The Assiniboine Park Conservancy is taking measures to improve the water quality in one of the park's ponds.

The APC says it's launched a floating treatment wetland in the Riley Family Duck Pond.

Dustin Karsin, Head of Environment & Sustainability for APC, says in a news release: Floating treatment wetlands can provide water purification benefits similar to natural wetlands.

The structure is a 16.4 square metre platform with plants on it that looks like a small island. The plants' roots hang down into the water and absob nutrients and pollutants.

There are other benefits as well. The APC says the duck pond sometimes gets a build-up of algae in the summer, partly due to its shallow depth, and shade from the floating treatment wetland helps discourage algae growth. According to Richard Grosshans, bioeconomy lead for the International Institute for Sustainable Development's water program, the plants' roots also provide extensive surface area for microbes to grow, and the island provides habitat for invertebrates and small fish.