By using peat from the mire, it is possible to create effective plugs that limit drainage and help keep water in the area.
“One year after our measures, it is clearly visible that the water level in the area has risen, which is great to see. It means we get a greater variety of habitats, which benefits birds, insects and certain plants,” Ulf explains, adding:
“As the area is refilled with water, carbon dioxide emissions decrease. At the same time, a re-wetted wetland can improve its function in cleaning precipitation of airborne pollutants before they reach watercourses and lakes.”
Photo: Ulf Hallin
The wetland - before and after SCA's measures
Same area as in the photo on the left, in August 2026 approximately one year after the intervention. It is clearly visible that the previously vegetation-free peat has now been rehydrated, which means there are conditions for vegetation to re-establish there. The small tarn in the northwest has been only marginally affected, as the ditch next to it could not be backfilled by the excavator.
Another part of the wetland before restoration. At the top of the image, a tarn can be seen, partially drained through the wetland, along with a main ditch and several side ditches cutting across the wetland.
August 2026, approximately one year after the restoration measures were carried out. The image shows the same area as the photo in the left. The ditch in the middle of the photo has now been filled in, and the ditch plugs have created recurring pools of water.
More information
Over 1,100 hectares of wetland restoration on SCA land
Since 2021, SCA has been dedicated to restoring selected wetlands on its land. This includes both restoration projects managed directly by SCA and those conducted in partnership with others, where SCA acts as the landowner. Thanks to these efforts, we have now surpassed over 1,100 hectares of wetland restoration.
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