Thawing permafrost is rapidly reducing the extent of boreal forests as raised peat plateaus subside, transitioning into treeless and permafrost-free low-lying collapse-scar wetlands. Sphagnum mosses dominate boreal ecosystems, and form lawns of Sphagnum riparium. Subsequent partial drainage as a result of increased hydrologic connectivity enables the development of sphagnum hummock-hollow microtopography. Hummocks act as embryonic plateaus which provide sufficiently dry surfaces for the establishment of black spruce (Picea mariana) trees, and aid in the formation of permafrost under a stable climate. The objective of this study was to analyse how the spatial distribution of hummock microtopography impacts the transfer and storage of water in wetlands in the current unstable climate. Study sites include (1) a collapse scar wetland with well-developed hummock microtopography, (2) a collapse scar wetland with early stages of hummock formation, and (3) adjacent peat plateaus. Data collection included dendrochronology samples, remote sensing, and in-situ water level, frost table, and soil moisture measurements. Initial results indicate that tree recolonization will occur without the need for permafrost to develop. Tortuous flow paths of inter-hummock areas were highest in the wetland with the well-developed hummock microtopography, which delays the rate of hydrological transfer and movement across the catchment area. Additional results indicate that there is a vertical gradient of soil moisture in hummocks, which support black spruce trees during periods of prolonged low water table conditions. These results support the hypothesis that forests will propagate and survive long-term, without the aggradation of permafrost in these areas of rapid permafrost thaw.