Saskatchewan Institute of Pedology Publication SP3
THE PHYSIOGRAPHIC DIVISIONS
OF THE
NORTHERN PROVINCIAL FOREST
IN
SASKATCHEWAN
by
J .G . Ellis and J .S . Clayton The Physiographic Divisions
of the
Northern Provincial Forest
in
Saskatchewan
by
J .G . Ellis and J .S . Clayton
(Rough Draft)
Saskatchewan Institute of Pedology 1970 Acknowledgements
Throughout the lengthy duration of this project finances were supplied by the following : The Research Branch, Canada Department of Agriculture The Saskatchewan Department of Agriculture The University of Saskatchewan
Assistance provided by the following Departments and individuals is also ackncwledged : The Directors and personnel of the Forest Branch of the Provincial Department of Natural Resources without whose assistance this survey would never had been completed . They provided camping equipment, transportation by water and air, forest cover maps and much knowledge about various areas in the Northern Provincial Forest . The Cartographic Section, Soil Research Institute, Ottawa for publishing the map . The Agrometeorology Section, Plant Research Institute, Ottawa, for the climatic data which appears herein . Miss . G . Hellstrom for her valuable assistance in the pre- paration of this report . To our colleague Mr . H .C . Moss for proof reading this report. . And finally, to all present and former members of the "Saskatchewan Soil Survey" and the student assistants who gathered information relative to this report .
CONTENTS
Page
Preface ...... 1
Introduction ...... 3
The Provincial Forest ...... 6
Commercial Forest Portion of the Provincial Forest Area ...... 8
Physiographic Divisions of the Northern Provincial Forest ...... 8
A Churchill River Plains Region ...... 10
C Manitoba Lowlands Region ...... 13
Cl Westlake Lowland ...... 15 C1 .1 Lower Red Deer Plain ...... 16 C1 .2 Overflowing River Plain ...... 18 C1 .3 Armit River Plain ...... 19
C2 Cumberland Lake Lowland ...... 21 C2 .1 Saskatchewan Delta ...... 21
C3 Suggi Lake Lowland ...... 27 C3 .1 Namew Lake Plain ...... 27 C3 .2 Deschambault Lake Plain ...... 29
D Manitoba-Saskatchewan Lowlands ...... 30
Dl Swan River Lowland ...... 30 D1 .1 Upper Swan River Plain ...... 31
D2 Carrot River Lowland ...... 33 D2 .1 Torch River Plain ...... 36 D2 .2 Smeaton Plain ...... 37 D2 .3 Grassy Lake Plain ...... 38 D2 .4 Garrick Plain ...... 39 D2 .5 Mossy River Plain ...... 40 D2 .6 Weirdal.e Plain ...... , ...... 41 D2 .7 Petaigan Plain ...... ; ...... g ...... 42 D2 .8 Red Earth Plain ...... 43 D2 .9 Melfort Plain ...... 45 D2 .10 White Fox Plain ...... 45 D2 .11 La Corne Plain ...... 47 D2 .12 Nipawin Plain ...... 48 D2 .13 Carrot River Plain ...... ...... 48 D2 .14 Saskatchewan Valley ...... 50 D2 .15 Upper Red Deer Plain ...... 51 D2 .16 Pasqula Beaches (Agassiz Beaches) ...... 53 D2 .17 Delta Beaches ...... 55
Page
D3 Lac La Ronge Lowland ...... 56 D3 .1 Smoothstone River Plain ...... 59 D3 .2 Montreal River Plain ...... 60 D3 .3 Bow River Plain ...... 60 D3 .4 Wapawekka Plain ...... 61 D3 .5 Egg lake Plain ...... 62
D4 Lac Ile-a-la-Crosse Lowland ...... 63 D4 .1 Methy River Plain ...... 66 D4 . 2 Buffalo River Plain ...... 68 D4 . 3 Kazan Lake Plain ...... 69 D4 . 4 Ile-a-la-Crosse Plain ...... , ...... 70 D4. 5 Lower Beaver Valley ...... 71
E Saskatchewan Plains Region ...... 72
E3 Saskatchewan Rivers Plain ...... 72 E3 .1 Paddcckwood Plain ...... 74 E3 .2 Spruze River Plain ...... 75 E3 .3 Nisbet Plain ...... 76 E3 .4 Prince Albert Plain ...... 77 E3 .5 Shell River Plain ...... 78 E3 .6 Debden Plain ...... 80 E3 .7 Shellbrook Plain ...... 81
E5 White Gull Creek Plain ...... 83
E6 Montreal Lake Plain ...... 84 E6 .1 Bittern Lake Plain ...... 85 E6 .2a Montreal Lake Plain - West Portion ...... 86 E6 .2b Montreal Lake Plain - East Portion ...... 87
E7 Beaver River Plain ...... 88 E7 .1 Pierceland Plain ...... 90 E7 .2 Goodsoil Plain ...... 91 E7 .3 Makwa Plain ...... 93 E7 .4 Upper Beaver Plain ...... 94 E7 .5 Upper Waterhen Plain ...... 96 E7 .6 Keeley Lake Plain ...... 97 E7 .7 Dorintosh Plain ...... 99 E7 .8 Meadow Lake Plain ...... , ...... 100 E7 .9 St . Cyr Plain ...... 101 E7 .10 Lower Waterhen Plain ...... 103 E7 .11 Beaver Plain ...... - - . . .- ...... 104 E7 .12 Witchekan Lake Plain ...... 105 E7 .13 Chitek Lake Plain ...... -- ...... 107 E7 .14 Big River Plain ...... o . ...... 108 E7 .15 Delaronde Plain ...... 109 E7 .16 Sled Lake Plain ...... ...... 109 E7 .17 Green Lake Plain ...... 110 E7 .18 Dore Lake Plain ...... - ...... 110 E7 .19 La Plonge Plain ...... 111
Page
E8 Methy Portage Plain ...... 111 E8 .1 Garson River Plain ...... 112 E8 .2 Clearwater-Churchill Plain ...... 112
E10 Porcupine Hills Upland ...... 113 E10 .1 Porcupine Mountain ...... 114 E10 .2 Porcupine Escarpment ...... 115 E10 .3 Piwei Hills ...... 115 E10 .4 Nut Mountain ...... 116 E10 .5 Greenwater Hills ...... 116
Ell Pasquia Hills Upland ...... 117 Ell .! Pasquia Plateau ...... 118 Ell .2 Pasquia Escarpment ...... 119
E12 Wapawekka Hills Upland ...... 119 E12 .1 Wapawekka Plateau ...... 120 E12 .2 Cub hills ...... 121 E12 .3 Bear and Cub Escarpment ...... 121 E12 .4 Whiteswan Upland ...... 121 E12 .5 Narrow Hills ...... 122 E12 .6 Nipekamew Valley ...... 122
E17 Waskesiu Hills Upland ...... 122 E17 .1 Emma Lake Upland ...... 124 E17 .2 WaSKesiu Hills ...... 124 E17 .3 Thunder Hills ...... 125 E17 .4 Dore Hills ...... 125
F Alberta High Plains ...... 126
F6 Thickwood Hills Upland ...... ...... 127 F6 .1 Thickwood Hills ...... 129 F6 .2 Leovilie Hills ...... 129 F6 .3 Bronson-Meadow Lake Hills ...... 129 F6 .4 Beaver Uplands ...... 130 F6 .5 Cold Lake Hills ...... 130
F7 Mostoos Hills Upland ...... 131 F7 .1 Mostoos Upland ...... 132 F7 .2 Mostoos Escarpment ...... 133 F7 .3 Primrose Lake Plain ...... 133 F7 .4 Dillon River Upland ...... 134 F7 .5 Grizzly Bear Hills ...... _ ...... 134
F8 Fire Bag Hills Upland ...... ...... 134
Page
G Athabasca River Lowlands ...... 136
G1 Clearwater River Plains ...... 136 G1 .1 Clearwater River Valley ...... 137 G1 .2 Christina River Plain ...... 138
Reflections on Agricultural Pursuits in the Northern Provincial Forest Area ...... 139
Appendix I Sources of Information ...... 150
Appendix 11 Soil Classification ...... 153 ILLUSTRATIONS
1 Showing the Relative Extent of the Pre-Cambrian Shield, the Provincial or Commercial Forests and the Agricultural and Urban Area ...... 5
2 Showing Ccmmercial Forest Area in Saskatchewan ...... 9 LIST OF TABLES
1 Showing the Relative Extent of the Three Major Use Areas of Saskatchewan (in acres) 6
2 Showing the Disposition and General Capability of Lands within the Provincial Forest (in acres) ...... 7 Preface
One of the prime objectives of the Saskatchewan Institute of Pedology
(known as the Saskatchewan Soil Survey until 1965) is to compile an inventory of the soils of the province and evaluate the utilization of this valuable resource with which Saskatchewan is so richly endowed .
Soil survey work commenced in the province in 1921 and the first soil survey report was published in 1923 . An inventory of the soils in the agriculturally settled area of the province was completed with the publication of the thirteenth soil survey report in 1950 . Thus a reconnaissance type of soil survey was completed from the southern boundary of the Northern
Provincial Forest to the International border .
Throughout the years, and particularly from the early 1940's to the mid 1950's, traverses were made throughout those portions of the Northern
Provincial Forest which were accessible . These numerous forays culminated in
the production of a map entitled "Schematic Physiographic and Soil Map of the
Northern Provincial Forest, Saskatchewan" . The map was published in 1960 and accompanies this report . The original purpose was to submit to the public a report and map entitled Soil Survey Report No . 14 . Due to the initiation of a soil survey program, which consisted of a revision of Soils Report No . 12, the preparation of Report No . 14 was curtailed . This factor accompanied by the demands of A.R.D.A. to prepare land capability maps of the Province has resulted in the decision of the Institute to prepare the following manuscript to accompany the schematic map of the Provincial Forests . The Institute, under the sponsorship of A .R .D .A ., is at present preparing land capability maps of the Provincial Forest of Saskatchewan . The results of this program will contain more factual soils information than is contained in this manuscript, because of the limited traverses which were made to prepare the accompanying schematic map .
The Institute will be preparing a series of reports and maps of the
Provincial Forest areas as they occur on the various map sheets indexed by the National Topographic System . Thus more factual and detailed soils information in the forested area is forthcoming . Therefore, the present manuscript is basically an interim report to assist in the preparation of more knowledgeable reports concerning the Northern Provincial Forests of
Saskatchewan . Introduction
Saskatchewan is slightly less than four hundred miles wide at its base on the 49th parallel (International Boundary between Canada and U .S .A . in Saskatchewan) and tapers to a width of about three hundred miles at the
60th parallel 750 miles to the north . The total area is some 161 million acres of which about 8% is water surface .
Saskatchewan has developed through a series of events which has
created, from south to north, three major activities, namely, agriculture,
forestry and mining . The limit of the agricultural area to the north is
controlled by a Provincial Act passed in 1950 which defines the southern
boundary of the Provincial Forest . There have been some adjustments between
these two areas from time to time but the important point is that these
ajustments have been preceded by a careful appraisal of the best use for
the areas concerned . This has prevented any haphazard developments such as
occurred in some areas during the earlier years of development, However,
since there are some 27,000,000 acres of forest land between the margin of
the agricultural area and the Pre-Cambrian Shield various groups of the
public, and Governmental agencies invariably inquire, from time to time,
(depending on the expected advantages to be gained) whether or not a
portion of this forest area may be suitable for agriculture .
From information gathered to date and recorded in this manuscript it
seems unlikely that cultivation will extend much further into the forest
area . The main reason for such a statement is the poor quality of the
soils in the area . A second reason is that there is a good prospect of
utilizing the natural crop (trees) so that the area may be made more productive
for the development and maintenance of present and future forest industries, 4
Notwithstanding there is some land which could be cultivated but this would occur in relatively small blocks which are not very economic to develop and
which would likely lead to greater fire and erosional hazards within the
forest area . If more agricultural land is requ:.red in the Province some
thought should be given to the development of the so-called Saskatchewan
River Delta, or evaluating the additional acreage which may be cultivated
on presently occupied lands particularly in the park belt of Saskatchewan .
It is of significance to note that specialists assessing the productivity
of land presently utilized for agricultural production suggest that yields
could be increased some 327. by the judicious use of fertilizer alone . Even
without the use of correct fertilizers significant increase could be secured
if proper moisture conservation, disease control, weed control and farm
management practices were applied .
As mentioned previously Saskatchewan consists of three regions of
human activity and enterprise which correspond to the three major areas of
land use namely the Pre-Cambrian Shield, the Provincial Forest and the
Agricultural and Urban Area . These areas, in general, are mutually exclusive,
but there are some small developments of settlements along the waterways
within the Provincial Forest and on the Pre-Cambrian Shield . The relative
location of these three major areas is illustrated in Figure 1 and their
relative extent is indicated by the data in Table 1 which indicate that the
Pre-Cambrian Shield, the Provincial Forest and the Agricultural and Urban
Areas constitute 39 .2, 16 .7 and 44 .1 per cent respectively of the total
area of the province .
LEGEND 1. Brown Soils of t he open prairie, the most arid section of the province. Wide vari- ations in crop yields and frequent sever droughts. 2. Dark Brown Soils of the prairie, less arid than the Brown Soils. Variable crop yields but less frequent severe droughts. 3. Black Soils of the parkland . Better moisture conditions and better average yields than on ,the prairie. Severe droughts rarely experienced. 4. Thick Black and Dark Grey Soils of the parkland-forest belt. Good moisture condi- tions and high crop yields. 5. Grey Wooded Soils within agricultural region. 6. Grey Wooded, Podzolic and Muskeg Soils of the Com- mercial Forest Region. 7. Podzolic and Muskeg Soils with rock outcrops of the Northern Coniferous Forest (Precambrian Shield). 8. Podzolic, Muskeg and Forest- Tundra Soils of the Northern Transition Forest. //////// Boundary between agricultural regions and pro. vincial forest reserves . ''Prepaced by the Saskatcbewaa Soil Survey, December, 1963 .
'Let 0- t . ~T' ~pa,~,tv~y -C4~L Yelg7~ .c7(, QXte'w7t o~ tL~L tv~c®"" u~.yYeak 3l, ~td,
'M% e a.,,A tL.` A%V,-L_tt-V .4 Ch~W U..V~1Q,~ Ay " .
6 -
Table 1 . Showing the Relative Extent of the Three Major Use Areas of Saskatchewan (in acres)
Total area of Saskatchewan ...... 161,088,000 '_.and Area ...... 140,916,000 Water Area ...... 20,172,000 The Pre-Cambrian Shield Area ...... 63,000,000 Land Area ...... T., , --- , Water Area ...... 17,000,000 Provincial Forest Area ...... 27,000,000 Land Area ...... 24,600,000 Water Area ...... 2,400,000 Agricultural and Urban Area ...... 71,000,000 Land Area ...... 70,500,000 Water Area ...... 500,000
The map which accompanies this report is basically a schematic one
illustrating the physiographic regions and soils of the Northern Provincial
Forest Area of Saskatchewan . The map extends from the southern boundary of
the forest area to latitude 570 N thus eliminating much of the Pre-Cambrian
Shield which extends to the top of the province at latitude 600 N . This is
of no consequence, however, as the present report is specifically concerned
with the Provincial Forest Area .
The Provincial Forest l
The general disposition of the 24,600,000 acres of lands within the
Provincial Forest Area are indicated in Table 2 . These lands are, in
general, located between the northern edge of the Agricultural Area and
the southern limits of the Pre-Cambrian Shield .
LW .L . Hutcheon, J .S . Clayton and D .A . Rennie . Saskatchewan's Land Resource . Department of Soil Science and Saskatchewan Soil Survey, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon .
Table 2 . Showing the Disposition and General Capability of Lands Within the Provincial Forest (in acres) 2
Estimated area of commercial forest ...... 9,700,000 Estimated area of non-commercial forest . . . . . 14,900,000 Areas of deep peat and muskeg within the non-commercial forest ...... 8,000,000 Potentially fair to good arable lands but requiring drainage or heavy clearing ...... 1,440,000 Potentially fair to poor arable lands ...... 1,560,000
The above classifications of land capability refer to the potential
for production of cultivated crops rather than trees . The evaluation is
based on the known characteristics of the soils together with the results of
past experience on somewhat comparable lands within the present Agricultural
Area .
Approximately 21,600,000 acres, or 87 .8 per cent of the lands within
the Provincial. Forest Area are considered to be non-arable for the production
of cultivated crops . They are generally lands of steep slopes, excessive
stoniness, or coarse texture, together with extensive local areas of deep
organic soils (peat bogs) . There are undoubtedly small local areas of
potentially arable land scattered throughout the major areas of the above
types . Many of the better drained lands of coarse texture are also quite
acid and low in native fertility . The 8,000,000 acres of peat lands occur
throughout the lower lying areas of the Forest . They are, in general,
unproductive for trees and also present many problems for agricultural
development . It is likely that drainage would be difficult because of the
low relief of the general landscape, and in many areas, particularly where
the peats have developed from sphagnum mosses, the organic materials are
2Dept . of Natural Resources, Saskatchewan's Forests . 1955 .
3
usually very acid .
It is considered that there may be a potential of 3,000,000 acres of
arable lands within the Provincial Forest Area . Major areas are located along
the northern edges of the Pasquia and Porcupine Hills and in the flood plain
between the Saskatchewan and Carrot Rivers . Smaller areas also occur in the
general vicinity of Green and Dorif Lakes . The development of these lands
requi-res extensive drainage in some cases, and the clearing of extensive
stands of trees over the remainder . Further, more detailed study is required
to determine the exact character and extent of these lands, and to determine
their best use under present and future conditions .
Commercial Forest Portion of the Provincial Forest Areal
The Commercial Forest in Saskatchewan provides the locale for
practically all the logging operations in the province and as the name
implies accounts for most of the forest products harvested . It occupies
some 27 million acres about half-way up in the province and occurs in a
band approximately 200 miles wide which stretches from the Alberta to the
Manitoba border. The location of the Commercial Forest Region and its extent
to other vegetative zones in the province is illustrated in Figure 2 .
Physiographic Divisions of the Northern Provincial Forest
The Schematic Map of the Northern Provincial Forest illustrates the
boundaries of the Physiographic Divisions which were separated, and identifies
each by a symbol which consists of a letter and numbers . This symbol is
given a geographic name in the legend . The major Soil Units within each
1 W.R. Parks . Forest Inventory, Present Use, and Policies in Effect . Saskatchewan Resources Conference, Sackatoon . January 20-21, 1964.
SA5KATCHEWAN
Iloe VEGETATION ZONES soze
\41 , S V ~ -~rRan\, rs~I-~..
te ~48e - -MON7APiA NOR7F4 QAKO7A~ SCALE IN. MILg9 I 00 p
.7~r~ \G!K\'G ~.~ S% Ghw.N4ty(4A, lOY61, "C S~veu ~d a-1~!~'aW(`CV"f.'~
- LO -
Physiographic Division are. given a color . The significance of the color is
described in the legend . The remainder of this manuscript consists of
information, which it is hoped will indicate the significance of the Physio-
graphic Divisions which appear on the map .
A. Churchill River Plains Region
Location
This Region represents the southern portion of the Canadian Shield
in Saskatchewan . Its southern boundary crosses the province in an arc which
enters the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border at approximately 540 30' N and leaves
the Alberta-Saskatchewan border at approximately 570 45' N . From this southern
boundary it extends northward throughout the entire map area .
Landforms
Mainly consists of roughly undulating to rolling plains with a general
elevation of from 950 to 1,760 feet, with minor relief which rarely exceeds
60 feet . Glaciation has caused scouring and plucking resulting in a rounded
uneven terrain interspersed with many deep irregularly shaped lakes containing
many islands . Some morainic ridges of glacial till and outwash occur as well
as drumlins and eskers . Alluvial fans occur on some major waterways and
lacustrine clay basins occur in some depressional areas .
Drainage
The drainage is mainly to the Churchill Drainage system which empties
into the Hudson Bay Basin . The northern portion of the Pre-Cambrian (which
is not shown on the map) drains into the Mackenzie Drainage system which
empties into the Arctic Basin .
Climate
The mean January temperature is between -6 and -loo F, the mean July
temperature is between 61 and 620 F, and the mean annual temperature is
between 27 and 310 F .
The growing season commences between April 30 and May 10 and ends
between October I and October 6, therefore its length is between 149 and 154
days .
The last spring frost is around June 20 and the first fall frost
between August 20 and September 10, thus there are between 60 to 80 frost-free
days .
The annual precipitation is 16 to 18 inches of which between 10 and
l1 inches fall between May and September .
Soils
The soils are mainly Orthic Regosols (Lithosols) developed on
consolidated rock or rock fragments of Paleozoic and Pre-Cambrian origin .
In local areas there are also Podzolic and Organic soils .
Soil development is shallow due to the presence of bedrock which
occurs as exposures over large portions of the area . Locally, Regosolic and
weak Podzolic soils are found, (on the better drained sites) on thin deposits
of stony or gravelly sandy materials overlying bedrock. Depressional areas
are mainly Organic soils of varying depths and some pockets of poorly drained
clay soils occur in the southeast corner . In the northwest corner Organic
and Podzolic soils occur on coarse textured glacial till, glacio-fluvial
and sandy-alluvial deposits . V egetationl
Black Spruce (Picea mariana) is the predominant tree, forming stands on thin soils of the uplands as well as on poorly drained lowlands, and associated on these. two positions with Jack Pine (Pines banksiana) and
Tamarack (Larix laricina), respectively .
Resource Evaluation
The Churchill River Plains section of the Shield is considered an unproductive area both for agriculture and forestry. This is due to the
shallow coarse textured soils,-the bedrock exposures, and the muskeg areas, which when coupled with the adverse climatic characteristics of the area,
limit growth and economic production .
"The complex of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic Pre-Cambrian
rocks of northern Saskatchewan are the host rocks for Saskatchewan's metallic mineral industry . Sites of commercial production of metallic minerals and
the areas considered most favorable for further finds are in a belt extending west from Flin Flon to Lac La Ronge and north to Reindeer Lake and in the
region north of Lake Athabasca . All of northern Saskatchewan must be considered potential mineral land, but, because of the complexity of the
rock structure and physical limitations imposed by the terrain, discovery of mineral deposits will require many years of prospecting" 2 .
The potential of wildlife production may be considered as fair.
Trapping forms one of the main revenue sources for local inhabitants with
l J .S . Rowe . Forest Region of Canada . Department of Northern Affairs and Natural Resources . Forestry Branch - Bulletin 123 .
2"Inventory and Outlook of Saskatchewan's Mineral Resources" . Proceedings Resources for People . Saskatchewan Resources Conference . January 20-21, 1964. Saskatoon .
some development of commercial fishing. These activities are largely
centred around local communities adjacent to lakes and rivers .
Recreation, particularly sport fishing and some big game hunting, is
becoming a developing resource but it is largely limited to areas where
development of roads and air routes provide convenient access, however,
considerable strides in recreational development have been made .
The Central Lowlands Province of North America
C . Manitoba Lowlands Region
Location
The Manitoba Lowlands occupy the lowest portion of the Central Lowlands
in eastern Saskatchewan with a range in elevation from approximately 1,200
feet to below 850 feet at its lowest point, the latter elevation being that
of the Saskatchewan River where it crosses the Manitoba border. The western
limits of the area coincide with the base of a series of beach ridges which
represent some of the shorelines of Glacial Lake Agassiz . These beaches
extend from the Manitoba border north of the Porcupine Hills, across the Red
Deer Valley, around the Pasquia Hills escarpment, across the lower Saskatchewan
and Carrot River Valleys, and northward to a position west of Suggi Lake
where they become more indistinct in the region of limestone outcrops along
the border of the Canadian Shield . From this area the lowlands extend in a
northwesterly direction to a point west of Ballantyne Bay on Deschambault Lake,
thus including the areas considered to be directly underlain by limestone
bedrock . The northern boundary of the Lowland is determined by the contact
between the Paleozoic outcrops and the Canadian Shield . - 14 -
Landforms
These Lowlands form a very gently sloping to flat plain of thin glacial and alluvial lacustrine deposits overlying a subsurface of very gently dipping beds of Paleozoic limestones and some Lower Cretaceous sands .
Local morainic till deposits form small scattered areas of higher relief within the plain .
Drainage
The area is generally poorly drained and the soils and vegetation reflect these conditions . A characteristic feature of the region is the frequent occurrence of many smooth shaped, or rounded lakes, probably similar to the "Karst" or "Sinkhole" lakes which occur in other regions underlain by limestone beds . External drainage is effected through the Saskatchewan and its tributaries, the Grassberry and Carrot Rivers, and by the Overflowing and Red Deer Rivers which form part of the Nelson drainage .
Vegetation
The prevailing vegetation on the flat poorly drained land consists of forest patches of Black Spruce (Picea mariana) and Tamarack (Larix laricina), with intervening swamps and meadows . Good stands of White Spruce (Picea glauca),
Aspen (Populus tremuloides) and Balsam Poplar (P . balsamifera), sometimes in mixtures with Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea), and White Birch (Betula papyrifera),
occur on the better-drained alluvial strips bordering rivers and creeks . Low
ridges throughout are generally forested with Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana) or
Aspen . Also present locally are Elm (Ulmus americana), Green Ash (Fraxinus
pennsylvanica var. subintegerrima), Manitoba Maple (Acer negundo var. interius) and Eastern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) .
Divisions Within the Manitoba Lowlands
The area has been divided into three physiographic sections and six
subsections or mapping units based on differing features of relief, parent
material, and soils . The descriptions of the divisions within the Manitoba
Lowlands immediately follows this section . Some of the divisions have been
the subject of previous Soil Survey Reports . The Saskatchewan Delta subsection
of the Cumberland Lake Lowland, C2 .1, has been dealt with in the "Soil Survey
of the Cumberland house Area", in 1951, and in the "Report on the Soils of
the Lower Saskatchewan Valley", in 1952 . The Lower Red Deer Plain, C1 .1,
the Armit River Plain, C1 .3, and the southern portions of the Overflowing
River Plain, C1 .2, all subsections of the Westlake Lowland, C1, are described
in the "Preliminary Soil Survey of the Lower Red Deer River Basin in
Saskatchewan", printed in 1950 . These reports should be referred to for
fuller descriptions of soil conditions .
The Suggi Lake Section includes those areas of the Manitoba Lowland
extending north of the Saskatchewan Delta to the Canadian Shield, and includes
those areas in which the influence of limestone bedrock is most noticeable .
Cl Westlake Lowland
The Westlake Lowland represents the first division made within the
Manitoba Lowland Region . The Westlake Lowland contains three subsections ;
namely, C1 .1, the Lower Red Deer Plain, C1 .2, the Overflowing River Plain
and, C1 .3, the Armit River Plain . Each of these subsections are discussed
separately but a summary of the climate common to the areas included in the
Westlake Lowland are presented here . Climate
The mean January temperature for the Westlake Lowland is between
-2 and -4° F, its mean July temperature is between 63 and 650 F and its mean annual temperature is between 33 and 340 F.
The growing season starts between April 30 and May 5 and ends between
October 6 and October 11 so, therefore, it varies between 154 and 165 days .
The last spring frost is between June 10 and June 20 and the first
fall frost between August 20 and September 2 . Thus there are between 80
and 90 frost-free days .
The annual precipitation is 16 to 18 inches with 10-11 inches
falling from May to September.
C1 .1 Lower Red Deer Plain
Location
The Lower Red Deer Plain, C1 .1, is located in the Westlake section
of the Manitoba Lowlands, lying below the main beaches of Glacial Lake
Agassiz south of the Pasquia River, and flanked to the south and west by
the escarpments of the Porcupine and Pasquia Hills . The elevations of
this portion of the shallow lake plain lie between 1,050 and 1,220 feet . It
includes those areas of alluvial silts and sands which were deposited in the
Agassiz lake plain by the Red Deer River during its early post-glacial
development . A portion of the area lies outside the provincial forest
boundaries and is described more fully in the "Preliminary Soil Survey of
the Lower Red Deer River Basin in Saskatchewan" . - 17 -
Landforms
Level to very gently undulating topography occurs through most of the marginal lake plain, broken by a few low stony or gravelly ridges which may be recessional moraines with overlying beach deposits . Roughly undulating topography occurs adjacent to the eroded slopes of the Red Deer River Valley .
Local areas of level to gently undulating alluvial bottom land occur adjacent to the river .
Soils
The soils on the marginal lake plain are mostly developed on medium to fine textured silty lacustrine and calcareous till deposits, with some areas of sandy alluvial deposition and local stony and gravelly deposits on the ridges . On moderately well drained lacustrine and till sites, Rego and
Calcareous Dark Gray (Wooded Calcareous), Orthic Dark Gray with some Dark
Gray Wooded soils occur. Thin Peaty Humic Gleysols, usually carbonated, and
Peaty Eluviated Gleysols occur in the poorly drained areas . These soils are correlated with the Erwood, Weirdale, Etomami and Tisdale Associations (Soil.
Survey Report No . 13) . On medium coarse sandy alluvial deposits the soil profiles vary from thin Peaty Humic and Eluviated Gleysols in the poorly drained sites to Calcareous Dark Gray in the imperfectly to moderately well drained, and to Gray Wooded profiles in well drained positions . These soils are correlated with the Carrot River and La Corne Associations . Podzolic sands and gravels (Pine and Bodmin Associations) are found on local alluvial- aeolian and coarse outwash deposits, while Gray Wooded and Dark Gray Wooded stony soils are found on the low morainic ridges . (Kakwa and Etomami stony phase) . Resource Evaluation
With the exception of the local areas of Kakwa, Bodmin and Pine soils,
the soils may be regarded as fair to good agricultural types providing adequate
drainage is established and suitable methods of handling peaty soils are
adopted .
Agricultural development of the area has proceeded slowly, mainly
due to inadequate drainage during wet periods .
The area has very limited potential for commercial forestry, with
the exception of local Jack Pine stands .
The recreational development of the area is limited . Some sport
fishing can be enjoyed along the Red Deer River . The wildlife potential
is fair to good with a productive and varied habitat .
C1 .2 Overflowing River Plain
Location
The Overflowing River Plain extends from the Manitoba border on the
east to the Pasquia beach ridges on the west, and lies between the Lower Red
Deer Plain on the south and the alluvial lands of the Saskatchewan and
Pasquia delta to the north.
Landform
The Overflowing River Plain forms part of the marginal lake plain of
Lake Agassiz and is characterized by a succession of narrow sandy ridges or
boulder beaches with broad areas of intervening wet bogs . Very little well drained land occurs in the area .
Soils
The bog areas include deep fibrous (sedge) and (sphagnum) mossy peats overlying variable glacial alluvial-lacustrine (sandy to medium textured) deposits . It should be mentioned that this area of bog soil extends eastward
into Manitoba to as far as Lake Winnipegosis and the morainic ridge along
which the highway runs from Swan Rive :- to The Pas . Some areas of very stony
limestone till are also believed to occur . Rego and Calcareous Dark Gray
Chernozemic (wooded calcareous) to Podzolic sandy soils occur on the narrow
ridges and beach deposits . Limited areas of Dark Gray Chernozemic soils on
alluvial deposits may occur adjacent to streams such as the Overflowing River.
Resource Evaluation
The area is considered to be non-arable because of the dominance of
thick peat and moss soils, and because of the economics of large scale drainage .
Very few stands of merchantable timber occur, and hence this area is generally
considered to be not suitable for commercial forestry.
The potential for recreational and wildlife development is limited .
C1 .3 Armit River Plain
Location
This local area includes that portion of the Westlake Lowland lying
between the Lower Red Deer Plain and the main beach ridges of Lake Agassiz marking the northern edge of the Porcupine Escarpment . It lies partly within the Porcupine Forest Reserve .
Landform
The Armit River Plain forms part of a marginal lake plain extending into
Manitoba and is characterized by a succession of long narrow sandy-gravelly or stony beach deposits with intervening areas of very gently sloping to flat, poorly drained peat bogs and wooded muskegs . The narrow beach ridges may be recessional moraines . Some local alluvial-lacustrine deposits occur adjacent to the Armit River and other minor tributaries of the Red Deer River.
- 20 -
Soils
Mixed peaty meadows and fibrous and sphagnum peats are the dominant
soils and are found through most of the area . The fibrous (sedge) peats
vary in thickness from less than 12 to over 50 inches, but are commonly from
20 to 30 inches thick . They are usually fairly well decomposed and are
neutral to slightly acidic in reaction . They are frequently underlain by a
muck-mineral layer, which in turn overlies a mottled and usually calcareous
mineral layer. These mineral subsurface layers are variable and include
sandy alluvial, lacustrine clay and lake modified stony calcareous till
deposits .
The sphagnum (mossy) peats are characterized by a fairly shallow depth
of raw sphagnum . The lower horizons are partially decomposed peats of fibrous
and sphagnum origin . These deposits are rarely over 50 inches in thickness
and are moderately to highly acidic in reaction . The sedge peats are usually
found under a relatively open stand of sedge, willows and swamp birch with
some Black Spruce . The sphagnum peats are associated with a treed muskeg
vegetation of Tamarack and Black Spruce . Rego and Calcareous Dark Gray (Wooded
Calcareous) and Dark Gray Wooded profiles are found on the moderately well
drained sites which sustain a good mixed-wood tree cover . Shallow peaty
meadow soils occur on the poorly drained positions in the alluvial-lacustrine
soils adjacent to the Armit River . These two groups are comparable to soils
of the Weirdale and Carrot River Associations . Thin Orthic Gray Wooded and
Dark Gray Wooded profiles, comparable to the Bodmin, Glenbush and Kakwa
Associations, have developed on the coarse textured outwash and stony tills
of the beach ridges . Local areas of Dark Gray Chernozemic soils on lake
modified glacial till occur and these may be correlated with the Erwood
Association . Resource Evaluation
The small areas of moderately well drained soils near the hamlet of
Armit have been cultivated successfully, and where local drainage can be effected some successful agricultural development of the shallower peat soils has also been undertaken where the subsoil is suitable . Apart from these,
the majority o£ the soils must be considered as not suitable for development
because of the thickness of the organic deposits and the great difficulties
to be overcome in attempting to drain the interbeach areas . The agriculturally
developed portion of the area is discussed in the "Preliminary Soil Survey of
the Lower Red Deer River Basin in Saskatchewan" .
The area has commercial timber . Productive stands of mixed-wood occur
on moderately well drained alluvial soils but most of the poorly drained areas
support stands of stunted Black Spruce and Tamarack . Open bog areas with
little tree cover are common .
The recreational potential is limited, but the varied habitat should
be favourable to wildlife development .
C2 Cumberland Lake Lowland
C2 .1 Saskatchewan Delta
The Saskatchewan Delta is the only subsection in the Cumberland Lake
Lowland Region of Saskatchewan . A report entitled "Preliminary Soil Survey
of the Saskatchewan River Delta Project" gives an account of the pertinent
features of a large portion of this area . This report is available from the
Conservation and Development Branch, Administration Building, Regina .
Location
The Saskatchewan Delta occupies the broad, level to very gently
sloping, flood plain of the Saskatchewan River and its tributaries the Carrot,
- 2 2 -
and Birch Rivers . The elevations vary from 920 feet at Kennedy Creek in the
west to about 850 feet near The Pas in Manitoba, a fall of about 70 feet in
as many miles . A few "islands" of morainic till rise above the flood plains .
The Pas moraine,at an elevation of approximately 930 feet,marks the eastern
boundary of the area .
Landforms
Glaciation presumably scoured the preglacial surface down to the
limestone bedrock and later deposited a shallow, discontinuous layer of
stony, calcareous till over the surface . Lacustrine clay deposits, contemporary
with stages of Lake Agassiz, were laid down over the glacial surface. The
subsequent geological development of the area has been influenced by the
activity of the Saskatchewan and Carrot Rivers in cutting through and across
the lacustrine and till plain, depositing alluvial sediments in lower areas
by filling old lakes, cutting new channels, and by building delta and levee
deposits on the flood plains . These activities are still proceeding in the
area . Delta and mud flats are developing, particularly in the Cumberland Laks
area, and the rivers frequently overflow into the interior building up higher
levee deposits along their banks and depositing fresh alluvium in the
interior plains .
Climate
The area has a mean January temperature between -2 and -40 F, a mean
July temperature between 64 and 66° F, and a mean annual temperature between
32 and 330 F. The growing season commences between April 30 and May 5 and
ends between October 6 and 11 . Thus there are between 154 and 165 days in
the growing season . The last spring frost occurs between June 1 and 10 and
the first fall frost occurs between September 1 and 10 . Therefore, the area
- 2 3 -
has between 90 and 100 frost-free days .
The annual precipitation is between 16 and 18 inches with 10 to 11
inches falling from May to September of which the greatest portion falls in
June, July and August hampering haying and other agricultural operations .
Vegetation
The vegetation and soils in the area reflect the above conditions .
The vegetative pattern is characteristic of the ecological successions which
occur on a slowly draining flood plain within the forest region . These
successions may be very closely correlated with the maturity of soils
developed in the area .
Two vegetative patterns are associated with this development, a marsh,
meadow and bog association, and the other a mixed-wood forest pattern . Sedges,
willows, cattails and various reed grasses are the dominant vegetation of the
poorly drained alluvial and meadow lands . Very wet or flooded meadow bogs
support sedges and marsh grasses, while intermittently or shallow flooded areas
may support sedges and grasses with clumps of willows . Some areas of birch
and willow are found in association with sphagnum moss bogs .
Older and better drained alluvial sites,which are no longer subject
to periodic deposition or flooding,have developed a mixed-wood vegetation of
Aspen, Black Poplar or Spruce, with a dense understory of shrubs, and in some
areas older stands of pure soft wood stands of Spruce and Balsam Fir . Likewise
older and longer established poorly drained sites have developed a Black
Spruce and Tamarack cover with an undergrowth of Sphagnum Mosses over the
original decomposed sedge cover. Some areas of pure Black Spruce and Feather
Moss have developed on former sphagnum bogs .
Where the levee banks are very low the course of the streams are fringed
24 -
with Willows, but as the levees become higher and less subject to periodic
inundation, they support a luxuriant growth of hardwood trees, mostly Elm,
Green Ash, Manitoba Maple and Black Poplar with an occasional Spruce or Aspen .
The percentages of Spruce and Aspen increases westward where the levees are
highest . The undergrowth of these levees is usually very dense with many
ferns and bushy shrubs, including Dogwood .
Soils
The pattern of soils exhibit a trend to an increase in profile
development from the most recently exposed deposits to progressively better
drained and more mature sites . In the poorly drained and wet areas the soils
are developing under a range of marsh, meadow and bog vegetation on alluvial
and lacustrine deposits, resulting in a group of weakly developed Orthic and
Rego Gleysol types, which only partially reflect the influence of regional
climate . The formation of thin peaty meadow, thin peat (mor regosols) and
thin peat alluvium organic regosol (rego gleysols) soils are represented in
this group . Better drained soils may be correlated to the organic regosols .
Many of these soils are mostly highly calcareous, silty clay to clay types and
have been mapped within the Cumberland House Association . In some wet areas
within the delta, not subject to frequent flood deposition from the river,
deep organic fibrous and sphagnum peat soils have developed . These have been
described as the Ravendale Association in previous reports .
Along levee banks, and in portions of the lake plain which have become
sufficiently drained to support tree growth, soils are developing under a
surface leaf litter with conditions conducive to the early stages of
podzolization, giving rise to mull and mor Regosols, Rego, Calcareous, and
0 rthic Dark Gray and even to very slightly podzolized types in older and more
- 2s -
mature sites . The Rego Dark Gray and mor Regosol soils, on alluvial deposits,
have been included within the Sipanok Association in the delta area . They
are dominantly very fine sandy clay loam to silty clay in texture but some
very fine sandy loams to loamy sands occur in sandy levee and delta areas .
They are typically dark surface soils, with 0 (Ao) and L-H and Ah, Ahe, (Al)
horizons with considerable incorporation of mor humus varying from 3 to over
12 inches in depth, and usually free of lime carbonates . These Ah horizons
are underlain by highly calcareous alluvial layers . Little or no evidence
of the development of a lime free, colored B horizon may be found in most
Sipanok soils .
Soils on similar parent material, but showing early stages of podzolic
development in the A horizons, and occurring under more mature forest
vegetation have been referred to as the Mountain Cabin Association, but are
classified in this report with the Sipanok soils as Rego Dark Gray or
Calcareous Dark Gray Chernozemic types . They are similar to the Sipanok in
being A/C profiles with no . or little color B development, but have indications
of a dark gray granular (Ahe) horizon usually about 2 inches thick, and
occurring beneath a thick L-H (Ao) horizon .
Other soils of local importance are found in the area . Thin O rthic
Gray Wooded and Gray Podzolic as well as stony and gritty loam soils are found
on calcareous stony till of morainic origin under heavy spruce growth . They
are comparable to the Westray soils as mapped in the Pasquia area in Manitoba,
and are similar to some of the shallow Kakwa soils as described in Saskatchewan .
They may be considered non-arable due to their excessively stony condition .
A few areas of Orthic Gray Wooded profiles on fine textured lake modified
clays overlying stony till are found in association with these Kakwa soils
on Cumberland Island .
- 26 -
Resource Evaluation
The land utilization and agricultural development of the Saskatchewa.)
Delta has been discussed at length in the report on the Soils of the Lower
Saskatchewan Valley . The possibility of agricultural development depends
primarily on the feasibility of drainage and flood control, the possibilities
of which have been increased greatly by the construction of the Squaw Rapids
Dam . If "it(, can be effected, a large percentage of the more than 600,000
acres in the delta may be considered as potentially arable and suitable for
development. The relatively well drained Sipanok soils with their high
organic matter content, and the Cumberland soils if drained, should be at
least comparable in productivity to other similar alluvial soils at present
cultivated in Saskatchewan, such as the Pike Lake and St. Louis flats on the
South Saskatchewan River . This has been demonstrated on a limited scale on
Cumberland Island . Some utilization of the native meadows for hay production
has been made, particularly along the Sipanok Channel and adjacent to the
Indian Reserves and Metis settlements .
Considerable lumbering occurred on the well forested levee soils
during early years, but these are of limited acreage . These soils include
some of the best forested areas in Saskatchewan . The more poorly drained
soils support little tree growth, and may be considered as non commercial
areas for forestry .
Long established Indian and Metis settlements occur at Cumberland
House, and . a t certain Indian Reservations within the Delta . The population
have made a continuing but rather precarious living from fur, fish, and a
limited development of lumbering from this and adjacent forested regions .
The recreational potential of the area is limited.
- 27 -
C3 Suggi Lake Lowland
The Suggi Lake Lowland in Saskatchewan is subdivided in two sections,
the Namew Lake Plain and the Deschambault Lake Plain . The climate for the
Region is summarized as follows . The mean January temperature is between -4
and -loo F, the mean July temperature between 64 and 660 F, and the mean
annual temperature between 31 and 320 F . The growing season starts between
April 30 and May 5 and ends between October 1 and 6, thus there are between
154 and 165 days in the growing season . The last spring frost occurs between
June 1 and 10 and the first fall frost between September 1 and 10, therefore,
there are between 90 and 100 frost-free days . The annual precipitation is
between 16 and 18 inches of which between 10 and 12 inches occur between
May and September.
C3 .1 Namew Lake Plain
Location
This area extends from the Saskatchewan Delta near Cumberland and
Pinebluff Lakes, northward to Suggi and Amisk Lakes and the Canadian Shield .
It is imperfectly drained by the Grassberry and Sturgeon-Weir Rivers . The
Plains form part of the lowland region where the influence of the flat to
gently sloping limestone bedrock is very marked, but it is differentiated
from the Deschambault Plain to the west in being within the areas known to
be influenced by local clay deposits of Lake Agassiz .
Landform
It may be considered as a level to very gently sloping marginal lake
plain lying at a general elevation below 1,000 feet . Numerous round or smooth
shaped lakes occur, characterized by outcrops of limestone forming low
escarpments particularly on the south and southwest edges of the lakes . These
escarpments, together with local higher areas of stony glacial moraine and a Zg few minor beach ridges, break the otherwise flat relief . This low relief, and the proximity to impervious limestone bedrock, has contributed largely
to the poor drainage of much of the area .
Soils
The soils are developed on parent materials varying from shallow
deposits of stony limestone till or gravelly outwash overlying bedrock to
very local areas of lacustrine and alluvial clays . These local clay areas
are very limited in Saskatchewan but increase in distribution in the Wanless
area of Manitoba . Some alluvial deposits are known to occur adjacent to the
Grassberry River and alluvial and lacustrine clays are found adjacent to the
Sturgeon-Weir River between Amisk Lake and Sturgeon Landing . The western
portion of the area is mostly poorly drained with a predominance of deep
sphagnum (moss) and fibrous sedge pests overlying variable deposits . These
boggy areas are broken by a few discontinuous narrow ridges of outwash
gravels and boulder till with thin Pray Wooded and sandy Podzolic profiles .
Further eastward, particularly between Cumberland, Sturgeon and Amisk Lakes,
the proportion of moderately well drained soils increases, Ix and Orthic Gray
Wooded soils on shallow stony till and local clay pockets occur . These
soils are also underlain by limestone bedrock at shallow depths . In areas
where the glacial deposits are very thin or bedrock outcrops occur, the
profiles are usually thin, immature Podzolic or Rego Dark Gray Chernozemic
types .
Resource Evaluation
With the exception of the local areas of podzolized clays, and the
thin peats occurring near Sturgeon Landing where there is a limited
agricultural development, the majority of the soils are considered to be
non-arable . This is because of the dominance of deep peats in the poorly drained areas and very stony Gray Wooded soils on the better drained sites .
The shallow soils with proximity to hard (flat lying) bedrock are almost impossible to drain and the occurrence of limestone outcrops are also serious obstacles to cultivation .
Very little merchantable timber occurs except on the alluvial
lacustrine areas, and the recreational and wildlife potential is limited .
C3 .2 Deschambault Lake Plain
Location
This plain comprises the northwestern section of the Manitoba Lowland
extending from Suggi Lake to west of Ballantyne Bay on Deschambault Lake, with
the Canadian Shield forming the northern boundary. It is similar in many
respects to the Namew Lake Plain but has been separated from it because it
lies to the west of the main Agassiz beach ridges and lacks evidence of local
lacustrine clay deposits . In addition, the presence of limestone .outcrops and escarpments are more in evidence, particularly on the south sides of
Ballantyne Bay and Limestone Lake where the Paleozoic beds overlap and abut the Pre-Cambrian Shield .
Landform
The area is characteristic of the ice scoured gently sloping Paleozoic
Plain modified by thin discontinuous deposits of limestone and Pre-Cambrian glacial drift . Some modified fluvial deposits with intervening gravelly and stony beach ridges indicate post glacial marginal lakeshore activity . With the exception of local roughly undulating morainic till deposits, limestone outcroppings, and glacial ridges, the area has little relief and is poorly drained . - 30 -
Soils
Soil information is lacking for the area, but shallow Gray Wooded
profiles are believed to occur on much of the stony till deposits, with
thin weakly developed Regosolic profiles occurring on the shattered limestone
and outcrops . Deep mossy and sedge peats are apparently dominant in the
poorly XXXXXX drained bogs, and sandy Podzolic soils on the beach ridges .
Resource Evaluation
There is no evidence to suggest any significant areas as suitable
for agricultural development and the forest inventory maps indicate little
potential merchantable timber except in limited and isolated areas .
D Manitoba-Saskatchewan Lowlands
The Manitoba-Saskatchewan Lowlands has been divided into four physio-
graphic sections and twenty-eight subsections . The name of the Region is
perhaps somewhat erroneous but perhaps future cartographers can .coin a more
suitable one .
D1 Swan River Lowland
Location
The Swan River Lowland is one of the series of transitional areas
lying between the Great Plains and the Central Lowland, which form broad
valley embayments between upland remnants of the Cretaceous Plateaux marking
the Manitoba Escarpment .
Landform
The Swan River Lowland forms an undulating plain about 70 miles long
and 25 miles wide lying between the Porcupine Hills and Duck Mountain, and
descending from about 1,550 feet elevation at its western junction with the
Assiniboine Plain to 850 feet at Swan Lake in the Manitoba Lowland . This broad valley is drained by the Swan, Whitebeech, and Woody Rivers into Swan
Lake and eventually into the Nelson River System . The greater portion of
this plain lies within the Province of Manitoba, the smaller part in
Saskatchewan being referred to as the Upper Swan River Plain, D1 .1 .
Climate
The mean January temperature is between -2 and -40 F, the mean July
between 63 and 640 F, and the mean annual between 33 and 340 F. The growing
season starts between April 25 and 30, and ends between October 6 and 11 .
There are between 1.59 and 169 days in the growing season . The last spring
frost occurs between June 10 and 20 and the first fall frost between August 25
and 30, thus there are between 70 and 80 frost-free days . The annual
precipitation is between 16 and 18 inches of which between 10 and 11 inches
fall between May and September .
D1 .1 Upper Swan River Plain
Location
Most o£ this area is in agricultural settlement, with only a small
portion lying within the southern boundary of the Porcupine Forest Reserve .
These forested areas include portions of Townships 36 and 37, Ranges 30 and
31, west of the first Meridian, and the narrow valley of the Upper Swan River
where it has cut back into the Porcupine Hills Upland in Townships 36 to 40,
Ranges 1 and 2 west of the Second Meridian .
Landforms
The dominant landform comprises a gently undulating to rolling plain.
with elevations between 1,550 and 1,400 feet, developed from a rather complex
pattern of glacial till and outwash, with shallow glacial lacustrine deposits .
These glacial deposits overlay bedrock shales of the Colorado Group, which
contain some calcareous layers which have contributed markedly to the soil
parent material . - 3 2 -
Vegetation
The whole area forms a transition from the Mixed Parkland to the true
Boreal Forest, with extensive tree invasion on natural grassland sites which have been protected from fires, hk balanced by considerable clearing of
forest cover for agricultural development in the better soil areas .
Soils
The generalized soil zonal separation between the Podzolic soils and
the belt of the mixed Dark Gray Wooded and Chernozemic soils closely follows
the present boundaries of the Porcupine and Duck Mountain Forest Reserves .
Within settlement the soils are variable, mostly mixtures of Dark Gray
Chernozemic and Dark Gray Wooded, Pelly, Etomami, and Kamsack soils, with
Dark Gray and Orthic Gray Wooded, Waitville, and Black, Canora and Whitesand
soils occurring throughout . These soils are described in Soil Survey Report
No . 12. Within the forest reserve, the soils are mostly Gray Wooded types
comparable to the Waitville Association with some admixture of Dark Gray
Wooded Etomami soils . The latter occurring on moderately fine textured
calcareous glacial till, modified by inclusion of Colorado shales and Paleozoic
RXZXKKXKX limestones . The soils in the eroded upper valley of the Swan
River are largely a mixture of Podzolic and weakly developed Regosolic soils,
developed on rough broken lands and steep valley slopes .
Resource Evaluation
The agricultural potential of the soils within settlement ranges
from poor to good . Good progress has been made in developing the better
soils despite the heavy clearing costs . The areas of Gray Wooded Waitville soils, particularly on the stony and rolling phases, and the mixed Black and Dark Gray Whitesand and Glenbush soils on coarse textured deposits may be considered as poor to non-arable types .
., 3 3
The limited areas of the Upper Swan River Plain occurring within
the present forest reserve boundaries may be considered as suitable for
commercial forest production, with a good potential for production of Aspen
and White Spruce .
D2 Carrot River Lowland
Location
The Carrot River Lowlands form an extensive plain in east central
Saskatchewan extending westward from the Manitoba Lowlands to the borders of
the Great Plains regions, at an upper elevation of 1,450 feet to 1,550 feet,
and lying below the Upper Cretaceous Highlands .
Landforms
The landform includes the broad valleys of the Lower Saskatchewan
and Red Deer Rivers and their tributaries . The Lower Saskatchewan Valley
extends eastward from the river flats near Prince Albert on the north branch
and the St . Louis flats on the south branch of the Saskatchewan Rivers and
broadens into a wide alluvial lacustrine plain lying between the Waskesiu
Hills Upland and Wapawekka Uplands to the north and the Porcupine Hills to
the south . The Carrot, White Fox, Torch and Mossy Rivers are main tributaries
of the Saskatchewan draining portions of this plain . The Upper Red Deer
Valley which has been included as part of the same physiographic unit lies
between the Porcupine and Pasquia Uplands and drains eastward into the Nelson
system. It is connected to the Carrot River portion of the plain by a
narrow glacial xpxkiwk"x spillway and a drainage divide between the Crooked
River and the Red Deer Rivers at an approximate elevation of 1,600 feet .
The Pasquia Hills Upland is therefore left as a large but isolated plateau
remnant within the lowland .
- 34 -
Geology and Soil Parent Materials
In the portions of the Carrot River Lowlands north of the Pasquia and
east of the Wapawekka Uplands, the geological formations underlying the surficial
glacial deposits are mostly sandy beds of the Lower Cretaceous, Swan River
Group . These beds have contributed much to the sandy characteristics of the
soils in these areas . Further southwestward, in the Melfort Plain and Upper
Red Deer valley, it is probable that some of the Upper Cretaceous clay shales,
particularly those of the Colorado Group may form the immediate bedrock surface .
These preglacial lowlands lying between relatively high uplands were
apparently east avenues for advancing ice movements in glacial times . Glacial
scouring followed by relatively thin glacial deposition is apparent in the
eastern part of the lowland which is underlain by sandy beds, but further west
where the ice advanced across the shaly clays the glacial deposits become
considerably thicker and finer textured .
With the frontal melting and general shrinkage of the ice fields much
of the drainage waters from western Saskatchewan flowed to these lower areas
resulting in the formation of large lake areas within the Carrot River Lowland,
which eventually extended against retreating ice barriers to drain into the
Lake Agassiz basin of the Manitoba Lowlands . During this period the area was
heavily mantled by variable deposits ; lacustrine silts and clays in deeper
portions and alluvial and sandy delta deposits in the shallow lake margins .
Consequently few areas of morainic till are exposed at the surface . Coarse
outwash deposits and thin glacio-fluvial sands overlying or mixed with lake
modified clays occur, particularly in the northern portions of the area where
the ice front is believed to have formed the northern margin of the lake .
Further east there is a gradual drop in the marginal lake plain through a
- 35 -
succession of narrow beach ridges and intervening poorly drained flats to
the main concentration of beach ridges marking the Lake Agassiz levels in
the Manitoba Lowland . A number of the sandy deposits have been modified by
wind action subsequent to drainage of the area .
Climate
The Carrot River Lowlands climatic features are better than either
the Lac La Ronge Lowland or Lac Ile-a-la-Crosse Lowland both of which are
sections within the Manitoba-Saskatchewan Lowland Region . The Carrot River
Lowlands have a longer frost-free period and a longer growing season . Its
mean January temperature is between -2 and -4° F, the July mean temperature
is between 64 and 660 F, and the mean annual is 33 to 350 F. The growing
season lasts between 159 and 169 days commencing between April 25 to 30
and ending between October 6 to 11 . The last spring frost is between June 1
and 10 and the first fall frost between August 20 and September 10,
therefore there are between 90 and 100 frost-free days . The annual precipitation
is 15 to 16 inches of which between 10 to 11 inches fall between May and
September .
Soils
Black and Dark Gray Chernozemic, Dark Gray Wooded, and Gray Wooded
soils are found on upland sites, as the area is included in the transition
zones from Parkland to Forest . In poorly drained sites, meadows and thin
peaty soilsoccur, while in most wet areas thick organic peats are found .
Within the forested sections, Orthic Gray Wooded and organic soils are
dominant although a few Dark Gray Wooded types are found on the fringes of
the Reserves, mainly in the Red Earth Plain and Upper Red Deer Plain . No
substantial areas of Black soils are found within any of the Forest Reserves . - 36
Divisions Within the Carrot River Lowlands
Because of the extensive areas of variable and complex deposition, and the zonal transition from Grassland to Forest soils within this Region it has been found necessary to subdivide the Carrot River Lowlands into a large
number of subsection mapping units based on differing features of parent
material and soils . Seventeen areas have been separated and the location
of each indicated on the map . Of these, four lie entirely within the provincial
forest, and five solely within the areas of agricultural settlement . The
remaining eight are partly utilized for agriculture and partly lie within
the Forest Reserves . The forest sections are discussed specifically in this
report, but the reader is referred to Saskatchewan Soil Survey Reports No .
12 and 13 for fuller descriptions of the soils within the agricultural areas .
D2 .1 Torch River Plain
Location
This area, lying north of the Smeaton Plain, includes both Forest
Reserve and lands within the bounds o£ agricultural settlement .
Landform and Drainage
The landform consists mainly of an undulating to gently rolling outwash
plain including some deep pitted lakes and long ridges . The trend of the
drainage,including streams and lakes, and that of muskegs and ridges, is
generally from northwest to southeast . The main streams include the Torch,
Gull, White Gull, Falling Horse, and Stewart Creeks which have cut fairly
deeply into the plain .
Soils
The parent materials of the soils are mostly coarse textured sandy
and gravelly deposits with local areas of alluvial sands and some modified
till within the agricultural districts south of the Torch River bend .
- 3 7 -
In the Forest Reserve the well drained soils are mostly Podzolic Gray
Wooded, and Minimal Podzol sands comparable to those of the Bodmin and Pine
Associations . Shallow to deep peat, mostly sphagnum types are found in the
poorly drained areas, and a number of fairly large muskegs occur. Within the
settled area south of the Torch River, Pine sand, Bodmin sandy loam, Sylvania
fine sandy and very fine sandy loams and small local areas of Garrick and
Kelsey loam occur on well drained sites and shallow peats and peaty meadows
occupy poorly drained positions . The reader is referred to Soil Survey Report
No . 13 for description of these soils .
Resource Evaluation
The soils within the agricultural districts may be classified as fair
to very poor for agriculture . Within the Forest Reserve the area is considered
as very poor to non-arable because of the dominance of coarse sandy and
gravelly Podzolic soils, and the unsuitability of the deep peats for agriculture .
The area supports a fair to good growth of soft woods, mostly Jack
Pine, with Black Spruce in peaty areas . The construction of the Hanson Lake
development road northward from the agricultural settlements near Smeaton has
opened up the area to forestry and recreational development .
D2 .2 Smeaton 'Plain
Location
The Smeaton Plain lies almost entirely within the agricultural area
except for a small area of coarse textured Podzolic soils on outwash deposits
which occurs within the Forest Reserve .
Landform
The area may be considered as part of a gently undulating marginal
lake plain of thin to discontinuous coarse textured fluvial deposits overlying
lake modified clayey till . Local ridges of sand are common . - 3 8 -
Soils
This Association of landform type and parent material has given rise to an intricate pattern of micro-topography and variable drainage, which is reflected in the intimate association of Dark Gray Wooded, Podzolized Gray
Wooded and shallow peats and peaty meadow soils referred to as the Smeaton complex. Soils characteristic of the Kelsey, Weirdale, Garrick, Bodmin,
Sylvania and Pine Associations as well as mixed organic mineral and organic soils also occur .
Resource Evaluation
The soils of the Smeaton complex vary widely in agricultural productivity ranging generally from fair to poor, interspersed with local areas of good and,non-arable types . The area is considered inferior in productivity to the White Fox Plain .
Some fair stands of Jack Pine occur on sandy ridges within the settled area .
The pattern of soils and topography in much of the Smeaton Plain is favourable as a wildlife habitat .
D2 .3 Grassy Lake Plain
Location
This is a relatively small plain occurring north and east of the
Torch River, and lies partly within the Forest Reserve and partly within the agricultural area .
Landform and Soils
It forms an undulating to gently rolling marginal lake plain of medium to medium heavy textured lacustrine clays and clayey till soils . The well drained soils are mostly Gray Wooded with some Dark Gray Wooded types comparable to the Garrick and Kelsey Associations . Local areas of thin peaty soils occur - 39 -
in poorly drained sites . Stones are not a serious handicap .
Resource Evaluation
The settled portion of the area is classed as good to fair soils,
for crop production, depending on the topography. The area within the reserve
is generally inferior because of the occurrence of rougher rolling topography,
but may be classed as fair to poor. The area is productive for forestry and
supports good mixed-wood stands of Aspen and White Spruce .
D2.4 Garrick Plain
Location
This Plain lies within the agricultural area and is located between
the villages of White Fox and Garrick .
Landform
It forms a local gently to roughly undulating lacustro-till plain
with mixed deposits of undifferentiated medium textured till and moderately
heavy lake modified till .
Soils
The well drained soils are dominantly Gray Wooded with some Dark Gray
Wooded profiles and are mapped in the Waitville, Garrick and Kelsey Associations .
The Waitville soils are dominantly Ra Gray Wooded loams and are fairly stony.
The Garrick soils include Gray Wooded loamsto clay loams with variable degrees
of stoniness . Some Gray Wooded and Dark Gray Wooded Solonetzic profiles are
found in the Garrick and Kelsey soils . Local areas of peaty soils occur.
Resource Evaluation
The soils throughout the area are considered as fair to good types
for agriculture depending mainly on the degree of stoniness and of local rough
topography . The Garrick and Kelsey soil being considered as superior to the
Waitville . Intensive lumbering was practiced in earlier years in the districts - 40 -
around the hamlet of Love . There are few merchantable stands of trees left
in the area .
D2 .5 Mossy River Plain
Location
The Mossy River Plain lies entirely within the Provincial Forest and
forms an extensive marginal lake plain sloping gently eastward from the base
of the Wapawekka Upland at about 1,450 feet for 40 to 50 miles, to the series
of beach ridges at approximately 1,000 feet which mark the sharp drop to the
Manitoba Lowlands .
Landform
Mainly a gently sloping plain broken by a succession of intermittent
low and narrow ridges which lie transversely to the general slope . These
sandy and gravelly ridges tend to impede the natural drainage of the area
which is feebly developed through the Missipuskiow and Mossy River.
Soils
Almost the entire area is occupied by poorly drained, thick mossy
pests which liE between the ridges . Gray Wooded and Podzolic sand profiles
are found on the latter under a cover of Jack Pines . The mineral parent
material beneath the deep sphagnum and fibrous peats is believed to be mostly
sandy as the area is underlain by Lower Cretaceous deposits . This has been
partially confirmed by the limited observations made in this area .
Resource Evaluation
The area in its present state must be classed as very poor to non- arable land because of the extent and depth of the thick moss peats and the economics of drainage . Black Spruce and Tamarack are the dominant trees on
the bog soils with Jack Pine occurring on the better drained ridges . Most of the peats are frozen for a considerable portion of the year and the - 4 1 -
trees are small and general vegetative growth limited on this account . The
area has very limited potential, either for lumbering or recreational activity.
D2 .6 Weirdale Plain
Location
This Plain lies entirely within the area of agricultural settlement .
It is located north and east of Prince Albert, extending from the White Star
area on the west to east of Weirdale and lying roughly between the Saskatchewan
River on the south and Highway 55 on the north .
Land fo rm
It forms a gently undulating lacustrine and alluvial plain with local
and minor deposits of glacial till and coarse outwash deposits, the latter
generally flanking stream channels .
Soils
The well drained soils are mainly Orthic Dark Gray, Dark Gray Wooded
and Rego Dark Gray (wooded calcareous) soils with some thick Orthic Black soils
of the Kamsack, Weirdale, Canora and Shellbrook Associations . These soils
range in texture from fine sandy loams to clay loams . Local complexes of
Black, Dark .Gray Chernozem, and Dark Gray Wooded gravelly sandy loam soils
of the Whitesand and Glenbush Associations also occur. Poorly drained meadow
and peaty meadows are fairly common in all associations, but with better
drainage conditions the extent of these soil types is diminishing . The reader
is referred to Soil Report and Map No . 13 for greater detail on these soils .
Resource Evaluation
The area may be regarded as one of the better agricultural areas . Most of the Weirdale, Kamsack and Canora soils are classed as good agricultural
soils as are their poorly drained peaty members if adequate drainage is established . The fine sandy Shellbrook soils may be considered as good soils if erosion is controlled . The local areas of gravelly Whitesand and Glenbush 42 soils are grouped as fair to very poor soils depending on their comparative drought resistance and degree of podzolic development . The area is mostly under cultivation and the trees are confined in the main to shelter belts and local wood lots .
D2 .7 Petaigan Plain
Location
This agricultural area lies north of the Im town of Carrot River and east of Nipawin .
Landform
Mainly a local plain of relatively poorly drained lacustrine clay
soils . The topography is flat to gently undulating .
Soils
The moderately well drained soils are mainly Dark Gray solonetzic
or Gray Wooded solonetzic clays . The poorly drained soils are generally
shallow peaty phases with heavy solonetz-like clayey subsoils . Thick peat
soils are found in local areas . These soils have been mapped in the Tisdale
and Arborfield Associations as described in Soils Report No . 13 .
Resource Evaluation
The soils may be classed as good to fair soils depending on the
degree of improvement in drainage, and on the degree of solonetzic or other
poor structural development in the subsoil horizons .
Resource Evaluation
A portion of the Petaigan Plain is now flooded by the reservoir formed
by the Squaw Rapids Dam and Power Project, and lost to agricultural settlement .
As compensation, the recreational potential of the area will increase with
the creation of a lake approximately 40 miles in length, and the possibility 43
of extensive well wooded sandy shore lines suitable for residential and
recreational development, within reasonable distance of the main population
centres .
D2 .8 Red Earth Plain
Location
The Red Earth Plain extends from the agricultural settlements near
the village of Arborfield northeastward into the Pasquia Forest Reserve to
Township 53, Range 3, West of the 2nd Meridian, east of the Shoal Lake Indian
Reserve .
Landform
The area forms a narrow marginal lake plain which slopes gently
northward from the Agassiz beaches at the base of the Pasquia Hills Escarpment
to the Carrot River which forms the boundary between it~and the alluvial flood
plain of the Saskatchewan delta . The surface deposits are mostly shallow
lacustrine clays and lake-modified glacial till with local beach ridges of
stony till and gravelly outwash lying at right angles to the slope. These
ridges have been cut by many creeks flowing from the slopes of the Pasquia
Hills, and which during periods of excessive spring run-off or heavy rains
frequently overflow causing local flooding and water erosion . Among these
mention can be made of the Jordan River, Connell, Papikwan, Cracking and Red
Earth Creeks .
Soils
Within the settlement areas the soils are mainly Dark Gray Chernozemic
and Dark Gray Wooded with some Orthic Gray Wooded and Solonetzic soils with
associated poorly drained phases on lacustrine clay deposits . These have
been mapped in the Tisdale and Arborfield Associations . They are interspersed with local areas of Podzolic soils on outwash deposits mapped as Bodmin .
Within the forest area the soils are dominantly Dark Gray Wooded and - 44
Dark Gray Solonetz soils similar to Tisdale types and Gray Wooded solodized solonetz comparable to Arborfield soils . Sedge peats and sphagnum bogs are frequently found on the upper slope side of the many coarse textured and stony ridges .
Resource Evaluation
The Tisdale soils are considered as good and the Arborfield as fair agricultural soils, with the latter considered as inferior to the Tisdale, both in fertility and structure . Both soils are limited to some degree by heavy textures, the occurrence of poor structured solonetzic B horizons and a fair amount of poor drainage . The latter feature is usually overcome after settlement but does become a problem in wet seasons . Heavy clearing costs have also been a limiting factor, particularly with the Arborfield soil .
Although these soils have been extensively developed in the settled area they are also productive forest types . The Red Earth Plain has been one of the better areas in the province for the production of commercial White
Spruce, and has been extensively lumbered in the past . Today, where adequate fire protection is being maintained, a vigorous new forest is now maturing .
There has bffx been from time to time requests for the further expansion of agricultural settlement into this area . However, while there is the possibility of potential agxifffE:kx agricultural development of a much larger area in the alluvial plains of the Saskatchewan delta, the maintenance of the forest vegetation in the Red Earth Plain must be considered desirable from the standpoint of maintaining flood protection to the Delta region, and an adequate and sustained flow in the Carrot River, as well as for a future source of forest products .
- 45 -
D2 .9 Melfort Plain
Location
This well known area lying to the south of the Forest Region is an
agricultural area supporting a prosperous farming economy between the towns
of Melfort and Tisdale . The soils and area are described in Soils Report
No . 12 but are discussed briefly in this report because it forms the major
subsection of the. Carrot River Lowland .
Landform
Mainly a gently undulating and sloping lacustrine plain of clay
deposition with an elevation ranging between 1,600 and 1,500 feet elevation .
This plain was apparently formed by a series of glacial lakes by which the
drainage waters of the Saskatchewan Rivers in post glacial time eventually
flowed to Lake Agassiz in the Manitoba Lowlands . The present drainage is
effected by a series of local creeks with picturesque names such as the
Sweetwater, Melfort, Thatch, Goosehunting, Leather, Dog Hide, Hanging Hide,
and Presbyterian which flow into the Carrot River.
Soils
The soils are mainly Black and Dark Gray chernozemic with associated
meadow soils and are mostly considered as very good agricultural soils .
Excepting for local wood lots, forest production plays no part in the present
economy of the area .
D2.10 White Fox Plain
Location
The White Fox Plain is an area of alluvial, lacustrine and lake modified
till deposits lying north of the Saskatchewan River . Most of the area centred
on the town of White Fox lies within agricultural settlement, but a small - 46 - area lies within the boundary of the Fort a La Corne Reserve, and a larger portion extends beyond settlement in a northeasterly direction between the
Saskatchewan and Torch Rivers to the vicinity of Squaw Rapids .
Soils of the Settled Area
Within settlement, the soils have been described in Soils Report No .
13 . They are mainly Dark Gray Chernozemic, Dark Gray Wooded and Podzolized
Gray Wooded with associated Peaty soils developed on silty and sandy alluvial
lacustrine deposits, although some lake modified till soils also occur . These
alluvial lacustrine soils have been mapped in the Kamsack, Weirdale, Tisdale,
Nipawin, Shellbrook, Carrot River, White Fox and La Corne Associations . The
lake modified till soils are represented by the Kelsey and Garrick soils .
Most of these soils are rated from fair to good for agricultural development
depending on the textures and degree of podzolic development . An area of
Gray Wooded, Podzolic and Regosolic on sandy alluvial deposits, and associated
meadow soils, some of which are reworked by wind extend into the Fort a La
Come Reserve . These soils are likely similar to the lighter textured La Come
sandy loams and would be rated as poor agricultural soils .
Soils of the . Forested Area
Between the Saskatchewan and Torch Rivers the soils in the forested
areas are mostly Gray Wooded, Podzolic Gray Wooded, and Regosolic on sandy
alluvial and aeolian sand deposits, comparable to the La Corne, Sylvania and
Pine Associations . Some peaty meadow soils comparable to light sandy Carrot
River types also occur . Most of these soils must be considered, at present,
as poor to non-arable for agricultural production, and their forestry potential
is limited . A few local areas of somewhat heavier textured Gray Podzolic or
peaty soils may rate better. The development of the Squaw Rapids hydro plant, and formation of a large lake in the Saskatchewan Valley add a recreational potential to this area . D2 .11 La Corne Plain
Location, Landform and Drainage
This area which lies almost entirely within the Fort a La Come
Reserve north of the Saskatchewan River comprises a very gently undulating to
rolling sand plain of alluvial deposition, portions of which have been modified
by past aeolian activity to form extensive dunes . The northern portion of the
area is drained to the White Fox River, the southern portion by a series of
creeks flowing to the Saskatchewan .
Soils
The well drained soils are Podzolic and Regosolic sands and sandy
loams developed on aeolian and alluvial deposits, which support a dominant
vegetation of Jack Pine with local areas of hardwood stands of Aspen and
Black Poplar. Somewhat heavier textured Gray Wooded fine and very fine sandy
loams comparable to those of the La Corne Association also occur . There is a
significant occurrence of poorly drained meadow and peaty meadow soils in the
northwest portion of the Reserve which supports mainly sedge grasses and
willows, some Tamarack and Black Spruce also occur .
Resource Evaluation
The area is considered unsuitable for agricultural development because
of the presence of very sandy Podzolic soils . With regard to forestry,
silviculture studies have been carried on in the Reserve, and the area is
considered to have a fair to good potential for Jack Pine pulpwood production,
particularly because of its accessibility to transportation and power.
The habitat is favourable for wildlife and is inhabited by moose,
deer and elk . - 48 ..
D2 .12 Nipawin Plain
Location, Extent and Drainage
The Nipawin Plain forms an area of mixed medium to coarse textured sandy alluvial and lacustrine deposits lying south of the Saskatchewan River
Valley and occurring between it and the heavier lacustrine clays of the
Melfort Plain . It extends eastward for over 70 miles from Range 24, north of Brancepeth to Range 13, west of the Second Meridian beyond the town of
Nipawin . The area lies mainly within the agricultural settlement, but includes those portions of the Fort a La Corne Forest Reserve and a number of Indian
Reserves which lie south of the Saskatchewan River. The major drainage is through the Saskatchewan and Carrot Rivers .
Soils
The soils are quite varied, but are mainly Podzolic Dark Gray and
Gray Wooded with associated meadow and peaty meadow soils, including members of the Nipawin, Shellbrook, La Corne, Sylvania and Pine Associations . Smaller areas of Black and Dark Gray Chernozemic soils of the Melfort, Tisdale and
Weirdale Associations also occur.
Resource Evaluation
Most of these soils are considered fair to good for agricultural production with the exceptions of the Sylvania sandy loams which are poor and the Pine sands which are considered as non-arable .
Within the La Corne Reserve, the soils are mostly Podzolic sands with associated peaty meadows and are considered non-arable for agriculture and have a limited potential for commercial forest production .
D2 .13 Carrot River Plain
Location
This area lying entirely within the agricultural settlement forms a very gently undulating plain of sandy alluvial materials deposited between the Saskatchewan and Carrot Rivers, east of the Melfort Lake Plain .
Soils
The soils are mainly peaty meadows and imperfectly drained Calcareous
Dark Gray Chernozemic soils developed on fine sandy to very fine sandy loam deposits which have been mapped and described in No . 13 as the Carrot River
Assocation . Other soils occurring to a limited extent include the Sylvania,
White Fox and Weirdale Associations . Many of the soils now considered as peaty meadows were - originally organic soils with over three feet of sedge and woody peat deposits, but much of which was dmxrxotvx destroyed by fire or partly worked into the mineral horizons while the land was brought under cultivation, and today very little of the original peaty cover remains . The cultivated soils consist of a dark surface horizon of loosely mixed peat and humus-mineral material overlying a mottled poorly drained sandy subsoil which
is usually but not always calcareous . The depth and color characteristics of
the surface soil depends on the amount of original peat incorporated .
Generally it is of.fairly good depth, 8 inches and over, gray to brown in
colour, and high in organic matter, but in local areas where the peat ha$
been severely burnt little organic matter remains and the surface soils are
shallow, low in organic matter and generally very susceptible to wind erosion .
Resource Evaluation
Most of the Carrot River Plain was originally poorly drained and
extensive ditching and surface drainage were required to successfully develop
the area . Even today, wet seasons and local flooding can periodically hinder
successful agriculture . By and large, however, much progress has been made
in developing the Carrot River soils for agriculture and they are considered
as fair for cereals and fair to good for forage crop production . The
prevention of wind erosion, and maintenance of organic matter and fertility
levels are very necessary for sustained production on these soils . .. 50
D2 .14 Saskatchewan Valley
Location and Extent
This area includes the rough broken slopes, and the alluvial terraces and river bottom lands of the Saskatchewan River Valley extending from west of Prince Albert and St . Louis on the north and south branches of the River
to the Forks, where the rivers join and from there eastward on the main stream
to Nipawin . A portion of the valley is now submerged in the newly created
reservoir of the Squaw Rapid Hydro Dam Project.
Soils
Regosolic and weakly developed Podzolic soils are dominant on the variable unconsolidated eroded and ax colluvial hillwash deposits of the steep
slopes along the entire valley. The slopes are mainly well wooded except for
a few steep slopes with southern exposures .
Significant areas of alluvial terrace and flood plain soils occur,
particularly along the north and south branches above the junction of the
rivers . Most of these soils are calcareous mull regosols of mixed and variable
textures with associated poorly drained meadow and peaty meadows . Where these alluvial soils have become well wooded, some calcareous Dark Gray and weakly
Podzolic soils have developed .
Resource Evaluation
Moderately successful agricultural development has taken place on
these soils, particularly adjacent to Prince Albert and St . Louis where fairly extensive areas are under cultivation . Other local alluvial flats and some higher terraces have been developed further down stream bub these are limited in extent.
The advent of developing hydro power by utilization of the drop in elevations of the rivers descending from the Great Plains to the Manitoba
Lowland has been partially realized with the construction of the South Saskatchewan and Squaw Rapids Hydro Dams . The possibilities of furth ,r develop- ment, particularly between the Forks of the Rivers and Nipawin is also under consideration . The construction and development of these projects will not only create additional supplies of power, but will assist in the flood control of the rivers and will create reservoir lakes with considerable potential for
recreational development . The steep valley slopes have a potential for winter
recreation, but generally should be kept wooded as "protection forests" of no commercial value .
D2 .15 Upper Red Deer Plain
Location and Extent
The Upper Red Deer Plain forms an isolated physiographic unit joined
to the remainder of the Carrot River Lowland by a relatively narrow drainage
divide which cuts between the Pasquia Uplands and the Greenwater Hills in
the vicinity of the settlements of Crooked River and Bjorkdale . The plain
is about 30 miles wide and extends eastward from the upper reaches of the
river for a distance of approximately 70 miles to where the Red Deer and
Etomami Rivers join before cutting through the Agassiz beaches near the town
of Hudson Bay .
Much of the area lies within agricultural settlement, but fairly
extensive portions of the plain adjacent to the Uplands remain within the
Porcupine and Pasquia Provincial Forest Reserves .
Landform
Basically it forms a low lying, very gently undulating plain of alluvial,
lacustrine and lake modified till deposits lying between the thinly gla.ciated
Cretaceous Uplands of the Pasquia and Porcupine Hills to the north and south
respectively . The area receives considerable excess drainage from these Uplands
and is rather imperfectly drained by the Red Deer River system . - 5 2 -
Soils
The Red Deer Plain lies within the Transition Gray-Black Soil Zone,
and the soils have been described in Survey Report No . 12. They include Dark
Gray Chernozemic and Dark Gray and Gray Wooded Podzolic soils with associated
peaty meadows and organic (muskeg) soils . Local areas of Solonetzic soils
also occur . In the western portion of the plain, which is somewhat better
drained, the soils are mostly Podzolic and Dark Gray Chernozemic types developed
on sandy alluvial materials of the Sylvania and Shellbrook Associations . In
the central and eastern sections, Dark Gray Chernozemic and Gray Wooded with
associated peaty meadows and bog soils occur developed on lacustrine clays and
highly calcareous glacial tills . These soils are mostly mapped as the Tisdale,
Arborfield, Etomami, Kakwa and Waitville Associations . The glacial till soils,
Etomami and Kakwa, are highly calcareous and are characterized by the occurrence
of significant amounts of pinkish light coloured limestones in various stages
of disintegration . The Kakwa soils are more stony than the Etomami soils .
Resource Evaluation
With the exception of the Kakwa and Sylvania soils which are considered
as poor to non-arable, most of the soils are considered as moderately good
for cultivation, although the necessity of extensive drainage in the area
has been a handicap to their rapid development .
Within the areas remaining in forest reserve the soils are mostly
mixed Dark Gray and Gray Wooded soils on glacial till and lacustrine deposits .
Local areas of peaty meadow and organic (muskeg) soils also occur . While the ultimate disposition of some of the forested lands, particularly areas of Dark Gray Wooded soils may be questioned, they are productive forest sites
and are at present in well managed and protected forest units .
- 5 3 -
The Agassiz Beaches
A series of roughly parallel, coarse textured or stony beach ridges
with intervening lagoon areas of swamp and muskeg mark the western shore line
deposits of Glacial Lake Agassiz in northwestern Manitoba and northeastern
Saskatchewan . They form part of an almost continuous belt of beach deposits
extending northward from south of the United States-Canadian border, until
they disappear in the rocky terrain of the Canadian Shield . The descent of
between 100 and 200 feet elevation in a few miles through these series of
beach deposit marks the major physiographic break to the Manitoba Lowlands . It
is convenient to recognize two major subdivisions of these Agassiz beaches in
Saskatchewan, the Pasquia beaches which flank the Cretaceous Escarpment of the
Pasquia Hills and the Delta beaches which mark the more gradual descent from
The Carrot River Lowland to Saskatchewan Delta and Suggi Lake Lowland . Other
similar, but less extensive, areas of beach deposits flank the Porcupine
and Wapawekka Hills . t The Agassiz Beaches included in X" report are referred to as Pasquia
Beaches and the Delta Beaches .
D2 .16 Pasquia Beaches
Location and Extent
These shore line deposits form a narrow belt between two and six
miles in width, flanking and marking the initial rise from the lowlands to
the escarpment slopes of the Pasquia Uplands . They extend northeastward from
the town of Hudson Bay, which is located on one of the main Agassiz beaches,
to the Carrot River on the border of the Saskatchewan Delta, from where they
abruptly change direction to the southwest and flank the northern edge of
the Pasquia Escarpment back into the agricultural settlements of the Red Earth
Plain east of Arborfield . The beaches are not continuous, but are broken by
a series of gaps cut by streams and rivers descending from the Pasquia Hills .
The Red Deer River has cut a major gap through the main beaches south of
Hudson Bay .
Soils
The soils on these successions of low ridges are mainly Podzolic,
on the coarse textured sands and gravels with heavier textured Orthic Gray
Wooded soils on stony till or other deposits . Jack Pine is the dominant
species on the sands and gravels, with Aspen, White and Black Spruce
occurring in the presence of heavier textured subsoils .
Within the intervening muskeg and swamp areas the soils are mostly
deep organic sphagnum or mixed-wood peats which are often frozen at shallow
depths for a large portion of the year, often as late as July or early
August . The vegetation in these areas is mostly stunted Black Spruce and
Tamarack with an understory of Labrador Tea and Sphagnum Moss . Areas of
open sedge or aquatic marsh vegetation are often found in the wetter portions
of the lagoons, which are usually adjacent to the upper side of the beaches
which act as dams .
Resource Evaluation
The coarse textured podzolic soils on the ridges and the general
impracticability of draining the intervening areas makes the soils in most
of the area unsuitable for development . Some beach ridges have been used as
road or rail grades, and serve as a source of construction material through
otherwise practically impassable terrain . Full advantage of such physiographic
features have been used in the construction of the railway from Hudson Bay
to The Pas and in the location of new development roads in the area .
55
D2 .17 Delta Beaches
Location and Extent
The Delta Beaches form a broad gently sloping belt of beach ridges,
marginal moraines, and swamp deposits marking the fairly gradual descent of
about 100 feet from the Carrot River Plains to the Manitoba Lowlands . They
extend from the outskirts of the -Cpitil of Carrot River northward, across the
Saskatchewan River in the vicinity of Tobin and Squaw Rapids to the vicinity
of the Mossy River and the Suggi Lake Plain xx north of the 16th base line .
From there the beach deposits become less distinct as they extend into the
limestone bedrock plain to the north . The area differs markedly from the
Pasquia Beach area in that it is much wider and the percentage of muskeg and
swam' to beach areas is much greater.
The southern portion extending to the Saskatchewan River has been
described in a Soil Survey Report of the Ravendale-Kennedy Creek Plain
published in 1957 . In the Ravendale portion of the area many of the ridges
are composed of stony glacial till with surface gravelly deposits . These are
apparently of morainic origin, probably recessional moraines . Two of these
were apparently cut through by the Saskatchewan River to form the Tobin and
Squaw Rapids and were utilized in the development of the Squaw Rapids Dam
and NXX Hydro site .
Soils and Utilization
The soils on the ridges and moraines are mainly Podzolic Orthic Gray
Wooded with some Dark Gray Wooded and Podzolized sands . The intervening areas
are mostly wooded muskegs with thick woody peats overlying variable stony
boulder till and lacustrine clay deposits . The area is not considered suitable
for extensive agricultural developments . A fairly small area adjacent to
., 5 6 -
Carrot River has been incorporated as the Carrot River Forest Reserve, the
remainder of the area south of the Saskatchewan and extending to Kennedy
Crrek is at present under crown control . The eventual disposition of this
area will likely be governed by future developments relative to the Hydro
Development and drainage and reclamation of the Saskatchewan Delta area .
Similar conditions of soil and drainage are considered to occur in
many of the areas north of the Saskatchewan, all'of which is at present in
Forest Reserve . A fairly extensive area of upland Gray Wooded and Podzol soils
on alluvial sandy deposits is believed to occur adjacent to the Torch River
similar to that described for the White Fox Plain, but the remainder of the
area is mostly sandy beach and swamp deposits . Much of this is therefore to
be considered as non-arable. The forestry potential is fair to good on kx
some of the Gray Wooded and Podzol soils, but poor in the muskeg areas .
D3 Lac La Ronge Lowland
The Lac La Ronge and Lac Ile-a'la-Crosse Lowlands which together
make up the Upper Churchill Lowlands, are similar in that they lie between
the northern escarpments of the Great Plains and the Canadian Shield . They
have a range in elevation between 1,500 feet and 1,200 feet and are underlain
in the main by sandy beds of Lower Cretaceous origin . They are narrowly
separated from the main body of the Interior Plains by the Wapawekka Upland,
and from each other by a low extension of the Great Plains northward from
Lac La Plonge and Alstead Lake to the Shield near D4pper Lake on the Churchill
River .
Location
The Lac La Ronge Lowland extends northward from Montreal Lake to
Lac La Ronge and lies between the Wapawekka Upland to the east and the
Thunder Hills to the west . 57 -
Landforms
The area may be considered as an ice-scoured glacio-fluvial plain developed from glacially modified lower cretaceous sands with the addition of
Pre-Cambrian erratics . A number of gravelly and sandy ridges of fluvial or morainic origin occur particularly in the western portion of the area, while in the centre and eastern sections extensive undulating to rolling sand plains of alluvial and aeolian origin occur . Limited local alluvial lacustrine clay and other lake modified deposits of low relief and poor drainage occur adjacent to the soz:kx southwest shoreof Lac La Ronge, Extensive areas of poorly drained bogs are found throughout the area and much of the relatively well drained sand plains are also interspersed with low poorly drained swamps .
Drainage
The western portion is drained by the Tippo and Smoothstone Rivers which rise in the western Upland and flow into Pinehouse (Snake) Lake . The centre portion is drained by the Montreal River which flows from Montreal
Lake to Lac La Ronge . The eastern part of the area is drained by the Bow,
Meeyomoot and Nipekamew Rivers as well as other streams flowing north from the Wapawekka Escarpment .
Climate
The mean January temperature is between -6 and -loo F, the mean July between 62 and 630 F, and the mean annual between 30 and 310 F . The growing season lasts between 148 and 160 days commencing between April 30 and May 5 and ending between October :k$ 1 and 6. The frost-free period is between 80 and 90 days . The annual precipitation is between 16 and 18 inches with about
11 inches falling between May and September . - 5 8 -
Geology and Soil Parent Material
The surficial deposits are believed to be underlain by Lower Cretaceous sands extending northward to the shield, and the general coarse sandy textures
of the soils with the absence of calcareous clays and limestones tend to
support this view . However, the occurrence of a number of smooth sided lakes,
and reports of occasional limestone erratics or outcrops near the south side
of Lac La Ronge indicate that the possibility of Devonian beds occurring near
the surface .
Soils
The Upland soils are mostly Podzolic sandy types ranging in profile
development from Gray Wooded soils with slight textural B horizons to Gray
Wooded Podzol intergrades and Podzol profiles, the latter with intensely
bleached Ae horizons and Podzolized B horizons.
Podzolic Gray Wooded profiles of poor physical structure occur on the
moderately to impx imperfectly drained clay areas .
The bog soils are mostly deep sphagnum peat types overlying variable
sandy to clay deposits and are maihly saturated to the surface .
The Lac La Ronge Lowland has been subdivided into five physiographic
mapping units based on differing features of relief and soils .
Vegetation
Extensive sands of Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana) occupy the sand plains
and low ridges, while intervening poorly drained areas are forested with
Black Spruce (Picea mariana) and Tamarack (Larix laricina) . White Spruce
%X (Picea glauca) and Aspen (Populus tremuloides) are of less importance
here than on the upland tills of the Mixed Wood Section to the south, through
both species, and also Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifera), are well represented
where drainage conditions are favourable . Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) and
White Birch (Betula papyrifera) xxx are present but not abundant . Large
- 5 9 -
areas of swamp, bog and muskeg are common .
D3.1 Smoothstone River Plain
Location and Drainage
This area includes most of the western section of the Lac La Ronge
Lowland . It is drained by way of the Smoothstone River which flows from
Smoothstone Lake in the Waskesiu Hills Upland at 1,572 feet into the lowlands
at Emmeline Lake, elevation 1,395 feet, and from there into the Churchill
River System at Pinehouse (Snake) Lake at an elevation of 1,260 feet .
Landform
A roughly undulating to rolling plain of mixed medium and coarse
textured glacial and coarse textured glacio-fluvial deposits of sandy Lower
Cretaceous origin . Bedrock putcrops, occur in areas adjacent to the border
of the Canadian Shield, and in the numerous rapids occurring in the Smoothstone
River .
Soils
The upland soils are mainly Orthic Gray Wooded, Bisequa Gray Wooded
and Podzol on medium and coarse textured deposits with local areas of very
shallow Podzolic and stony Regosols on bedrock . Deep organic peat soils occur
in the large areas of wooded muskeg, and many local areas of bog soils are
also found within the better drained areas . The upland Podzolic soils are
acidic, deficient in lime and o£ low fertility . The percentage of organic
peat xak soils is large and the economics of drainage high .
Resource Evaluation
The soils are considered to be mostly very poor to non-arable types .
The forest cover is dominantly softwoods, Jack Pine and Black Spruce with
some mixed wood cover including Aspen and Birch . The potentiality of the area
for commercial forestry is poor, largely due to slow growth rates and the
high percentage of wooded swamp . It is also limited by general lack of
accessibility . - 60 -
D3 .2 Montreal River Plain
Location and Drainage
This area includes the central portion of the Lac La Ronge Lowland which is drained by way of the Montreal River flowing from Montreal Lake at
an elevation of 1,608 feet into Egg Lake and Lac La Ronge at 1,290 and 1,198
feet elevation respectively .
Landform
The area is a gently sloping to undulating fluvio-glacial and alluvial
sand plain, underlain by bedrock of sandy Lower Cretaceous origin . A number of
gravelly and sandy ridges occur in the area .
Soils
The upland soils are mainly coarse textured Podzolics, including sandy
Gray Wooded, Bisequa Gray Wooded and Podzol types . The greater portion of the
area .i s imperfectly to poorly drained with sphagnum and woody peat soils
underlain by coarse textured deposits similar to those found on the uplands .
Resource Evaluation
Because of the extensive muskegs and the associated coarse textured
Podzolic soils, the area must be considered as unsuitable for agricultural
development .
The dominant tree species are softwoods, mainly Jack Pine on the
upland and Black Spruce and Tamarack in the muskeg areas . The potential
productivity of the area for forestry Is limited .
D3 .3 Bow River Plain
Landform and Drainage
The Bow River Plain is a rolling to hilly drift plain of glacially
modified Lower Cretaceous sands with the addition of Pre-Cambrian stony
materials . The sandy drift material has undergone some wind and water
modification as evidenced by local alluvial and aeolian deposits with occasional
areas of sand dunes . The area is dissected by the Bow River which drains
into Lac La Ronge .
Soils
The soils vary from podzolized (Gray Wooded) sands to Bisequa Gray
Wooded and Podzols, nearly all of which are developed on coarse sands to loamy
sands . Some indications of buried soil profiles have been observed in exposures
along the highway which bisects the area . Only minor areas of Organic soils
are found, mostly in local depressions or adjacent to creek channels .
Resource Evaluation
The area is considered as unsuitable for agricultural development,
but it supports a dominant Jack Pine vegetation, which has a commercial
potential . Local mixed-wood areas supporting good stands of Aspen also occur.
D3 .4 Wapawekka Plain
Location and Drainage
This area occupies the eastern portion of the Lac La Ronge Lowland
lying north of the Wapawekka Hills Upland . The westerly portion of the plain
is drained by the Meeyomoot and Nipekamen Rivers into Lac La Ronge at an
elevation of 1,198 feet and thus by the Churchill drainage system. The
eastern portion of the plain is drained by a series of creeks and rivers into
Wapawekka Lake at 1,290 feet, and thus becomes part of the Nelson watershed .
A fairly low drainage divide separates the two drainage systems .
Land fo rm
The area forms a gently sloping to undulating, thinly glaciated sand
plain overlying sandy bedrock deposits of Lower Cretaceous origin . The round
shape of local. lakes suggest the occurrence of limestone beds at shallow depth .
Soils
The soils are mainly mixtures of Organic and Podzolic types developed
on glacio-fluvial and sandy alluvial deposits . Towards the eastern portion - 62 - of the area relatively well drained sand plains slope upward to the Wapawekka
Hills, but to the west the area becomes progressively wetter and extensive bogs occur, particularly in the southwestern portion of the plain .
Resource Evaluation
The soils in the area are considered as very poor to non-arable on
the basis of the extensive areas of muskeg and the occurrence of coarse
textured Podzolic sands .
Much of. the area supports a relatively young growth of softwoods,
mostly Jack Pine and Black Spruce . There is the potential within the area
for commercial forestry and recreational pursuits .
D3 .5 Egg Lake Plain
Location
The Egg Lake Plain includes the lower northeastern portions of the
Lac La Ronge Lowland including the areas surrounding Morin, Egg, Bigstone and
Potatoe Lakes and those adjacent to the southwestern shore of Lac La Ronge .
Landform
The area forms a roughly undulating ice-scoured plain with a thin
mantle of mixed Pre-Cambrian glacial drift, gravelly outwash, and local areas
of thin alluvial lacustrine silts and clays, all overlying bedrock of Lower
Cretaceous sands .
The occurrence of Devonian limestone bedrock near the surface is
suspected . A few limestone erratics have been noted within the area and
limestone shingle occurs on some islands and shore deposits in the south
bay of Lac La Ronge .
Soils
The major portion of the area is poorly drained and the soils are
mostly organic, sphagnum and woody mixed peats interspersed with imperfectly
drained Gray Wooded and locally better drained Podzolic sandy soils . A few - 63 - local soils with thin dark humus mineral surface horizons occur on alluvial and lake shore deposits near the mouth of the Potatoe River and between
Bigstone and Lac La Ronge .
Resource Evaluation
The area is considered as very poor to non-arable, because of the
extensive occurrence of stony gravelly Podzolic soils and of thick peats .
Some limited agriculture development has taken place on the small areas of
gleyed Podzolic and alluvial soils adjacent to the settlement at La Ronge, and in the Indian settlement at Potatoe River. The gleyed Gray Wooded soils on silt and clay deposits are low in organic matter content and of poor
physical structure .
The potentiality of the area for commercial forest production is
limited . The main recreational activity of the area is mainly centred around
the settlement of La Ronge, and on the south shore of Lac La Ronge on
Meeyomoot Bay .
D4 Lac Ile-a-la-Crosse Lowland
Historical Notes
The Lac Ile-a-la-Crosse Lowland has a record of development and
settlement extending back for nearly two hundred years . This is largely due
to the strategic importance of the lakes and rivers of this area in furnishing
transportation routes for the original native mp population, and later for early explorers and traders in their attempts to penetrate the northwestern areas and dominate the fur trade . In 1791, Thomas Frobisher built a fort at
Ile-a-la-Crosse and this became the second oldest settlement in Saskatchewan .
The fort was strategically situated to take HX advantage of the northwestern. water routes to the Mackenzie River by way of Methy Portage ; and to the southern Saskatchewan Prairies by way of the Beaver River, and finally by the Churchill River route to Hudson Bay . Many other settlements were developed,
- 6 4 -
among them those of Beauval, Buffalo Narrows, Dillon and La Loche, and most
of these have continued to serve as centres for the Indian and Metis population .
The traffic by waterway has diminished in importance and the area is
now serviced by air and road transportation . The construction of a development
highway from Green Lake through Beauval to Buffalo Narrows and La Loche on
Methy Lake links the area to the Saskatchewan Highway grid .
Location and Drainage
The Lac Ile-a-la-Crosse Lowland includes the areas of low relief lying
between the Mostoos Upland to the west and the Dore Lake and La Plonge Plains
to the east . It extends from the Lower Beaver River Valley below Grand Rapids
on the south to the higher Methy Portage Plains north of Peter Pond Lake and
the Canadian Shield at the northern edge of Churchill and Ile-a-la-Crosse Lake .
The overall relief is very slight, ranging from between 1,450 feet and 1,500
feet at the base of the Uplands to a low elevation of 1,380 feet where the
waters from Ile-a-la-Crosse Lake flow into the main Churchill River . The area
is drained by the Beaver, Canoe, McCusker, Dillon and Methy Rivers into the
lakes of the Churchill system .
Geology and Soil Parent Materials
The surface glacial deposits are believed to be underlain by Lower
Cretaceous beds belonging to the Blairmore-Manville Group . These include the
light yellow sandstones of the McMurrary formation, which have contributed sand,
some clay and coal fragments to the surface deposits . The landforms and
topography of the area indicate intense glacial and post glacial activity .
The low relief of the area and the occurrence of large elongated lakes and
poorly drained areas with a marked northwest to southeast trend suggest glacial
scouring by ice moving from the northwest . There is a relatively thin deposition
of glacial materials containing bituminous tar sands, occasional Devonian - 65 - dolomite erratics, and sands derived from the Athabascan deposits, whose. source materials are in the northwest. These materials incorporated with the local cretaceous sands and shales has given rise to glacial parent materials high in sand and generally low in carbonates and limestone rock .
Landform
The activities of Pleistocene times have resulted in the development of a glacial fluvial plain of low relief and composed largely of areas of thin sandy and gravelly overwash deposited on a water modified sandy to sandy clay, very slightly calcareous, glacial till . Minor areas of glacial till without a sandy overburden occur, as well as very local alluvial and lacustrine deposits .
The latter are particularly evident in the Lower Beaver Valley, and the Canoe
Lake area . The low relief of the country with very little stream gradient has resulted in extensive areas of poorly drained bog and swamps between the better drained sandy ridges and uplands .
Drainage
The occurrence of considerable areas of sandy and gravelly fluvial deposits on terrace levels which are considerably higher than the present stream channels, suggest a period of drainage at the time when a large body of water occupied the lowland area . This drainage flowed southeastward through the present Beaver Valley, Green Lake, Cowan River and Delaronde Lake spillways to the Saskatchewan Lowlands . Subsequent retreat of the ice to the north opened present lower drainage to the Churchill system . This former high level water body was designated as glacial lake Hyper Churchill by Tyrrel, one of the first geologists to study the area.
Climate
This Region has a mean January temperature between -6 and -loo F, a mean July temperature of between 62 and 630 F and a mean annual temperature between 29 and 300 F . The growing season starts between April 30 and May 5, - 6 6 -
lasts about 148 to 160 days, and ends between October 1 and 6 . The frost-free
period is between 70 to 80 days . The annual precipitation is 16 to 18 inches
of which the majority occurs between May and September .
Soils
Mixed sandy and medium textured Podzoli-c soils are found on the well
drained sites . These soils range from Gray Wooded to Podzol Gray Wooded
intergrades and Podzols . The former soils occur most frequently on the finer
textured parent materials ; the more intensely developed Podzol soils occurring
on sands . Most of these soils are moderately to strongly acidic in the
surface horizons with lime carbonate, if present, occurring at lower depths .
The soils developed in the poorly drained bog areas are mostly sphagnum peat
types with acidic to very slightly calcareous mineral sub-horizons . Soils
developed on the alluvial deposits of the Beaver Valley are mixed thin peaty
meadow and sedge peats on variable textured, calcareous and sometimes saline
deposits .
Agriculture
A limited agricultural development has taken place adjacent to most
of these settlements, but is mostly confined to vegetable gardening and
limited livestock production for local consumption . The most intensive
development of this nature has taken place adjacent to the settlements of
Beauval in the Beaver Valley .
Divisions
The lowland has been divided into five subsection units for descriptive purposes.
D4.1 Methy River Plain
The Methy River Plain forms the northwestern portion of the Lac
Ile-a-la-Crosse Lowland, north of Peter Pond Lake . It lies generally below - 67 -
1,500 foot elevation, and includes the relatively gently sloping lowlands surrounding Methy Lake and the Methy River. Methy Lake is shallow and lies at an elevation of 1,460 feet, and is drained by Methy River, a sluggish stream which flows approximately 20 miles to the southeast through reedy swamp land to Peter Pond Lake at 1,382 feet .
Geology xx and Soil Parent Material
The surface deposits are mainly mixed medium and coarse textured stony glacial till and coarse sandy gravelly outwash deposits, the outwash often occurring as shallow deposits over glacial till . Local areas of heavier textured lake modified stony till and alluvial sandy deposits are found adjacent to
Methy Lake . Remnants of ancient shore line deposits indicate that the lake level was formerly higher than at present .
Soils
A large proportion of the area is poorly drained, particularly south of Methy Lake and along the river. The better drained medium textured upland areas support a mixed-wood forest cover and the soils are mostly acidic Orthic
Gray Wooded with intergrading profiles to Podzol types .
The dominant soils on the heavier textured glacial till are Gray
Wooded Solodized Solonetz with hard angular blocky structure B horizons .
Exchangeable cation analyses indicate a moderate degree of solonetzic develop ment with slight salinity in the C horizons of some of these profiles . The lower poorly drained areas consist mainly faxmo of wooded muskegs, with Black
Spruce and Tamarack developed on thick sphagnum moss and sedge peat deposits .
Resource Evaluation
The area is considered as unsuitable for extensive agriculture and of low potential commercial forest development. Limited agricultural development Locheoccurredexcesstributaries,thebeenofbythethroughLakeofBuffaloPond,toSimilar(Buffalo)woodedbywayandtoLaclimitedsoilstheshoulddevelopedanddrainagetheArsenaultofBuffaloTheNiskanorthernMcCuskeronDrainagewesternIle-a-la-CrosselittletheRiverBisequaMcCuskersoilsLaNiskainformationswampprovidethecentralDillon,Rivertraverses,LocheandPlainofVermetteissmallRivermayportionLakelandTheandRiverCanoeGrayValleyknowntheandportionRivergreateroccurMcCuskerMacallumareasPlainconstructionbeforeiseasternareWoodedWestTheaerialLakesofCreekmeagreandwhichonbelievedofopportunitieswhichthesouthernthisLareachingothertheandheavierLakesphototypesslopesandtheareaLocheLacseparatesareaalluvial-lacustrineliesCanoeTheofalsoNipinareaIle-a-la-CrossesmalldevelopedpartareinterpretationtoiswhereofexceptthesoilstexturedgenerallybedrainedRiversincludesincludingRiverdrainedthecreeksofforthesettlementroadmainlyfairlyMostoosthroughinthisdevelopmentMostoosonandfrombythesoilsbelowthroughthetoGraymediumplaintheflowssuccessfultheirtheandportionBuffaloLowlandtheUplandsupperofearlydepositsadjacentandCuminWoodedDillon1,500DillonincludingforestrysouthCanoetexturedtributariesthroughwithinDillonbaseportionofNarrowswhichLakesandfeetwithgardensRiverendadjacentonLakethetolinedischargesHillsmapsathePeterareofglacialelevationthereceiveofareasomelargeandtoPeterareatoareastheto
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Soils
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Podzolized
till . - 69 the rivers . These soils support a largely mixed-wood vegetation . Numerous, fairly large areas of bog and muskeg soils occur particularly adjacent to the lower Dillon River, and west of Cumin Lake . A large area of deep peat soils under wooded muskeg vegetation occur in the area northwest of Canoe Lake . This
large bog area is interspersed with local areas of upland soils, believed to be Gray Wooded and Podzol types developed mainly on coarse textured glacio-
fluvial parent material . The extreme southerly portion of the area southwest of Canoe Lake is apparently better drained and forest cover map indicate that
it supports a dominantly hardwood vegetation . The soils are believed to be
mainly Gray Wooded with significant inclusion of B_sequa Gray Wooded and
Podzol profile types on medium and coarse textured glacial deposits . A meagre
number of analyses on samples secured from the Canoe Lake area suggest that
the upland soils are moderately to strongly acidic and the parent materials
very low in lime carbonate . On the rather scanty data available it is
suggested that the soils are mainly very poor to non-arable .
D4.3 Kazan Lake Plain
Location and Drainage
The Kazan Lake Plain includes the very large area o£ wooded swamp land
of low relief extending for approximately 50 miles from southeast of Canoe
Lake northward to Kazan Lake, and lying between the relatively better drained
Buffalo River and the portion of the Ilea-la-Crosse Plains lying immediately
south of Peter Pond Lake . It lies at a general elevation of a little over
1,400 feet . External drainage from the southern portion of the area is through
Canoe Lake at 1,415 feet and the Canoe River which flows northeastward to
Ile-a-la-Crosse Lake . In the northern portion of the area external drainage
is obtained by way of Kazan Lake at 1,425 feet elevation to Peter Pond Lake
by way of the Kazan River . The McCusker River flows through the extreme
western portion of the plain to Niska Lake . - 70 -
Soils
Very little is known of the area except by base line traverses and aerial photographic interpretation of forest cover. These indicate an extensive area of deep peat soils developed on wooded muskeg with local ridges and upland areas of Podzolic soils under Jack Pine or Aspen vegetation . The area is believed to be underlain by coarse to medium textured glacial and fluvial glacial deposits similar to most of the other portions of the Lac Ile-a-la-Crosse
Lowland .
Resource Evaluation
The area is considered as unsuitable for agricultural or commercial forest development because of the extensive conditions of poor drainage.
D4 .4 Ile-a-la-Crosse Plain
Location and Drainage
This plain constitutes the section of the Lac Ile-a-la-Crosse Lowland extending southeastward from Peter Pond and Churchill Lakes in the northwest to Lac Ile-a-la-Crosse and the Lower Beaver River Valley in the south and east . It includes the settlements of Beauval and Ile-a-la-Crosse .
The area as a whole is well drained, but some large bogs and numerous narrow bogs with a NW - SE trend occur.
Landform and Soil Parent Material
It forms a roughly undulating plain of mixed medium to coarse textured glacial till, coarse sandy outwash and wind modified sandy alluvial deposits .
These soil parent materials are generally low in lime carbonate .
Soils
The upland soils are dominantly Gray Wooded, Bisequa Gray Wooded,
Podzols and Regosols characterized by coarse sandy textures and moderate to strong acidity. Soils with lime carbonate subsoils are rare, but do occur in local areas . - 7 1 -
The poorly . drained soils are mostly moderately deep to deep sphagnum and woody peats overlying coarse textured materials.
Resource Evaluation
The soils are generally acidic, deficient in lime and of low fertility and are considered to be unsuitable for extensive cultivation . Small acreages have been cultivated with varying success at Beauval and Ile-a-la-Crosse, mostly for garden produce and to supply local needs .
Jack Pine is the dominant forest vegetation on the sandy loam and loamy sand upland areas, but extensive mixed wood cover also occurs, Fat particularly where heavier texture subsoils exist . In the loamy sand to sandy areas the Jack
Pine cover usually is sparse and Aspen growth frequently dwarfed and stunted .
This is particularly evident in the area between Beauval and Fort Black .
Transportation in the area has been considerably improved by the highway between Beauval and Buffalo Narrows with extensions to Fort Black and
Ile-a-la-Crosse .. This highway MKO may perhaps increase the resource opportunities .
D4 .5 Lower Beaver Valley
Although included as a subdivision within the Physiographic Divisions included in the legend, the symbol D4 .5 was inadvertently left off the printed soil map . The area is readily distinguished on the map by the light green coloured narrow strip which occurs south of Lac Ile-a-la-Crosse and along the east side of the Ile-a-la-Crosse Plain .
Location
This section includes the narrow band of alluvial flood plain deposits adjacent to the Lower Beaver River and extending for about 40 miles from a point just north of.Grand Rapids where the river cuts out of the plain to its junction with Lac Ile-a-la-Crosse near Fort Black . - 7 2 -
Soils and their Agricultural Utilization
The soils are mainly shallow peaty meadows and peaty Rego-Gleysols
on variable textured alluvial deposits, which are frequently slightly to
moderately saline . These soils may be considered as suitable for pasture
and hay production, but unfortunately the Lower Beaver Valley is subject to
periodic flooding which has hampered its utilization in this regard .
E Saskatchewan Plains Region
The Saskatchewan Plains Region is a division within the Great Plains
Province of the Interior Plains of North America . On the accompanying map the
Saskatchewan Plains Region is indicated as having ten Section and forty-seven
Sub-sections . Nine of these Sections and their Sub-sections are described in
this report . The Assiniboine River Plain Section, identified on the southern
border of the map by the symbol E2, is not discussed because it is in the
agricultural region described in Soils Report No . 12 . Also because many of
the Sections included in the Saskatchewan Plains Region do not occur within the
Provincial Forest boundaries such areas are not described fully . Interested
readers are, however, referred to Soils Reports No . 12 and 13 for the detailed
descriptions of soils within the settled areas of those Sections indicated
on the Schematic . Map .
E3 Saskatchewan Rivers Plain
Location and Extent
These plains extend from the Alberta Uplands westward to the Manitoba-
Saskatchewan Lowlands, forming the broad valleys of the North and South
Saskatchewan Rivers and their tributaries .
Landforms
Gently undulating and rolling till plains are common through the area but the release of large quantities of meltwater within the area has resulted
in considerable sorting of the glacial debris giving rise to fluvial plains of - 7 3 - coarse outwash, sandy to medium textured alluvial, and finer textured lacustrine deposits .
The northern sections of these plains descend from a general elevation slightly above 1,750 feet where they break from the escarpment and hill lands of the Alberta Uplands to about 1,500 feet where they merge with the Carrot
River Lowland .
Climate
The mean January temperature is between 0 and -20 F, for July it is
65 to 660 F, and the mean annual temperature is between 32 and 360 F . The growing season lasts between 160 and 169 days, starting between April 25 and
30 and ending October 6 to 11 . The last spring frost is between June 1 and
10 and the first fall frost between September 1 and 10 . Thus there are 90 to
110 frost-free days . There are between 13 and 15 inches of annual precipitation of which between 9 and 11 inches fall between May and September . When reviewing
the climatic data the reader is cautioned that this data encompasses the entire
Saskatchewan Rivers Plain which includes portions of short grass prairie to
the south . In the northern portion of the Saskatchewan Rivers Plain, the growing season is probably shorter by a week, frost hazards are higher and
the precipitation is probably higher by 3 to 4 inches .
Vegetation
The characteristic forest association of the well-drained uplands is mixedwood, made up of varying proportions of Aspen (Populus tremuloides) and
Balsam Poplar (P . balsamifera), White Birch (Betula papyifera), White Spruce
(Picea glauca) and Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea), the last two species especially prominent in old stands . The cover type of greatest areal extent is the
Aspen, a result of the ability of this species to regenerate readily following disturbance . In addition to its usual dominance on sandy areas, Jack Pine - 74 -
(Pinus banksiana) enters into the forest composition on the drier till soils, and mixes with Black Spruce (Picea mariana) on the plateau-like tops of the higher hills . Lower positions and the upper water-catchment areas develop
Black Spruce and Tamarack (Larix laricina) muskeg in which, however, the accumulation of peat is not deep .
Geology and Soil Parent Material
The preglacial subsurface deposits are believed to be mostly of
Upper Cretaceous origin . The bedrock is not of particular significance as
most of the Saskatchewan Plain is mantled with glacial deposition of very
mixed bedrock origin giving rise to a heterogeneous medium textured calcareous
glacial till .
Soils
The Saskatchewan Rivers Plain includes areas within the Grassland,
Aspen-grove or Parkland, and Mixedwood Sections of the Boreal Forest .
Consequently, the soils range from Dark Brown, Black, and Gray Black
Chernozemic to Dark Gray and Gray Wooded Podzolic soils . The dominant soils
within the forested portion of the Saskatchewan Rivers Plain are Gray Wooded
with associated or meadow peaty Organic soils . The agricultural areas in
Reports No . 12 and 13 include Black and Dark Gray Chernozemic with Dark Gray
Wooded soils .
E3 .1 Paddockwood Plain
Physical Features
The Paddockwood Plain lies outside the Forest Reserves . It forms a
gently to roughly undulating till plain lying between the Waskesiu Upland to
the northwest, and the Montreal Lake Plain and Wapawekka Uplands to the north
and northeast, and is drained southward to the Saskatchewan by the Garden
River . 75
Soils
The area lies within the Transition Parkland Forest Belt and the soils are mainly medium textured Dark Gray Chernozemic and Dark Gray Wooded soils developed mainly on calcareous moderately stony glacial till plus associated peaty meadow and local areas of medium textured lacustrine deposits .
In imperfectly drained areas there is a dominance of Rego and Calcareous Dark
Gray soils in the Paddockwood and Weirdale Association plus peaty calcareous meadows . Orthic .Dark Gray (slightly degraded) and Dark Gray Wooded (moderately to strongly degraded) soils are found in upper better drained positions and are mainly the Pelly and Whitewood Associations . Local areas of stony and gravelly outwash soils also occur.
Agricultural Evaluation
The soils may he regarded as fair to good for agricultural production with local areas of poor to very poor soil . Imperfect to poor drainage is a limiting factor in much of the area . A large area of peaty soils occurs in the intermittently flooded bed of Cheal Lake or Egg Lake. This has been partially drained and has been developed as a hay and fodder project .
E3 .2 Spruce River Plain
Location and Extent
The Spruce River Plain lies mainly within the agricultural area north of Prince Albert, and includes portions of the Little Red River and Sturgeon
Lake Indian Reserves which are largely forested . It also includes that portion of the undulating to gently rolling marginal lake plain bordering the portion of the Carrot River Lowland which is drained by the Spruce and
Sturgeon Rivers . - 7 6 -
Soils
The soil parent materials are very mixed, including variable textured, glacial till, outwash, and alluvial lacustrine deposits . The area lies within the Transition Parkland-Forest belt, and the Upland soils include Black and
Dark Gray Chernozemic and Dark Gray Wooded with associated poorly drained meadows and peaty meadows . The soils include members of the Pelly, Paddockwood,
Whitewood, Kamsack, Weirdale, Shellbrook, Whitesand and Glenbush Associations and the reader is referred to Soils Report No . '_3, and the Prince Albert and
Big River map sheets for further descriptions .
Agricultural Evaluation'
Agriculturally the area is considered as fair to good with the exception of the coarse textured Whitesand and Glenbush soils, which together with meadow bog soils, are poor to non-arable .
E3 .3 Nisbet Plain
Location and Extent
This area extends from Batoche and Duck Lake on the south branch across the North Saskatchewan River to Holbein and then eastward to a point about 8 miles east of the city of Prince Albert . Much of the area is incorporated into various units of the Nisbet Provincial Forest but some lands within the fringe of agricultural settlement are also included .
Landform
The Nisbet Plain includes the large areas of aeolian dunes and roughly undulating to rolling wind modified sand plains lying between and adjacent to the north and south branches of the Saskatchewan River.
Soils
The area extends from the northern edge of the grassland with Black soils, through a Wooded-grassland transition area of Black and Dark Gray soils, to Jack Pine forests on Podzolic soil profiles . On the fringes of the area _ 77 where the sand plain merges with alluvial fine sandy loam soils, Dark Grav and Black Chernozemic profiles occur comparable to those found in the Shollbrook and Meota Associations . Some poorly drained areas of shallow peaty meadow soils or occasionally thick organic peat soils also occur .
Most of the soils under forest cover are Orthic Gray Wooded (podzolized sands) similar to those described in the Pine Sand Association, together xr1 with some slightly 'leached Regosolic soils .
Resource Evaluation
Most of the area is unsuitable for cultivation and much of the area south of the north Saskatchewan is unproductive for forestry . Good Jack Pine stands have developed under good management practices in the Forest Reserves north of Prince Albert, and these areas axxx have a commercial potential . They are also valuable as recreational green belts, because of their proximity to
the urbanized area of Prince Albert .
E3 .4 Prince Albert Plain
Location
The Prince Albert Plain is a roughly undulating to gently rolling area,
lying between the north and south'branches of the Saskatchewan River and extending westward from the junction of the Rivers at "The Forks" to the Nisbet aeolian plains . With the exception of the small Steep Creek Provincial Forest, and part of the Muskoday Indian Reserve most of the area which lies immediately
south of the city of Prince Albert is in agricultural settlement .
Soils and the Agricultural Evaluation within The area lies wikk the Grassland to Forest transitional zone. Within
this zone Grassland Black, Transition Dark Gray and Forest Podzolic soils occur on a complex of medium to coarse textured alluvial lacustrine, aeolian sands, and glacial outwash deposits . Much of the area has been influenced by aeolian action . The soils of the area are described in Soil Survey Report No . 13 and most of the area is included on the Prince Albert-Carrot River Map Sheet .
Associations identified include the Blaine Lake, Weirdale, Nipawin, Shellbrook,
La Co rn e, Sylvania and Glenbush together with areas of Podzolic Pine Sands and
aeolian dunes . This complex of soils, of variable textures and topography,
rate from poor to good in agricultural productivity .
The soils within the Steep Creek Forest Reserve are mainly sandy
textured Dark Gray Wooded and 0rthic Gray Wooded plus podzolized sands . These
are , considered unsuitable for agricultural development .
E3 .5 Shell River Plain
Location
The area lies to the south of the established Forest Reserves and
extends from the slopes of the Thickwood Hills Upland, near the village of
Shell Lake, eastward to the alluvial lacustrine plains near the town of
Shellbrook .
Landforms
The Shell River Plain forms a glacio-fluvial outwash plain of moderately
rolling to hilly and gently to moderately undulating topography with local areas
of rolling morainic till and undulating sandy alluvial deposits .
Drainage
It is drained by the Shellbrook and Mistawasis Creek which join
together to reach the Saskatchewan by means of the Sturgeon River. The
area includes a number of local lakes . Among these are Sandy, Fur, Mistawasis
and Royal Lakes .
Soils
The area lies within the Transition Parkland Forest Belt, and the
upland soils vary from Black Chernozemic grassland soils through various - 7 9 - degrees of wooded degradation to Dark Gray Chernozemic, Dark Gray Wooded and
Gray Wooded types . The area where undisturbed is mostly wooded, and the Black grassland soils are confined in the main to upper unshaded slopes and to the coarse sandy outwash plain . Local areas of meadows, peaty meadows and organic muskeg soils occupy the poorly drained kettles and the creek bottom areas .
The soils include the Whitesand, Glenbush, Whitewood, Shellbrook,
Sylvania and Pine Sand Associations with associated meadow and meadow-bog soils . The reader is referred to the Big River Map Sheet and Soils Report
No . 13 for the location and further descriptions of these soils .
Resource Evaluation
Due to the dominance of coarse textured gravelly, sandy and stony soils, plus the high percentage of rough topography, much of the area is considered poor to unsuitable for agriculture . Most of the agricultural development in the area is limited to local areas of more favourable topography and the heavier fine sandy loam and light loam textures .
It should be noted that apart from the limited agricultural exploitation, portions of the area lie within the Atakakup and Mistawasis Indian Reserves and these have supported a small indigenous population inx for many years .
A number of'the more hilly areas such as that occurring west of the hamlet of Mont Nebo, are quite scenic, being well wooded and interspersed with local lakes . The possibilities of preserving these areas for game and wildlife, and the development of recreation facilities might be well considered .
The Canwood Provincial Forest Reserve was established on an area of
Pine Sand and meadow-bog.
In other poor to KM4[KSHx non-arable portions of the plain, community pastures such as the one established in the Mount Royal Municipality might be considered . - 80 -
E3 .6 Debden Plain
Location
The Debden Plain lies almost entirely in the agricultural area except for a narrow strip in the northeast which enters on the Prince Albert National
Park, and a small area in the southwest which is included in the Atakakup
Indian Reserve .
Landform
The area forms a gently undulating to rolling glacial drift plain of relatively low relief, lying between the Waskesiu and Thickwood Hills Upland to the east and west respectively, and boundaried on the north by the broad divide at an elevation of approximately 1,750 feet between the Churchill and
Saskatchewan drainage systems . It has a general slope southward to its junction with the Shellbrook lacustrine lake plain at about 1,650 feet .
Drainage
A large proportion of the area is poorly drained ; shallow lakes,
imperfectly drained meadows, and bog areas are common . Some external drainage to the Saskatchewan system is effected by the Sturgeon River. Another ill defined glacial channel drains a portion of the central area through Big Sucker
Lake and Sucker Creek .
Soils
The area lies within the Transition Parkland - Forest Zone and the
Upland soils are mostly Dark Gray Chernozemic and Dark Gray Wooded soils, with some Gray Wooded soils in the more heavily forested areas . Most of these
soils have developed on rolling morainic and undulating ground moraine deposits of medium textured, moderately highly calcareous glacial till, with local areas of sandy and gravelly glacial outwash, and finer textured ponded alluvial deposits . Many of the Dark Gray Chernozemic soils are imperfectly drained
carbonated ~ Rego and Calcareous types although Orthic Dark Gray soils are
also common . Shallow Peaty and Calcareous Meadow soils with local Deep Peats
commonly occur in the low basins particularly those surrounding shallow
lakes or stream channels .
The reader is referred to Soils Report No . 13, and the Big River Map
Sheet for more specific location and description of the soils in the area .
These include members of the Pelly, Paddockwood, Whitewood and Waitville
Associations developed on glacial till, and the Whitesand and Glenbush on
glacial outwash deposits . The Pelly and Paddockwood soils are mainly Dark Gray
Chernozemic types occurring on gently undulating ground moraine, whereas the
Dark Gray Wooded Whitewood and Gray Wooded Waitville soils are most frequently
found on the roughly undulating to gently and moderately rolling topography.
Agricultural Evaluation
The area is considered as fair for agricultural production . The
Pelly, Paddockwood soils are fair to good but imperfect drainage is a handicap
in many areas . The soils of rougher topography and increased podzolization
are less desirable being fair to poor types . In addition such areas are
frequently quite stony . The Glenbush and Whitesand gravelly and sandy loam
soils are mainly considered as poor to very poor for agricultural production .
A number of the more extensive meadow and peaty meadow areas have been
successfully utilized for forage production and grazing . Such areas usually
required some drainage for efficient production .
E3 .7 Shellbrook Plain
Physical Features
The Shellbrook Plain, which lies almost entirely within the area of
agricultural settlement, forms a relatively large alluvial lacustrine plain
of silty and sandy deposits lying to the north of the Saskatchewan River and _ 82 _ west of Prince Albert . It is roughly centred on the town of Shellbrook. The
area, includes small portionsof the Sturgeon Lake and Mistawasis Indian Reserves .
In elevation the area varies from approximately 1,650 to 1,500 feet, and is
mainly gently to moderately undulating in topography, but includes some roughly
undulating to gently rolling areas . The main external drainage is by way of
the Shellbrook River and its tributaries .
Soils
The Shellbrook Plain lies within the Transition Parkland to Forest
Belt, and most of the upland soils are black to slightly degraded (Dark Gray
Chernozemic) types, Dark Gray Wooded soils occur mainly on the periphery of
the area where it borders the Nisbet and Spruce River Plains . Areas of meadow
and peaty meadow soils occur adjacent to the creek channels ; they also occur
in local flat to undrained depressions . In the latter areas leached meadow and
eluviated gleysol members also occur, The reader is referred to Soil Reports
No . 12 and 13, and accompanying maps for more detailed information on the
location and description of the soils in the area . The soils mapped include
the Meota, Shellbrook, Weirdale and Kamsack Associations with local areas of.
Blaine Lake .
Agricultural Evaluation
The area is rated as fair to good for agricultural production .
The Meota and Shellbrook soils are developed on sandy to sandy clay
loam alluvial deposits, and range in texture from fine sandy loam and very
fine sandy loam to light loam (sandy clay loam) . The more sandy textural phases
of these soils are susceptible to .wind erosion, lack drought resistance, and
rate only as fair agricultural soils .
The Kamsack and Weirdale soils range from loam and clay loam to silty
clay loam and are good agricultural soils . The smaller area of Blaine Lake - 83 - soils, while of good texture, frequently include Solonetzic or saline soil members and where these occur the Blaine Lake soils are inferior to the Weirdale and Kamsack types . The uncultivated areas are treed, but forest production is limited .
E5 White Gull Creek Plain
Physical Features
The White Gull Creek Plain forms a gently undulating to rolling, mixed glacio-fluvial and glacial till plain, with a pattern of lakes, muskegs, drainage cha~nels and ridges trending in a southeasterly direction . It slopes in general from the borders of the Whiteswan section of the Wapawekka Uplands, at an elevation of 1,750 to 1,800 feet, towards the Torch River Plain and Smeaton
Plain in the Carrot River Lowland at about 1,500 feet . The area is drained externally by the White Gull Creek, Gull Creek and the Upper Torch River flowing out of Candle Lake . The southwestern portion of the area is drained by Birchbark
Creek into Birchbark Lake, and from there to the White Fox River .
Climate
The mean January temperature is between -2 and -40 F, for July between
62 and 650 F, and annually between 30 and 310 F . The growing season starts between April 30 and May 5 and ends between October 1 and 6, lasting between
148 and 160 days . The frost-free period is between 80 and 90 days . The last spring frost occurs between June 1 and 10, and the first fall frost between
August 20 and September 1 . The annual precipitation is 16 to 18 inches of which 10 to 11 inches fall between May and September . 84
Soils
The Upland soils are mainly Podzolic and Gray Wooded soils with
associated Podzolized Gray Wooded, Bisequa Gray Wooded, and Orthic Podzols . The
parent materials are medium textured stony glacial till, coarse textured sKKKdYL
sandy gravelly outwash deposits . In some areas the outwash deposits are thin
overlying the glacial till . Coarse textured soils predominate . A number of
fairly large muskeg areas of Shallow Organic Peat soils occur . The Podzolic
soils developed on glacial till are most nearly comparable to the Waitville
loam and light loam soils as described in Soils Report No . 13, while the soils
on the gravelly and sandy deposits are similar to those described for the
Bodmin and Pine Associations .
Resource Evaluation
The area is unsuitable for agricultural development due to the dominance
of coarse textured Podzolic soils, which are low in organic matter, natural
fertility, and drought resistance. The large areas of muskeg soils are mainly
sphagnum or woody peat types and although not generally deep, are not considered their to have the productive capability to warrant drainage for development .
The area is supporting a good growth of soft woods, dominantly Jack
Pine, on the uplands, with Spruce in wet areas .
E6 Montreal Jake Plain
Physical Features
The Montreal Lake Plain forms a relatively narrow area of low relief,
between 1,750 and 1,600 feet in elevation, lying between the Waskesiu Upland
to the west, and the White Swan section of the Wapawekka Upland on the east .
It may be considered as a gently undulating to rolling stream modified till
plain with local glacio-fluvial features, forming a shallow divide between the
r 85 ..
Churchill and Saskatchewan drainage systems . The main drainage is through
Bittern and Montreal Lakes to the Churchill system by way of the Montreal
River, with only minor drainage southward to the Saskatchewan .
Climate
The mean January temperature is between -2 and -60 F, for July between
62 and 630 F, and annually between 31 and 321 F . The growing season starts
between April 30',and May 5 and ends between October l and 6, lasting between
148 and 160 days . The frost-free period is between 80 to 90 days . The last
spring frost could occur between June 10 and 20-, and the first fall frost
between August 20 and September l . The annual precipitation is between 16 and
18 inches of which between 10 and 11 inches fall between May and September .
Divisions
Due to a cartographic error on the accompanying map, the legend
indicates two subdivisions of the area, the Bittern Lake Plain, E6 .1 and the
Montreal Lake Plain, E6 .2 . Unfortunately this latter subdivision is not
indicated on the map . The area can be conveniently considered in three sections,
first the Bittern Lake Plain, E6 .1, lying to the south of the narrow divide
between Bittern and Montreal Lakes ; and secondly and thirdly the west and east
sides of the Montreal Lake Plain as E6 .2a and E6 .2b, respectively, which are
subdivided by the main body of the lake .
E6 .1 Bittern Lake Plain
This area has a landform pattern with a distinctive north-south
lineation as shown by the shape of the lakes, elongated muskeg areas and long
narrow ridges of till and outwash which are separated by areas of undulating
till plain . Such a pattern suggests that the area served as a glacial
meltwater channel in former times .
- 86 -
Soils
The upland soils are mainly Gray Wooded with some int.ergrades to
Podzols, developed on medium textured glacial till . Local coarse textured
soils developed_on outwash frequently occur. These upland soils are similar
to the Waitville and Bodmin Associations . The soils in undrained depressions
and drainage channels are mostly organic deep peats of mixed sedge, woody,
and sphagnum moss types . The area extends into the settlement north of
Paddockwood which is considered as having a low agriculture potential . This
is mainly due to the wide occurrence of roughly ridged landscapes of medium
to coarse textured and stony podzolic soils with lows of deep muskeg peat
which lack drainage .
Very limited areas of fair to good soils also occur. They consist
of slightly to moderately stony Gray Wooded loams to clay loams, on undulating
to gently rolling topography . There does not appear to be enough of these
latter soils to expect any significant agricultural development of the Bittern
Lake area .
E6 .2a Montreal Lake Plain - West Portion
This section can be conveniently subdivided into a west and east half
by Montreal Lake, which extends for approximately 32 miles north and south, and
varies from 2 to over 8 miles in width .
The west half is a gently rolling to undulating till plain which
slopes from the Waskesiu and Thunder Hills Uplands towards the lake, and
carries drainage from the higher lands by way of the Waskesiu, Crean, MacLennan
and Weyakwin Rivers .
A small community of native population is centred near the Indian
Reserve at the southwest end of Montreal Lake . - 8 7 -
Soils
The Upland soils are mainly Gray Wooded and Gray Wooded-Podzol intergrades
on medium to moderately fine textured, calcareous glacial till, with local areas
of Gray Wooded and Podzol soils on coarse textured outwash . Mixtures of Gray
Wooded and Organic Peat soils form a complex distribution pattern, particularly
in the southwestern portion of the area . Examination of some Gray Wooded
profiles on the glacial till sites indicate that they are somewhat heavier in
texture, slightly less calcareous, and more water sorted than the modal concept
of the medium textured Waitville types . Although different in appearance, they r may be considered as comparable to the heavier textured Waitville soils .
Resource Evaluation
Except for the possibility of. limited development for local needs
adjacent to the Montreal Lake settlement, it is suggested that the area on
the west side of Montreal Lake be utilized for forest production . Much of
the area is supporting a vigorous mixedwood growth, with softwoods predominating,
on the coarser textured soils .
E6 .2b Montreal Lake Plain - East Portion
This area extends in a narrow belt on the east side of the Lake from
the Indian Reserve settlement at the south end, to the settlement of Molanosa
at the north end of the Lake . It is easily accessible being traversed in its
entirety by the main highway from Waskesiu to La Ronge,
It has been considered separately from the Bittern and West Montreal
Lake Sections, because it represents a relatively uniform, gently undulating
till plain, of medium to fine textured Gray Wooded loam and clay loam soils .
Limited amounts of Organic soils, ranging from shallow to deep peats also occur.
Soils
The Gray Wooded soils are distinct from, but comparable to, the heavier
textured Waitville soils . The amount of stones vary from slight to moderately - 88 - heavy . Local gravelly areas also occur. The combination of medium heavy
Gray Wooded soils on good topography indicate the possibilities of limited
agricultural development for local needs .
E7 Beaver River Plain
Location
The Beaver River Plain forms part of the Churchill drainage basin and
includes the areas lying between the Mostoos and Thickwood . Uplands to the west
and south and the Waskesiu Uplands to the east . It extends northward from the
Saskatchewan-Churchill divide located south of the town of Big River at an I elevation of 1,750 feet to the Ilea-la-Crosse Lowland below 1,500 feet .
Landforms
Considerable water modification and sorting of the till deposit has
occurred, and rolling and undulating morainic plains are interspersed with
variable stream modified till, outwash, and local alluvial lacustrine plains .
The effects of intense glacial drainage are very apparent in the Big River
Section between the Thickwood and Waskesiu Uplands . This low divide at about
1,750 feet was apparently the drainage course for much of the glacial meltwaters
from the Beaver Valley and Hyper Churchill area flowing to the Saskatchewan lakes
during the period in which the lower outlets to the Churchill drainage were
blocked by ice . Ridges of outwash gravels, and elongated lakes and bogs with
a general northwest to southeast trend within areas of stony stream eroded
plains are general indications of these conditions,
Drainage
The area may be divided into two drainage sections, the western portion
or Beaver Section which includes the broad valley plain of the Upper Beaver
and Waterhen Rivers, and the southeast or Big River Section which drains the
northeastern slopes of the Thickwood Upland and Witchekan, Chitek, Big River
and Delaronde Plains by means of the Cowan and Big Rivers . Climate
The January mean temperature is between .2 and -40 F, July's is between
62 and 630 F and annually between 32 and 330 F, The growing season starts between April 25 and 30 and ends between October 1 and 6, lasting between 154
and 169 days . The last spring frost occurs between June 10 and 20, and the first
fall frost between August 20 and September 1 ; giving between 70 and 80 frost-free
days . The annual precipitation is from 14 to 16 inches of which between 9 and
l0-inches occur between May and September .
Geology and Soil Parent Material
Upper Cretaceous shales are presumed to underlie the surficial glacial
deposits . Members of the Colorado group comparable to the Favel beds in the
east have been identified in the Green Lake area, but it is probable that the
non-calcareous Lea Park shales of the Montana group are present . Much of the
glacial material in the Beaver River Plain is significantly lower in lime
carbonate, and slightly heavier in texture, than that found in the Saskatchewan
Plains or the Waskesiu Upland to the east . 301, 1s The well drained soils range from Dark Gray Chernozemic (slightly
Degraded Black) and Dark Gray Wooded to Gray Wooded and Podzolic sands . The
poorly drained soils vary from peaty meadows and thin sedge peaty to deep
sphagnum types . Within the Beaver River plain a number of isolated areas of
Transition Gray-Black soils occur as "islands" in the broad zonal belt of Gray
Wooded soils . Many of these Dark Gray Chernozemic and Dark Gray Wooded soils .
particularly in ,the Upper B~4ver Valley have been successfully cultivated,
except for coarse textured or stony types . Among the larger and better known
areas of these soils are the Meadow Lake, Makwa, and Witchekan Lake Plains, although many other small areas of such soils also occur. Limited agricultural development has taken place on Gray Wooded soils of medium to fine texture, on
suitable topography,
- 90-1
The soils within the agricultural areas have been described in Soils
Report No . 13, and are delineated ' i on the accompanying Big River and
Meadow Lake map sheets . For this reason the following descriptions of the
soils in the individual sub-sections will deal mainly with those within the
forest boundaries, and the soils in the agricultural area will be referred to
by the Soil Associations name reported in the aforementioned text .
The Beaver River Plain has been divided into nineteen sub-sections
which lie partly within the agricultural districts and partly within the borders
of the Provincial Forest .
E7 .1 Pierceland Plain
Location
The Pierceland Plain occupies the most westerly extension of the Beaver
River Plains, and with the exception of a small portion in the Big Head Indian
Reserve, is entirely within the boundaries of agricultural settlement. It lies
to the northeast of the village of Pierceland and includes the settlement of
Beacon Hill on Provincial Highway No . 55 .
Landform
The area forms a relatively inextensive, gently sloping to moderately
undulating till plain with local areas of rolling morainic till and undulating
outwash deposits . It extends from elevations of above 1,900 feet at its
border with the Alberta Uplands to about 1,660 feet at Lac des Isles on the Waterhed
River. The undulating till plain appears to have been partially modified by
water action as the glacial material is frequently highly sorted or water modified
by shallow lacustrine deposits . A number of local poorly drained flats occur,
but much of the area is reasonably well drained by creeks flowing to the Bearer
and Waterhen Rivers .
Soils
The Pierceland Plain forms an isolated zonal area of Transition Gray
Black soils surrounded by Gray Wooded soils, and in this respect is similar
to the Goodsoil, Makwa, Meadow Lake and Dorintosh Plains . It is of interest
to note that these are all relatively low lying plains of lacustrine or lake
modified deposits, and it is probable that the occurrence of Dark Gray soils
in these areas is a reflection of a history of late emergence from an
imperfectly drained condition unfavourable to tree growth .
The Upland soils are mainly Dark Gray Chernozemic and Dark Gray Wooded
types with local areas of Gray Wooded soils on the glacial till and outwash
deposits . They include the Makwa, Horsehead and Loon River Associations, with
local occurrence of Bodmin soils . The sails of the poorly drained flats are
mostly meadow and peaty meadow types . Some of these peats are deep enough to
be classified as organic soils .
Resource Evaluation
The area has a fair to good agricultural potential . The Makwa and
Horsehead clay loam and loam soils may be considered as good to fair for
agricultural production but the Gray Wooded Loon River loams are somewhat
inferior, fair to poor types . The local areas of outwash soils are chiefly
very poor or non-arable types . Many of the meadow bog soils are underlain by
similar modified till parent materials to that of the Makwa and Horsehead soils .
Where drainage is economical, these bog soils can be successfully developed,
becoming fair to good agricultural types for coarse grains or forage production .
E7 .2 Goodsoil Plain
The Goodsoil Plain, which is centred on the village of that name, lies
entirely within agricultural settlement . Landform
It constitutes a mixed gently sloping to roughly undulating till plain with a general drainage slope from the Beaver Uplands above 1,800 feet, to the
Upper Waterhen Plain below 1,700 feet elevation . Although the area is externally drained by creeks flowing to the Waterhen River there are many local poorly drained flats . It is apparent that much of the glacial till has been modified by water action, and areas of lake modified till and local lacustrine deposits are common .
Soils
The area forms a local zone of Transition Gray Black soils, surrounded by Gray Wooded areas similar to those of the Pierceland Plain . Dark Gray
Wooded and Gray Wooded soils of the Horsehead and Loon River Associations are dominant on most of the glacial till uplands . Dark Gray Chernozemic and Dark
Gray Wooded soils of the Makwa and Horsehead Associations usually occur in the
lower modified till areas .
Limited areas of Meadow Lake and Dorintosh soils occur on shallow
lacustrine clay deposits . Local areas of Bodmin soils on coarse textured outwash
sands and gravels also occur. Areas of Meadow and Peaty Meadows, (meadow bog
complex) occur in flats, or. adjacent to stream channels . Many of these peaty
soils are underlain by a variety of deposits from coarse textured sands to fine
textured clays . Some peat areas are slightly saline .
Soils Evaluation
The Goodsoil Plain constitutes an area of fair agricultural soils .
The Makwa and Meadow Lake soils are considered good types, but in some places are handicapped because of imperfect drainage . The Horsehead soils are considered as fair and the Loon River as poor to fair .
In meadow bog areas where subsoils are satisfactory, and drainage established forage production can be successfully developed . - 9 3 -
E7 .3 Makwa Plain
The Makwa Plain constitutes one of the larger areas of agricultural settlement in the Beaver River Plain, and is centredon the settlements of
Loon Lake and South Makwa .
Landform
The Makwa or translating from the Cree language, Loon Plain, is a gently rolling and undulating till plain . The general relief is between 2,0.00 and 1,700 feet . It slopes from an embayment in the northern face, of the
Bronson-Meadow Lake Hills section, of the Thickwood Hills Upland to the Upper
Beaver Plain subsection . The area forms a collection basin for the excess drainage, from portions of the Thickwood Hills, thus much of the lower portions of the plain are imperfectly to poorly drained .
Drainage
External drainage is effected by a number of creeks and rivers which flow northward to the Beaver drainage . Among these are the Horsehead, Rabbit and Morin
Creeks which originate in the Thickwood Hills, and the Makwa or Loon River which drains the Makwa Lakes .
Soils
Much of the area shows evidence of water action, and there is considerable evidence of shallow lacustrine or alluvial deposition modifying the glacial till deposits . Limited areas of sandy alluvial and coarser textured outwash deposits also occur. The Makwa Plain is part of a general area of Transitional Gray-
9X Black soils which extends northeastward to include the Meadow Lake and
Dorintosh Lake Plains. The dominant soil association is the Makwa . It consists mainly of Dark Gray Chernozemic loam to clay loams on highly water modified glacial till which is associated with glacial lake deposition . Dark Gray
Wooded, Dark Gray Solonetzic and Meadow soils also occur in the Makwa Association .
- 94 -
Local areas of Meadow Lake and Beaver lacustrine clay loams are
associated with the Makwa soils . Dark Gray Wooded soils developed on relatively
low-lime glacial till are dominant in the Horsehead Association, These soils are
associated both with the Makwa and Loon River Associations . The latter are Gray
Wooded soils developed on similar till to the Horsehead and occur mainly on the
rolling morainic uplands . Limited areas of Glenbush, Bodmin, on outwash deposits,
and Shellbrook and Sylvania, on fine sandy alluvial deposits, occur locally.
Extensive areas of meadow bog complex including Meadow, Peaty Meadow
and Deep Peat soils occur adjacent to the Makwa ~iver, and other creek channels .
Many of these soils overlie lake modified till deposits .
Soil Evaluation
The Makwa Plain may be considered as one of the better agricultural
areas in the Beaver River Plain . The predominance of Makwa soils contribute to
this good rating for agricultural production . The imperfect drainage and local
solonetzic conditions within the Makwa Association are considered as adverse
.factors . The Horsehead and Loon River soils are considered as fair to poor,
and rolling topography and excessively stony conditions are further disadvantages
of these types .
E7 .4 Upper Beaver Plain
Landform and Extent
The Upper Beaver Plain is an undulating to strongly rolling, glacio-
fluvial and outwash plain with a general relief between 1,800 and 1,700 feet .
It forms an area extending northward from the Meadow Lake Hills to the Waterhen
River, and descends from the glacial till areas of the Makwa Plain and Beaver
Uplands in the west, to the,Dorintosh and Meadow Lake lacustrine plains to the
east . For many years it lay entirely within the agricultural area, but most
of the plain north of the Beaver River has been recently incorporated into
the Northern Provincial Forest . - 95 -
Drainage
Much of the area is relatively well drained but a number of poorly drained basins occur, particularly adjacent to smaller stream courses . The
Beaver River and its tributary the Makwa River has cut fairly deep valleys through the plain .
The southern part of the area is drained by the upper portions of a series of waterways, among them Morin Creek and the Meadow River, which flow into the Meadow Lake lacustrine plain .
Soils
The Upland soils are dominantly Gray Wooded with some intergrades to
Podzols . They are developed on coarse textured, gravelly-sandy outwash and alluvial sands, and some medium textured glacial till . The till soils are frequently stony . These soils have been mapped in the Bodmin, Pine, Sylvania and Loon River Associations . The area lying between the Beaver and Waterhen
River is dominantly Bodmin gravelly sandy loam and Pine Sand with local areas of meadow bog . Smaller areas of Dark Gray Wooded soils have been mapped in
the Horsehead, Makwa and Shelibrook Associations . The mixed areas of Meadow and Organic soils-have been shown as meadow-bog complexes, and these are
frequently mixed with, or underlain by, coarse textured materials .
Soil Evaluation
Most of the soils are rated as poor, and very poor for agricultural production . Much of the area is considered as non-arable, with the exception of a few local areas of Loon Lake, Horsehead and Makwa soils.on undulating
topography . Limited settlement took place in this area during the nineteen
thirties but with relatively little success, and some abandonment has
subsequently taken place.
Much of the area is wooded and, on the sandy upland soils, supports a
- 9 6 -
reasonably vigorous stand of Jack Pine . Well developed mixed-wood growth
occurs along the river valley slopes, and on the heavier textured till soils .
As previously mentioned, the portion of these plains north of the Beaver
River i'g' within the Provincial Forest .
E7 .5 Upper Waterhen Plain
Location and Extent
The Upper Waterhen Plain forms a narrow elongated area of glacio-
fluvial and alluvial deposits extending in a general east-west direction for
approximately 50 miles on both sides of the Upper Waterhen River and varying
in width from 3 to 6 miles . It extends from Pierce (Trout) Lake in the west
to a few miles east of Greig Lake where it merges into the wider expanse of
the Lower Waterhen Plain . It has an overall relief between 1,750 and 1,600
feet . It is boundaried on the north by the prominent escarpment of the Mostoos
Hills Upland which rises to heights of over 2,200 feet, and on the south by the
Pierceland, Goodsoil and Dorintosh Plains . The Waterhen River forms a natural
boundary marking the limit of agricultural expansion in northwestern Saskatchewan .
Settlement has penetrated into some portions of the plain south of the Waterhen
River, but most of the Upper Waterhen Plain is within the Provincial Forest
boundaries and forms a major part of the Meadow Lake Provincial Park.
Drainage
The area is drained by the Waterhen River which originates in Cold Lake
at an elevation of 1,755 feet and quickly descends for about 6 miles from the
Alberta High Plains through a series of rapids to Pierce Lake at 1,675 feet
where it enters the fluvial plain . From there it flows through Lac des Isles, .
(Big Island Lake), at 1,660 feet to the Waterhen Lake at 1,570 feet, a total
drop through the plain of 105 feet, A number of other individual lakes occur
between the Mostoos Escarpment and the Waterhen River. These include Greig,
- 9 7 -
Kimball, Mustus, Peitahigan and Mistohay Lakes . Some of which are surrounded
by meadow flats .
Soils
Only limited soil examinations have been made in this area to date . The
upland soils are believed to be mostly Gray Wooded, Gray Wooded-Podzol intergrades
and Podzols, developed on mixed areas of medium and coarse textured glacial,
glacio-fluvial and sandy alluvial deposits . Sandy soils on coarse textured
materials are dominant . The poorly drained soils are mostly peaty meadow and
meadow bog types .
Resource Evaluation
The area is considered as unsuitable for extensive agricultural
development . A potential for commercial forest production is present as the
area is reasonably well wooded, and supports a good growth of Jack Pine . The
recreational potential of the lakes and woods in this area has been recognized
for many years and much of the area is now being developed to this .end through
the establishment of the Meadow Lake Provincial Park .
E7 .6 Keeley Lake Plain
Location and Extent
The Keeley Lake Plain is a fairly extensive, undulating to rolling
area which slopes from the base of the Mostoos Escarpment, of the Alberta High
Plains, eastward to the Lower Waterhen Plain, and northward from the Upper
Waterhen Plain, near G reig and Waterhen Lakes, to the Buffalo River Plain in
the Ile-a-la-Crosse Lowlands south of Canoe Lake . The area lies entirely
within the boundaries of the Provincial Forest and part is included in the
Meadow Lake Provincial Park . It varies from 8 to 15 miles in width from west
to east and extends about 50 miles in a northerly direction . - 9 8 -
Drainage
The overall elevations range from a little above 1,650 feet at the base of the escarpment to the river draining north from Keeley Lake which lies at an elevation of 1,491 feet . The area receives considerable drainage from
the Mostoos Escarpment, and this flows through a series of creeks and lakes
to the Waterhen and Keeley Rivers . Major lakes within the area include Greig,
Jeannette, Flotten (1,591 feet), and Keeley Lake (1,491. feet), and there are a number of smaller lakes and fairly extensive meadow-bogs .
Landform and Parent Material
The area may be considered as a mixed glacio-fluvial and till plain with local alluvial-lacustrine deposits . The soils are mostly developed on coarse textured gravelly sandy outwash, sandy alluvial, and slightly calcareous
stony glacial till deposits . Frequently the coarse textured deposits occur as a shallow overlay on the glacial till . Finer textured alluvial lacustrine parent materials occur in local areas, frequently as overlays .on coarser
textured materials..
Soils
The Upland soils are dominantly Gray Wooded, intergrading to Bisequa
Gray Wooded on the medium textured deposits, with Gray Wooded to Podzol types occurring on the coarser textured deposits . Most of the Upland soils are moderately acidic in the A and B horizons and the subsoils are deficient or low in lime carbonate content .
Deep .organic, sphagnum or mixed sedge and woody peats occupy the poorly drained bog sites . These areas are mainly underlain by coarse textured sandy or stony subsoils .
- 9 9 -
Resource Evaluation
The area is considered as unsuitable for agricultural development because
of the dominance of acid podzolic soils and unsuitable subsoils . The forest
cover is mostly hardwoods and Jack Pine, the latter being the dominant softwood
species . Areas of commercial White and Black Spruce are limited . The
potentiality of the area for recreational development has been recognized for .
many years and the southern portion of the area including Greig, Jeannotte and
Flotten Lakes have been incorporated into the newly established Meadow Lake
Provincial Park .
E7 .7 Dorin tosh Plain
Location and Extent
The Dorintosh Plain forms a small area of undulating alluvial lacustrine
sp soils, approximately 25,000 to 30,000 acres in extent, lying between the
Beaver and Waterhen Rivers in the agricultural area northwest of Meadow Lake .
It represents the northern portion of a fairly extensive glacial lake basin in .
the Beaver River Plain, which is separated from the southern portion of Meadow
Lake Plain by the Beaver River . It ranges in saia elevation between 1,750 and
1,600 feet .
Soils
The soils, which are described sax in Soil Survey Report No . 13 and
delineated on the Meadow Lake Map Sheet, are developed on sandy to silty clay
alluvial lacustrine deposits with local areas of slightly calcareous glacial
till and outwash deposits . The alluvial lacustrine soils are dominantly Gray
Wooded and Dark Gray Wooded with local development of Podzolic-Solonetzic, and
gleyed Gray Wooded profiles described in the Dorintosh, Beaver and Sylvania
Associations . The Podzolic Dorintosh soils are mostly Orthic Gray Wooded soils .
The Beaver soils are dominantly moderately degraded, Dark Gray Wooded profiles
- 100 -
with Ali horizons from 3-_`i inches in thickness . The Gray Wooded soils on till
and outwash deposits are correlated with the Loon River and Bodmin Associations .
Local areas of mixed thin and thick peat, meadow bog soils occur overlying
similar alluvial lacustrine deposits to the Dorintosh and Beaver soils . The
area is considered as fair to good for agricultural development .
E7 .8 Meadow Lake Plain
Location
The Meadow Lake Plain includes a large portion of the glacial lake
basin lying between the Meadow Lake Hills to the south and the Beaver River
to the north . The area is centred on the town of Meadow Lake, an old settlement
with a history dating back to the xx early days of the fur trade . Most of the
area has been settled . It also includes the Meadow Lake Indian Reserve .
Landform and Drainage
The Meadow Lake Plain forms an undulating to flat lacustrine basin witl;
an overall elevation from approximately 1,750 to 1,600 feet . It receives c1XCOSS
drainage by creeks flowing from the Meadow Lake Hills to the south and the
Upper Beaver Plain to the west and consequently the lower and flatter portions
of the area are imperfectly drained and are liable to flooding particularly
in wetter years . Meadow Lake with an elevation of 1,650 feet is apparently
a residual remnant of a former larger glacial lake . External drainage is effected
by the Meadow Lake River, Morin Creek and other smaller streams which flow to
the Beaver River.
Soils
The soils are described in Saskatchewan Soil Survey Report No . 13 and .
delineated on the accompanying Meadow Lake Map Sheet . They occur as an island
of Black and Dark Gray (Degrading Black) soils within the main Gray Wooded Soil
Zone . It is likely that the soils have developed under grass and tree invasion
t)1- fk)r-mor imperfectly drained meadow ::oily; . The imperfectly to well drain< "d
soils are dominantly Black and Dark Gray soils of the Solonetzic ;ind Chernozenlic
Orders with associated meadow and peaty meadow They are mainly developed
on medium to fine textured silty lacustrine deposits of the Meadow Lake and
Beaver Associations . - Local areas of Dark Gray Wooded soils on alluvial sands
and glacial till deposits occur on the southern margins of the lake plain . These
include the Shellbrook, Makwa and Horsehead Associations . Fairly extensive peaty
meadow soils are found in the flatter areas adjacent to the Meadow Lake .
Agricultural Evaluation
The area is well developed agriculturally and most of the soils are
considf, red as fair to good . Frost hazard and short growing seasons are considrrc "(l
as hazards to cropping, but are not as hazardous in the Meadow Lake Plain as in
thl> surrounding areas .
E7 .9 St . Cyr Plain
Location
The St . Cyr Plain is a narrow area of rolling to hilly topography which,
together with the gently to roughly undulating Chitek Lake Plain, separates the
Bronson-Meadow Lake Hills to the west, from the Leoville Hills to the east . It
also forms the local divide between the Beaver River drainage to the northwest
alld the Big River drainage to the southeast The northwestern portion of the
area is sparsely settled . . The majority of the area is within the Big River
Section of the Northern Provincial Forest .
Landform
The area is basically a glacio-fluvial plain,'of mixed medium textured
glacial till and coarse textured outwash deposits . These deposits have been
partially modified by subsequent sandy alluvial deposition and aeolian activity,
giving rise to areas of complex topography. This complex of materials was - 10 2 - apparently deposited in a periled of intrn :;cpro and post glacial druinagc
Glacial Lake Hyper- Churchill towards the Sask,it(-liewan River systems, to tltir southeast .
Drainage
Present day drainage is mainly towards the Beaver River through the
Chitek River flowing to Meadow Lake, and Tea Creek which begins in a series of narrow meadows on the Big River-Beaver divide, and flows northward to
Green Lake .
Soils
The Upland soils are mainly Gray Wooded, with some intergrading to
Podzoel types . In the settled area the soils on alluvial and aeolian sands occur
on strongly rolling to hilly topography of the Pine and Sylvania Associations .
Poedzolic soils developed on outwash and glacial till within the forest reserve
are correlative with roughly undulating to strongly rolling phases of the
Bodmin and Loon .River Associations . Areas of poorly drained peaty meadow and
bog soils are of local occurrence .
Resource Evaluation
The area is considered as unsuitable for extensive agricultural (li-vvlop-
ment because of the dominance of coarse to medium textured Podzolic soils associalo,l
with roughly rolling and hilly topography .
Extensive fires in the past have destroyed much of the potentially
merchantable timber, particularly outside of the forest reserve boundaries .
Jack Pine is the dominant softwood on the Sylvania and Pine soils . Burnt over
areas are characterized by a scrubby mixed wood cover. The capability for
sustained forest growth may be considered as fair.
- 10 3 -
E7 .10 Lower Waterhen Plain
Lcica t ion
The I,c,wc'r Wnterhcn Plaice is one of the larger sub-sm ions of the
Beaver River Plain, and includes all the area lying between the Keeley Lake
to the west and the Dorintosh Plains to the southwest, and the Beaver River
can the south and east, It extends approximately 45 miles in a north-south
direction from the Beaver Plain Lo the Ile-a-la-Crosse Lowland, and varies in
width from less than 6 to over 30 miles . It has a general elevation between
1,600 and 1,500- feet . With the exception of portions of Townships 61 and 62,
Ranges 16 and 17, west of the Ad Meridian, the area lie, entirely within the
boundaries of the provincial forest . If also includes Indian Reserve No . 130,
ad jacenL to Waterhen Lake .
Drainage
Au main external drainage is by means of thv Watvrhpn River which
flows through Waterhen lake to join the Beaver River in Township 65 ., above the
Grand Rapids, Some local drainage flows to the Beaver River which forms the
southern and eastern border of the area . Despite this external drainage many
large sections of the area are imperfectly to poorly drained .
Landform
The area is considered as a gently undulating to rolling glacio-fluvial
and alluvial plain dominated by coarse textured sandy deposits . Smaller areas
of medium to coarse textured glacial till are believed to occur southeast of Kee ley Lake .
Soils
The Upland soils are dominantly sandy textured Gray Wooded types with
intergrades . t o Podzols . They occur mainly on undulating to gently rolling
topography . Large areas of peaty meadows and deep peats occur, and the
vegetative pattern also indicates extensive areas of mixed upland and peaty
soils . - 104 -
Resource Evaluation
The potential productivity is believed to be largely unsuitable for agricultural development . The Podzolic soils on coarse gravelly and stony loams and on sands and :kg loamy sands are considered as poor to non-arable types . Limited traverses into the Waterhen Plain east of the Dorintosh settlement confirms this opinion . The extensive areas of peaty soils may have
some future potential for development of hay and pasture crops if adequately drained .
The commercial forest potential of the area is apparently limited by the poor productive capacity of the coarse textured soils, and the fair to good
productivity, for Aspen and White Spruce, on the imperfectly drained medium
textured xaz tills . Jack Pine is the main softwood that occurs and some stands
are merchantable . Many areas are dominated by an Aspen hardwood cover .
Tamarack and Spruce are present in the poorly drained areas but productive
stands are not extensive .
E7 .11 Beaver Plain
Physical Features
The Beaver Plain forms a broad belt of level to undulating glacial
alluvial and flood plain deposits, whose general elevation is between 1,500
and 1,550 feet . It lies adjacent to the Beaver River and its tributaries, .the
Morin Creek and the Meadow River. It extends eastward from the Beaver River
Valley, in the Upper Beaver Plain, for approximately 35'miles to the junction of the Beaver and Green Rivers north of Green Lake . The Beaver River forms
the major portion of the northern boundary o£ this area and separates it from
the Lower Waterhen Plain . Much o£ the area, particularly in the vicinity of
the creeks and rivers is poorly drained and subject to periodic flooding .
Although the area is not within the provincial forest, settlement is - 105 - sparse . A limited number of ranches occur adjacent to the Beaver River flats .
Soils
The soils are described in Soil Survey Report No . 13 and are shown on the accompanying Meadow Lake Map Sheet .
The surface deposits are mainly alluvial sands and sandy loams, some of which have been modified by wind action . Local areas of medium textured alluvial lacustrine deposits are found in some areas . A rolling belt of coarse textured outwash sands occurs in the area north of St . Cyr Lake ; and glacial till deposits occur in the Island Hill area which rises as a minor elevation within the plain .
The Upland sandy soils are mostly Podzolic-Gray Wooded types similar to the Pine and Bodmin Associations . Local areas of Gray Wooded Dorintosh,
Loon River and Sylvania soils, and Dark Gray Wooded Beaver and Shellbrook soils also occur . The poorly drained areas are indicated as a meadow-bgg complex, being mostly peaty meadow soils overlying sandy deposits .
Resource Evaluation
With the exception of the local areas of Shellbrook, Sylvania, Dorintosh and Beaver, the Upland soils are poor to unsuitable for agricultural development .
The meadow bog soils are used mainly for hay and forage productions for the ranching enterprises of the area . This utilization is often limited because of the frequency of flooding . The area has little potential for commercial forest development .
E7 .12 Witchekan Lake Plain
Location
The Witchekan Lake Plain comprises a basin of comparatively low relief, with a general elevation between 2,100 and 1,900 feet, lying within the main portion of the Thickwood Hills Upland . It is bordered on the west by the
- 10 6 -
Bronson Meadow Lake Hills, on the south by the Thickwood Hills, and on the east
by the Leoville Hills . The Witchekan Lake Plain lies almost entirely within
agricultural settlement . It includes the settlements of Amiens, Mildred,
Spiritwood and Bapaume . The Witchekan Indian Reserve No . 117 occupies a small
area bordering the northwest shore of the lake .
Drainage
The plain is mainly an internally drained basin centering on Witchekan
Lake ; the level of this lake is controlled by a shallow overflow outlet at approx-
imately 1,900 feet . This outlet allows drainage northward to the main valley
of the Big River which forms the northern boundary of the area . The Big River
Valley forms the natural boundary between the Witchekan and Chitek Lake Plains .
Soils
The parent materials are dominantly glacial till with local glacio-
fluvial, glacio-alluvial and glacio-lacustrine deposits . Much of the marginal
lake area shows evidence of modification by surface water .
The soils are described in Soil Survey Report No . 13, and are shown on
the accompanying Big River Map Sheet . In general, this plain forms a local
zone of dominantly Dark Gray Chernozemic soils and Humic Gleysol soils with
significant mixtures of Dark Gray and local Gray Wooded soils occurring as an
island within the main zone of dominant Gray Wooded soils . It is likely that the
characteristics of these soils have developed under grass and tree encroachment
of former meadow areas during the progressive drainage of the Witchekan Lake Basin .
Soil Associations developed on till and lake modified till deposits
include Whitewood, Pelly and Paddockwood, with local areas of Waitville.
Whitesand and Glenbush Associations are found on the coarse textured fluvial
deposits . Shellbrook soils occur on the finer textured sandy alluvial areas .
A fairly extensive area of Kamsack and Weirdale clay loams occurs on silty
- 107 -
lacustrine deposits, on the east side of Witchekan Lake . These are probably
the most productive soils of the area . Fairly extensive areas of Peaty Humic
Gleysol (peaty meadows) occur in the western portion of the area and also
in complexes with other Associations throughout the area .
Agricultural Evaluation
The area is fairly well developed agriculturally and most of the
moderately to well drained medium textured soils are rated fair to good in
productivity capability . Coarser textured soils are not as productive .
Local conditions of poor drainage, which occur in all associations, are also
a handicap to productivity .
A relatively short growing season and the incidence of frost damage
are considered as moderately severe limitations to the productivity of the
area .
E7 .13 Chitek Lake Plain
This area occupies the basin of the Chitek River from Edward Lake to
Chitek Lake (1,830 feet), and into Meadow Lake (1,650 feet) . It is drained
by the Chitek River. The agriculturally developed lands in this area extend
west from the forest boundary to Meadow Lake, and south from the forest
boundary at Chitek Lake. The soils in the settled area are described and
rated in Soil Survey Report No . 13 . They are delineated on the Meadow Lake
and Big River Map Sheets .
Soils
The soils in the west portion which occur on the Meadow Lake Map Sheet
are dominantly the Pine Association, being Gray Wooded and Podzo-regosolic
soils on sandy alluvial materials which have been reworked by wind . A large
area of Organic soils occurs just east of Meadow Lake . The soils on the Big
River Sheet are dominantly till with some local lacustrine deposits . On the
till the Whitewood, a Dark Gray Wooded soil, and the Waitville, a Gray - 10 8 -
Wooded soil occur. The Weirdale, a Calcareous Wooded soil, and the Kamsack, a Dark Gray Wooded soil, occur on lacustrine deposits .
In the forest reserve the soils are essentially similar ; except north of Chitek where there is a dominance of coarse alluvial deposits and outwash materials . These sandy materials become finer textured nearer to Meadow Lake giving rise to the aforementioned Pine Association . Local Organic soils aiso occur in the forest reserve .
Resource Evaluation
This is an area of limited agricultural or forest potential due to coarse texture, low fertility and rough topography. Some recreational potential exists in the vicinity of Chitek Lake .
E7 .14 Big River Plain
Soils
The dominant portion of this plain is in the settled area and includes
the Big River Indian Reserve No . 118 . The soils in this area are delineated on the Big River Map Sheet and soil descriptions may be found in Soil Survey
Report No. 13 . The dominant soils are the Waitville Association, a Gray
Wooded on till and the Whitewood, a Dark Gray Wooded . There are also extensive
areas of glacio-fluvial deposits on which the . Bodmin and Glenbush Associations occur . The former is a Gray Wooded soil, the latter Dark Gray Wooded soils .
The soils in the forest reserve are comparable to those already mentioned .
There are also areas in the forest of mixed Gray Wooded and Organic soils .
The topography is morainic .
Resource Evaluation
The agricultural potential is fair on the heavier textured soils and poor on the outwash soils . Productivity for forestry is considered as fair on coarse textured and fair to good on the glacial till soils . 109
E7 .15 Delaronde Plain
Soils
This plain lies between Cowan Lake and Delaronde Lake (1,620 feet), and extends southeast out of the forest reserve to the top of Township 54,
Range 7, west of the 3rd . The soils in the settled area are dominantly
Waitville Association which is a Gray Wooded soil on glacial till . The forested area has similar soils plus islands of Organic soils .
Resource Evaluation
The agricultural potential is fair . Stones are numerous and fertility
is comparatively low.
Forest productivity is fair to good on the Gray Wooded soils, but only
fair on the Organic soils .
E7 .16 Sled Lake Plain
Soils
This is an undulating glacial till plain south of Sled Lake . It
consists mainly of Gray Wooded soils with local areas of Organic soils
occurring . The Gray Wooded till soils are relatively heavy textured,
probably due to some modification by local laking . These Gray Wooded soils
are generally well developed with thick A horizons and strongly structured
B horizons . They are similar to those in the Loon River Association on the
Green Lake Plain .
Soil Evaluation
The soils are considered as fair to poor for agricultural productivity
with adverse structure being the chief limiting factor. They are fair to good
for forest productivity, while the Organic soils in the area are only fair. E7 .17 Green Lake Plain
Soils
This area lies adjacent to Green Lake and extends southeastward to
Cowan Lake . It is bordered on the north by the Cowan River . The soils in'the
southern portion are on lake marginal material . They are comparable to the
Loon River Association, which is a Gray Wooded soil on glacial till ; and to the
Dorin tosh Association, which is a Gray Wooded soil on silty lacustrine deposits .
The remainder of the area to the north is composed of soils similar to Sylvania
Association . These are a Gray Wooded soil developed on sandy glacial lake. and
alluvial deposits . A large area of treed muskeg also occurs in the northern
portion of this plain . Detailed descriptions of these soils and their extent
may be found in "Preliminary Soil Survey of the Green Lake Settlement",
Saskatchewan Soil Survey, 1951 .
Soil Evaluation
The soils have a fair to good agricultural potential with the use of
fertilizers containing sulphur and good management for tilth maintenance and
the incorporation of organic matter .
A program of agricultural development in this area was undertaken, in
1940, by the provincial government to assist in stabilizing a living for the
local Metis population . This program has had a modest success .
Forestry productivity is fair to good on the Gray Wooded till soils,
fair on the coarser textured Sylvania soils and poor to fair on the Organic
deposits .
E7 .18 Dore Lake Plain
This plain lies east of the Beaver River and parallels it, being
bordered on the east by Dore Lake (1,506 feet), and Lac La Plonge (1,476 feet),
thence northwest along the Beaver River to Ile-a-la-Crosse (1,380 feet) . The area
northward, to almost the top of Dore Lake, is a till plain, and from here to its
northern limit an outwash plain, Gray Wooded and Bisequa profiles occur . There
are also extensive areas of Organic soils of varying thickness . The forest
potential is fair to good on the till soils, fair on the sandy outwash soils,
and poor to fair in the Organic soil areas .
E7 .19 La Plonge Plain
This area is bordered on the west by the Ile-a-la-Crosse Plain and runs
roughly east and north to the Churchill River Plain .
Soils
The area is dominated by Gray Wooded and Podzolic soils on medium and
coarse textured glacio-fluvial deposits similar to the Bodmin and Smeaton
Associations described in Soil Survey Report No . 13 . In the southern portion
and near Lac La Plonge there are large areas of treed muskeg with smaller
areas occurring throughout the plain .
Resource Evaluation
The agricultural potential is poor due to low fertility and the coarse
nature of the deposits . Forestry potential is fair to good on the Gray Wooded
till soils, fair on the coarse textured soils, and poor to fair on the Organic
soils of the muskeg areas .
E8 Methy Portage Plain
Location
This plain forms an arc around the Methy River Plain . Its southeast
border terminates at Churchill Lake . Its eastern and northern borders are the
Churchill River and the valley of the Clearwater River respectively . Its
western border is that of Saskatchewan and Alberta and finally its southwest
border is the Grizzly Bear Hills . Climate
The Methy Portage Plain has a mean January temperature ranging from -4 to -60 F, a mean July temperature of 62 to 630 F, and a mean annual between 28 and 300 F. The growing season lasts from 148 to 160 days, commencing between
April 30 and May 5 and ending between October 1 and 6. The .frost period, however, is only some 70 to 80 days . The annual precipitation is between 16 and 20 inches .
Subsections
The Plain has been d-vided into two subsections . The one to the west
of the Methy River Plain is referred to as the Garson River Plain, and that to
the east as the Clearwater-Churchill Plain .
E8 .1 Garson River Plain
This area represents the plain west from Lac La Loche to the Alberta-
Saskatchewan border . It is largely a coarse glacial till and outwash plain
of Gray Wooded and Podzolic soils similar to the Bodmin Association described
in Soil Survey Report No . 13 . There is one large treed muskeg along the 4th
Meridian . Local smaller muskegs occur throughout the plain . The growth
potential is low because of lack of organic matter, acidity, coarse textured
soils and low fertility . The forest potential poor to fair .
E8 .2 Clearwater-Churchill Plain
This Plain runs southeast from roughly the Saskatchewan-Alberta border
down the east side of Methy Lake to Churchill Lake . The northern boundary is
along the edge of the rock outcrops of the Churchill River Plain to the Clearwater
River. The area is dominantly an outwash plain of coarse sands and gravels .
The soils are mainly Gray Wooded and Podzolic . There are numerous treed muskegs
and bogs of Organic soils . The forestry potential is limited by the present
inaccessibility, but may be considered as fair on the Podzolic soils and poor to
fair in muskeg areas . From an agricultural viewpoint the area is non-arable
due to coarse textures, stoniness, low fertility and unfavourable topography .
E10 Porcupine Hills Upland
Location
This Upland is bordered on the east by the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border .
On the south, the Swan River Lowland and Assiniboine River Plain form its
borders . The western border is the Nut Lake and Naicam Plains and its northern
border is the Upper Red Deer Plain and the Armit River Plain .
Climate
The Porcupine Hills Upland has a mean January temperature between -2
and -41 F, a mean July temperature between 60 to 621 F, and a mean annual
temperature between 30 and 321 F . The growing season starts between April 30
and May 5, ends between October 6 and 11 lasting between 154 and 165 days .
The last spring frost could occur even after June 20 and the first fall frost
around August 10 . The frost-free period is between 70 and 80 days . The average
precipitation is 13 to 20 inches of which 11 to 13 inches fall between May and
September .
Vegetation
The characteristic forest association of the well-drained uplands is,
as the name impiies, a mixture in varying proportions of Aspen (Populus
tremuloides) and Balsam Poplar (P . balsamifera), White Birch (Betula papyrifera)
White Spruce (Picea glauca) and Balsam Fir, the last two species especially
prominent in old stands . The cover type of greatest areal extent is the Aspen,
a result of the ability of this species to regenerate readily following
disturbance . In addition to its usual dominance on sandy areas, Jack Pine
(Pinus banksiana) enters into the forest composition on the drier till soils,
and mixes with Black Spruce (Picea mariana) on the plateau-like tops of the higher hills . Lower positions and the upper water-catchment areas develop Black
Spruce and Tamarack (Larix laricina) muskeg in which, however, the accumulation of peat is not deep . There is a minor occurrence of White Elm (Ulmus americana),
Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica var. subintegerrima), and Manitoba Maple
(Acer negundo var. interius) particularly below the escarpment and along the banks of streams and creeks .
Resource Evaluation
The Porcupine and Pasquia Hills Uplands represent one of the best
commercial forestry areas in the province . Thry also provide recreational areas and wildlife habitat . Agricultural pursuits have no place on these
uplands and would only lead to the deterioration of a beautiful region in
the province .
Subdivisions
The Porcupine Hills Upland is subdivided into five sections representing
the top, the escarpments and lower slope portions of the Upland .
E10 .1 Porcupine Mountain
This Upland rises over 1,700 feet above the surrounding country ; the
rough terrain is mainly l~.mited to side slopes The tops are plateau-like with
a few sharply defined ridges or summits .
Soils
The soils are mainly Gray Wooded, Dark Gray Wooded and Organic . They
are developed on thin glacial deposits throughout the uplands with little
subsequent sorting . Localized outwash deposits occur throughout the areas of dominantly glacial till and there are also local areas of lacustrine clay deposits over the glacial till . There are some bedrock exposures, mainly
Upper Cretaceous Shales of Montana Group .
The soils are similar to the Waitville and Whitewood Associations described in Soils Report No . 13 . Resource Evaluation
This is a good forestry area and is described in a pamphlet entitled
"Forest Resources of the Pasquia-Porcupine Area of Saskatchewan" by J .M . Atkinson
and M .N . Pelly, Department of Natural Resources, Forest Inventory Series Report
No . 1, Revised Edition 1954 .
E10 .2 Porcupine Escarpment
This area lies mainly within the boundaries of the provincial forest
except for an area in the southwest .
Soils
In the settled area the soils are mainly Dark Gray Chernozemic, Dark
Gray and Gray Wooded of the Pelly, Waitville, Kamsack and Etomami Associations
respectively .
The portions within the Forest Reserve are dominantly Gray Wooded on
moderately calcareous medium to moderately fine textured glacial deposits,
with a significant inclusion of Organic peat soils .
Resource Evaluation
This area supports a good forest growth of commercial value . Controlled
logging will ensure that erosion is held in check on the escarpment slopes .
E10 .3 Piwei Hills
All of this area is in Forest Reserve except for the southern portion,
Soils
The soils are dominantly the Waitville Association on rolling morainic
topography. Waitville is a Gray Wooded soil on glacial till . This area appears
on the northeast sheet of Soils Report No . 12 and a more detailed soil description
can be found in that report .
Resource Evaluation
The area is utilized as commercial forest .
El0 .4 Nut Mountain
This area is nearly all in the settled area, a small portion in the
north is in the Forest Reserve .
Soils
The soils are mainly Gray Wooded developed on rolling glacial till
moraines . The soils are similar to the Waitville Association described in No .
12 Soils Report and are delineated on the accompanying northeast map sheet .
Agricultural Evaluation
The agricultural potential is fair ; stones are numerous, fertility
low and topography rough .
E10 .5 Greenwater Hills
The southern portion of this area is in the settled area, the northern
portion is in Forest Reserve .
Soils
The soils are the Waitville and Kelvington Associations . The Waitville
is a Gray Wooded soil developed on till, while the Kelvington is a Gray Wooded
developed on heavy clay deposits . These soils are delineated on the northeast
sheet and described in Soils Report No . 12 .
Resource Evaluation
The area supports commercial timber in the northern area which is
inside the Porcupine provincial forest . Happily, however, its western portion,
or Township 41, Range 11, has been set aside as Greenwater Lake Provincial
Park .
Ell Pasquia Hills Upland
Location
The Pasquia Hills are north of the Porcupine Hills . They are separated
by portions of the Manitoba and Saskatchewan Lowlands which form a trench between
them . The Pasquia and Porcupine Hills rise to nearly the same elevation . The
highest elevation in the former being 2,680 feet and in the latter 2,700 feet ;
Climate
The mean January temperature ranges between -2 and -40 F, the mean
July between 60 and 620 F and the mean annual between 30 and 320 F. The growing
season lasts between 154 and 165 days starting between April 30 and May 5 and
ending between October 6 and 11 . The last spring frost may occur even after
June 20 and the first fall frost may occur as early as August 10 . The frost-
free period may be less than 70 days . The annual precipitation is between 18
and 20 inches of which between 11 and 13 inches fall from May to September .
Vegetation
The characteristic forest association of the well-drained uplands is,
as the name implies, a mixture in varying proportions of Aspen (Populus
tremuloides) and Balsam Poplar (P . balsamifera), White Birch (Betula
papyrifera), White Spruce (Picea glauca) and Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) ;
the last two species especially prominent in old stands . The cover type of
greatest areal extent is the Aspen, a result of the ability of this species
to regenerate readily following disturbance . In addition to its usual dominance
on sandy areas, Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana) enters into the forest composition
on the drier till soils, and mixed with Black Spruce (Picea mariana) on the
plateau-like tops .of the higher hills . Lower positions and the upper water
catchment areas develop Black Spruce and Tamarack (Larix laricina) muskeg in
which, however, the accumulation of peat is not deep . There is a minor occurrence of White Elm (Ulmus americana), Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica
var. subintegerrima) and Manitoba Maple (Acer negundo var. interius) particularly
below the escarpment and along the banks of streams and creeks .
Subdivisions
The Pasquia Hills have been divided into two sections representing
firstly the top and secondly the escarpment .
E11 .1 Pasquia Plateau
This area rises from the top of the escarpment at approximately 2,300
feet, and, except for isolated highs that range up to 2,600 feet, is a broad
plateau-like plain . It contains a few lakes and is beautifully treed .
Soils
Gray Wooded soils developed on glacial till are dominant . Such soils
are similar to the Waitville and Whitewood Associations . Degraded soils
developed on heavier textured shale modified till also occur as do shallow
soils on outcrops of shale bedrock . Locally, pockets of outwash gravel and
sands occur sometimes over the till and sometimes underlying it . Pockets of
various textured lacustrine soils also occur. There is evidence to conclude
that the glacial ice sheet passed over both the Pasquia and Porcupine Hills and
such action has resulted in a variety of soil parent materials .
Resource Potential
The Pasquia and Porcupine Uplands represent one of the best forestry
areas in Saskatchewan . Commercial forestry is the best use of these areas as
it not only employs some of the local residents and others, but it protects
the Uplands from the tremendous and devastating erosion that would occur if
such areas were cleared for agriculture.
Ell .2 Pasquia Escarpment
This area represents the rougher terrain of the side slopes below
the plateau . It has a dissected landscape and carries considerable water
during the spring thaw or after heavy rains giving rise to such streams as
Connell Creek, Overflowing River, Greenbush River, Fir River, etc . The
escarpment is an impressive sight after the flatness of the Saskatchewan Delta .
It rises very quickly from approximately 1,000 to 2,300 feet . If such an area
were denuded of trees the erosion would be devastating .
Soils
The soils are similar to those described on the plateau being Gray
Wooded . For those areas outside the forest reserve the reader is referred
to No . 12 Soils Report and the accompanying northeast map sheet .
E12 Wapawekka Hills Upland
Location
This Upland is bordered on the north by Wapawekka Plain, on the east
by the Mossy River,Plain, and on the west by the Bittern Lake Plain . It forms
a height of land between the Manitoba-Saskatchewan Lowlands to the east and
the Lac La Ronge Lowlands to the west .
Climate
The mean for January is between -4 and -loo F, for July it is between
60 and 620 F and annually around 29 to 300 F. The growing season lasts
between 148 and 160 days, starting between April 30 and May 5 and ending
between October 1 and 6 . The frost-free period may be less than 70 and not
over 80 days . The last spring frost may occur after June 20 and the first
fall frost before August 20 . There are between 18 and 20 inches of annual
precipitation of which 11 inches fall between May and September. - 120 -
Vegetation
The area is classified as part of the Mixed Wood Section .
The characteristic forest association of the well-drained uplands is, as the name implies, a mixture in varying proportions of Aspen (Populus tremuloides) and Balsam Poplar (P . balsamifera), White Birch (Betula papyrifera), White
Spruce (Picea glauca) and Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) ; the last two species
especially prominent in old stands . The cover type of greatest areal extent
is the Aspen, a result of the ability of this species to regenerate readily
following disturbance. In addition to its usual dominance on sandy areas,
Jack Pine (PinUs banksiana) enters into the forest composition on the drier
till soils, and mixes with Black Spruce (Picea mariana) on the plateau-like
tops of the higher hills . Lower positions and the upper water-catchment areas
develop Black Spruce and Tamarack (Larix laricina) muskeg in which, however,
the accumulation of peat is not deep . A significant portion of the Wapawekka
Hills Upland has merchantable timber .
Subdivisions
There are six subsections delineated within the boundary of the Wapawekka
Uplands . They represent various uplands, their escarpments and valleys .
E12 .1 Wapawekka Plateau
The symbols E12 .1 were omitted from this area which lies above the
Bear and Cub Escarpment south of Wapawekka Lake . It appears on a map as a
blue-grey colored area which contains about a dozen small olive-green colored
areas .
The plateau is approximately 2,500 feet in elevation . It has been
glaciated and these glacial till deposits are dominant . Local areas of
lacustrine and outwash deposits also occur as do shale bedrock exposures . Soils
The soils in the area are dominantly Dark Gray Wooded and Gray Wooded .
Local areas of organic soils occur as islands in the depressions throughout the plateau .
E12 .2 Cub Hills
This area lies south of the Wapawekka Plateau . It consists of dominantly
Gray Wooded soils on coarser textured tills . The soils are like the Smeaton
Complex described .in Soils Report No . 13 . Local areas of Organic soils also
occur. The bedrock geology is similar to that of the Wapawekka Plateau .
E12 .3 Bear and Cub Escarpment
Landform
This area represents the dissected side of the Wapawekka Plateau and
the Cub Hills from the top of the hills to the lowlands below.
Soils
The area is mainly Gray Wooded and Podzol soils on mixed areas of
medium and coarse textured glacial outwash deposits, similar to the Glenbush,
Bodmin and Sylvania and Smeaton Associations, described in Soils Report No .
13 . Local areas of Organic soils also occur . The forestry would no doubt be
limited to those portions which were not too steep or eroded .
E12 .4 Whiteswan Upland
Landform
A moderately to strongly rolling and hilly morainic plain with a
general elevation of from 1,700 to 2,000 feet above sea level . It forms the
broad divide between the Churchill and Saskatchewan drainage systems .
Soils
Gray Wooded, medium to coarse textured soils occur on moderately
calcareous stony glacial till and sandy gravelly outwash deposits . Frequent
deep muskegs occur in local depressions, lower flats and river valleys . The
- 12 2 -
Upland soils may be compared to the more stony medium textured Waitville and
Bodmin Associations described in Soils Report No . 13 . The area is potentially
poor because of adverse topography, stony gravelly conditions and the presence
of numerous muskegs .
E12.5 Narrow Hills
The Narrow Hills bisected the Nipawin Provincial Park in a southeast
to northwest direction . They are as tksxxx their name implies esker-like in
appearance . They are composed mainly of gravelly sand outwash .
Soils
The soils are dominantly Gray Wooded with local areas of Organic types .
The area iitxxx is non-arable due to the unfavorable topography, and the low
productivity of the coarse textured Podzolic soils .
E12 .6 N.ipekamew Valley
This area is an elongated glacial valley and meltwater channel which
forms the boundary between the Cub Hills and the Whiteswan Upland . It extends
southeast from the Wapawekka Plain towards the Torch River Plain .
Soils .
Gray Wooded loam, Gray Wooded sands and local mossy peat soils occur
on glacial till and gravelly outwash deposits. The area has a low productivity
rating because of steep sloping topography and excessive drainage .
E17 Waskesiu Hills Upland
The Waskesiu Upland is bordered on the east by the Bittern Lake RK
Plain, on the west by portions of the Beaver River Plain, on the north by
portions of the Lac La Ronge Plain . Its southern border almost coincides
with that of the Prince Albert National Park. - 123 -
Climate
The mean January temperature ranges between-2 and -60 F, the mean
July between 60 and 620 F and the mean annual between 30 and 310 F . The growing season commences between April 30 and May 5 and ends between October
1 and 6, lasting from 148 to 160 days . The last spring frost could occur after June 20 and the first fall frost before August 20 . Thus, there are often less than 70 and rarely more than 80 frost-free days . The annual precipitation is between 16 and 20 inches of which 11 to 13 inches fall between May and September .
Vegetation
The characteristic forest association of the well-drained uplands is, as the name implies, a mixture in varying proportions of Aspen (Populus tremuloides) and Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifera), white Birch (Betula papyrifera), White Spruce (Picea glauca) and Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) ; the last two species especially prominent in old stands . The cover type of greatest areal extent is the Aspen, a result of the ability of this species to regenerate readily following disturbance . In addition to its usual dominance on sandy areas, Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana) enters into the forest composition on the drier ti-11-soils, and mixes with Black Spruce (Picea mariana) on the plateau-like tops of the higher hills . Lower positions and the upper water- catchment areas develop Black Spruce and Tamarack (Larix laricina) muskeg in which, however, the accumulation of peat is not deep .
Subdivision
The Waskesiu Hills Upland has been divided into four subsections . - 124
E17 .1 Emma Lake Upland
This area is entirely within the Forest Reserve except for those portions in the south . The landform is mainly rolling moraine .
Soils
The soils are similar to the Waitville and Bodmin Associations described
in Soils Report No . 13 . They are developed on glacial till and glacial outwash deposits respectively . Local areas of Organic soils also occur.
Resource Evaluation
The potential for agricultural development is limited by rolling
topography and Organic soils in poorly drained depressions . The capability
for forestry production is fair to good on the Upland Gray Wooded soils but
poor to fair on muskeg (Organic soil) sites . The recreational potential has
been well developed in the vicinity of Emma and Christopher Lakes .
E17 .2 Waskesiu Hills
This area takes in nearly all the Prince Albert National Park, a
lovely resort area, maintained by,the federal government . The reserve portion
of this area is rolling morainic topography ranging from 1,700 to 2,500 feet .
The area is dominantly Dark Gray Wooded and Gray Wooded soils on till and
outwash ; similar to those of the Whitewood, Waitville, Pelly, Bodmin and
Glenbush Associations described in Soils Report No . 13 .
Resource Evaluation
The agricultural potential is low due to rough topography, and the
presence of numerous poorly drained depressions of Organic soils . The
forestry potential is good throughout most of the area, but only fair to good
in the southern portion . The recreational potential is good and has been well
developed in the vicinity of Waskesiu Lake .
- 12 5
E17 .3 Thunder Hills
These Hills lie north of the Waskesiu Hills . They occur as rolling
moraine which rises to 2,200 feet in elevation and are therefore lower than
the Waskesiu Hills .
Soils
The soils are mainly Gray Wooded types developed on till and outwash,
There are more Gray Wooded outwash soils in this area than in E17 .2 . These
soils would be similar to the Bodmin Soils described in Soil Survey Report
No . 13 . Local areas of muskeg (Organic soils) occur.
Resource Evaluation
The area is classed as non-arable because of rough topography, stones
and muskeg . The forestry potential is good on medium textured till soils,
fait on outwash soils, and poor to fair in the muskeg areas .
E17 .4 Dore Hills
This area of rolling moraine lies between Delaronde Lake and the
Thunder-Waskesiu Hills and runs north between Dore and Smoothstone Lake .
Soils
The soils consist of Gray Wooded types developed on till and glacio-
fluvial materials . These latter deposits are dominant around Clarke Lake
and north of Dore . Local areas of organic soils occur throughout the whole
area . The soils would be similar to the Waitville, Bodmin and Pine Associations
described in Soil Survey Report No . 13 .
Resource Evaluation
The area is considered non-arable because of stones, low fertility
and adverse topography . The forestry potential is good on medium textured
soils ; fair to good on coarse glacio-fluvial textured deposits, and poor
to fair in the muskeg areas . - 126 -
F Alberta High Plains
The Alberta High Plains is a Region within the Great Plains Province
of the Interior Plains of North America . In Saskatchewan they form the third
prairie steppe and continue westward to the foothills of the Rockies . Nearly
all of this area is over 2,000 feet above sea level . It is separated from
the second prairie steppe whose elevation, except for isolated hills, averages
between 1,000 and 2,000 feet by the Missouri Coteau in the southern portion
of the province . It is easy to t follow $kixx the Coteau in the southern part
of the province where it is a prominent eastward-facing ridge or low escarpment
which enters the Province south of Weyburn, follows a general north-westerly
direction to a point east of Biggar, and then runs north-easterly to enter the
present surveyed area about 25 miles west of Shellbrook . Within this area,
the eastward-facing slope of the Coteau runs northward to Hailsham and Timberlost,
and thence north-westerly through the Big River and Meadow Lake Forest Reserves
to a point about 10 miles south of Meadow Lake . Beyond this point it is
difficult to determine the location of the Coteau escarpment . The ridge here
turns westward, crossing the Meadow Lake and KXXRK Bronson Forest Reserves
and entering Alberta at about Township 58 . To the north lies the lower plain
occupied by the Beaver and Waterhen Rivers ; north of the Waterhen is another
rough upland area . It is possible that the original escarpment between the
Meadow Lake upland and the upland just west of Flotten Lake has been eroded by the Beaver River. On the other hand, the westward-trending ridge south of Meadow Lake may also be regarded as the edge of the Coteau, which swings back eastward near Cold Lake to form a re-entrant north of the Waterhen River.
It may be noted here that the upland south of Meadow Lake forms the divide between the Saskatchewan and Churchill River basins .
The Coteau marks a general change of elevation in the Great Plains .
West of the Coteau the general elevation is higher than to the east . In the - 127 present surveyed area the eastern edge of the Coteau and the associated upland
to the west range in elevation from 2,000 feet to 2,500 feet above sea level .
The highest elevations occur near the eastern edge ranging from 2,400 feet
to 2,500 feet between Meeting Lake and Meadow Lake . East of the Coteau the
elevations range from 1,900 feet to below 1,000 feet . It is considered that
the change in elevation represented by the Coteau Escarpment is a reflection
of bedrock conditions existing prior to glaciation . The surface of the Coteau
(including the upland to the west) is chiefly rolling to hilly, and consists
of wooded ridges and slopes interspersed with undrained depressions (lakes,
ponds, meadows and bogs) . The topography is that described by the geologist
as knob and kettle, and is typical of glacial morainic deposits . Some areas,
notably at Glaslyn and north-west of St . Walburg, are characterized by
undulating topography .
F6 Thickwood Hills Upland
Location
The Thickwood Hills Upland is arced around its southern portion by
the Saskatchewan River Plains and in the north by Beaver River Plain and the
Mostoos Hills Upland .
Land fo rm
It is basically a rolling morainic plain composed of varying amounts
of gently to strongly rolling topography . It also contains glacio-fluvial
plains and glacial till plains . The elevation throughout varies from 1,800
to 2,500 feet . 128 -
Climate
The mean January temperature ranges from 0 to -40 F, the mean July from
61 to 620 F, and the mean annual 31 to 321 F . The growing season starts between
April 25 and May 5 and ends between October I and 11, thus lasting between 148 and 169 days . The frost- .free period is often less than 70 days . Frost can occur as late as June 20 and as early as August 10 . The mean annual precipitation ranges between 14 and 16 inches of which 10 to 12 inches fall
between May and September.
Soils
The soils are mainly Gray Wooded types developed on medium to moderately
fine textured glacial till . Gray Wooded and Podzolic soils also occur on
medium to coarse textured glacial till . There are also local areas of Organic
soils .
Vegetation
The characteristic forest association of the well-drained uplands is,
as the name implies, a mixture in varying proportions of Aspen (Populus
tremuloides) and Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifera), White Birch (Betula
papyrifera), White Spruce (Picea glauca) and Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) ;
the last two species especially prominent in old stands . The cover type of
greatest areal extent is the Aspen, a result of the ability of this species
to regenerate readily following disturbance . In addition to its usual
dominance on sandy areas, Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana) enters into the forest
composition on the drier till soils, and mixes with Black Spruce (Picea mariana)
on the plateau-like tops of the higher hills . Lower positions and the upper
water-catchment areas develop Black Spruce and Tamarack (Larix laric.ina)
muskeg in which, however, the accumulation of peat is not deep . - 129 -
Resource Evaluation
In the Forest Reserve the productivity is fair to good . The reserve is considered non-arable for agricultural crops due to adverse topography, numerous stones and soils of low fertility .
Subdivisions
The Thickwood Hills Upland is subdivided in five subsections as follows .
F6 .1 Thickwood Hills
This area, is in the settled area . Its topography ranges from undulating till plains to rolling moraines . The soils . are mainly Dark Gray Wooded, Gray
Wooded and Dark Gray Chernozemics similar to the Waitville and Whitewood
Associations . Detailed descriptions of the soils and their areal extent are
contained in the Soil Survey Reports Nos . 12 and 13 .
F6 .2 Leoville Hills
This area occurs as an island separated from the other subsections
in the Thickwood Hills Upland . It is surrounded by various subsections of
the Mostoos Hills Upland . It is a gently to moderately rolling morainic area composed of Gray Wooded soils developed on till . The soils are similar to
the Waitville Association described in Soil Survey Report No . 13 .
F6 .3 Bronson-Meadow Lake Hills
The portions of this area in the settled area are delineated on the
Big River, Fort Pitt and Meadow Lake sheets of Soil Survey Report No . 13 .
Descriptions of these Associations are in the same report . The area includes
the Meadow Lake and Bronson Forest Reserves . The Meadow Lake reserve is a
rolling morainic plain, with Gray Wooded soils developed on glacial till and outwash, similar to the Waitville and Bodmin Associations . There are also areas of muskeg and mixed areas of Organic and Gray Wooded soils . The Bronson reserve is rougher having hilly topography . Gray Wooded and Podzolic soils, muskeg and peaty meadows occur on glacial till and outwash . Some Loon River 130
soils also occur . The Bronson reserve has not been as well maintained as the
Meadow Lake . Both areas have potential productivity for forestry, ranging
from fair to poor, because of low fertility and adverse topography .
F6 .4 Beaver Uplands
Although this area is outside the present Forest Reserve, agricultural
development has been slow . It consists of undulating till plains and rolling
moraines . The soils are mainly Gray Wooded, developed on relatively low lime
glacial till . There are also Gray . Wooded soils on outwash and large muskeg
areas in the northwest corner. The glacial till soils are similar to the
Loon River Association and the outwash soils are similar to Bodmin . Both
these Associations are described in detail in Soil Survey Report No . 13 .
The agricultural potential is poor, mainly due to adverse rolling
topography and stones . Some limited cultivation and ranching has been
developed in this area . Forest productivity is considered fair .
F6 .5 Cold Lake Hills
This area lies to the northeast of F6 .4, running east from the Alberta-
Saskatchewan border to Range 25, W3rd and north to Cold Lake . The south or
settled portion is delineated on the Meadow Lake Sheet of Soil Survey Report
No . 13 . The Loon River, Bodmin, and Makwa Associations, representing Dark
Gray Wooded, Gray Wooded and Podzolic soils developed on glacial till and
outwash occur extensively in this area . Further details on these soils may
be found in Soil Survey Report No . 13 . The northern portion of the area
enters the Waterhen Provincial Forest and the soils are similar to those
already mentioned .
The agricultural potential is considered poor because of adverse
topography .
The forest potential is considered as fair. F7 Mostoos Hills Upland
Location
This area lies north of the Waterhen River which separates it from
the Thickwood Hills Upland to the south . It rises from the Beaver River
Plain and the Lac La Ronge Lowland westward into Alberta .
Landforms
The area is basically a rolling morainic plain which contains gently
to strongly rolling topography, a thinly glaciated plateau and eroded escarprrrents .
Soils
The soils consist mainly o£ Gray Wooded and Podzol types developed on
medium and coarse textured glacial deposits . Organic soils of varying
thicknesses also occur throughout the area .
Climate
The mean January temperature varies between -4 and -60 F, the mean
July between 60 and 620 F, and the mean annual temperature between 29 and 320
F . The growing season is over 130 days but the frost-free period is short
often being just over 60 days . The mean annual precipitation varies from 18
to 24 inches, of which between 10 and 16 inches fall from May to September.
Vegetation
The characteristic forest association of the well-drained uplands is
a mixture in varying proportions of Aspen (Populus tremuloides) and Balsam
Poplar (Populus balsamifera), White Birch (Betula papyrifera), White Spruce
(Picea glauca) and Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) ; the last two species especially
prominent in old stands . The cover type of greatest areal extent is the Aspen,
a result of the ability of this species to regenerate readily following disturbance
In addition to its usual dominance on sandy areas, Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana)
enters into the forest composition on the drier till soils, and mixes with - 13 2
Black Spruce (Picea mariana) on the plateau-like tops of the higher hills .
Lower positions and the upper water-catchment areas develop Black Spruce and
Tamarack (Larix laricina) muskeg in which, however, the accumulation of peat
is not deep .
Resource Evaluation
The area is considered non-arable for agriculture due to soils of low
fertility, dissected landscapes and stones . The forest potential is considered
to be fair to good .
Subdivisions
The Mostoos Hills Upland has been divided in five subsections as
follows .
F7 .1 Mostoos Upland
This area is located in an arc from the Alberta-Saskatchewan border
east and around Primrose Lake and west back to the border . The upland rises
to 2,500 feet and is gently to strongly rolling .
Soils
The soils are developed on medium to moderately fine textured till,
fine sandy and coarse outwash materials Most of the parent materials are
low in lime carbonate content . Bedrock exposures of the Upper Cretaceous
(Montana Group, Lea Park Formation) shales and sandy shales also occur . Large
areas of muskegs and Organic and Gray Wooded mixtures are also present . The
low agricultural productive potential is a result of low fertility, adverse
topography, and coarse textured soils .
Resource Evaluation
A large portion of this area has been taken over by the federal
government as a weapon testing range and is utilized in conjunction with the
Air Force activities at Cold Lake . - 13 3
The forest productivity potential is good to fair on the glacial till soils, fair on coarse textured soils and poor to fair in the muskeg areas .
About one-third of the area is thought to have some commercial value :
F7.2 Mostoos Escarpment
This escarpment forms an are on the south and east side of the upland and cuts into the Dillon River Upland in the north . This escarpment rises to the west of the Lac Ile-a-la-Crosse Lowland .
The topography is rough and dissected .
Drainage is to the Waterhen in the south and to Keeley and Canoe Lakes in the east . There is quite a system of intermittent streams coming down off
the escarpment . The drainage in the north is to the Dillon River which forms
the northern boundary .
Soils
The soils in the south and east are mainly Gray Wooded on till similar
to the Waitville described in Soil Survey Report No . 13 . To the north the
soils are coarser being Gray Wooded and Podzols on outwash materials . The outwash soils are similar to the Bodmin and Pine Associations described in
Soil Survey Report No . 13 0
Resource Evaluation
The agricultural productivity potential is low due to low fertility,
coarse textured soils and adverse topography . The forestry potential is fair
to good on the till soils, fair on outwash and poor on the Organic soils .
F7 .3 Primrose Lake Plain
This area lies between Primrose Lake and the Mostoos Upland . Much
of the area lies within the Cold Lake Weapon Range .
Soils
It is dominantly an area of muskeg and Organic soils over coarse sandy outwash materials . The better drained areas are Gray Wooded soils similar to
the Bodmin Association described in Soil Survey Report No . 13 .
- 13 4
Resource Evaluation
The agricultural productivity potential is low due to and rained muskeg
soils and coarse textured upland soils . The forestry potential is mainly fair
to poor .
F7 .4 Dillon River Upland
This area is south of the Dillon River and west of the Mostoos Upland
and its escarpment, to the fourth Meridian .
Soils
The soils are dominantly Gray Wooded and Podzol soils on low lime
glacial till ; some local muskeg or Organic soils occur.
Resource Evaluation
The potential for agriculture is poor due to short cool seasons,
frost hazard, and low fertility status . The forestry potential is fair on
tills and poor to fair on the muskeg soils .
F7.5 Grizzly Bear Hills
This area, lying north of the Dillon River, constitutes the high land
between the Ile-a-la-Crosse Plain and the Garson River Plain . It is a rolling
hilly area of Podzolic soils on glacial till .
Productivity potential for agriculture is considered low due to low
fertility and adverse topography . The forestry productivity potential is fair .
F8 Fire Bag Hills Upland
This area is north of the Clearwater River, east of the fourth Meridian
and south of the Churchill River Plains . The landscape is dominantly a gently
to strongly rolling morainic plain whose elevation ranges from 1,500 to 2,000
feet . - 13 5
Climate
The mean temperature for January is between -6 and -loo F, for July between 61 and 620 F, and annually between 28 and 290 F . The frost-free period is often less than 60 days and never over 70 . The annual precipitation is between 16 and 18 inches, of which 10 or 11 inches fall between May and
September.
Soils
The bedrock is lower Cretaceous sandstone over Paleozoic limestone .
The soils therefore are sandy tills and outwash similar to the Smeaton and
Bodmin Associations described in Soil Survey Report No . 13 . Local areas of
Organic soils also overlie these coarse textured deposits .
Vegetation
Black Spruce (Picea mariana) is the predominant tree, forming stands on the thin soils of the uplands as well as on the poorly drained lowlands, and associated on these two positions with Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana) and
Tamarack (Larix laricina) . Frequent fires have favoured the spread of Jack
Pine and are probably responsible also for the general, though scattered, representation of White Birch (Betula papyrifera) over the majority of sites .
In river valleys, around some of the lakes, and on south-facing slopes, where more favourable conditions of soil and local climate prevail, White Spruce
(Picea glauca), ' Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea), Aspen (Populus tremuloides) and
Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifera) form mixed stands of good growth .
Resource Evaluation
The agricultural productivity potential is low due to coarse soils and low fertility . The forestry potential is fair on upland coarse textured soils . - 13 6
Northern Plains Province
G Athabasca River Lowlands
G1 Clearwater River Plains
The Clearwater River Plains is a Section of the Athabasca River Lowlands which is a Region within the Northern Plains Province of the Interior Plains of North America .
Climate
The mean temperature for January ranges from -6 to -loo F, for July between 62 and 630 F and annually between 28 and 300 F . The growing season
is adequate but the frost-free period is often less than 60 days . The annual
precipitation ranges from 16 to 18 inches of which 10 to 11 inches fall
between May and September.
Vegetation
Black Spruce (Picea mariana) is the predominant tree, forming stands
on the thin soils of the uplands as well as on the poorly drained lowlands,
and associated on these two positions with Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana) and
Tamarack (Larix laricina) . In river valleys,. around some of the lakes and
on south-facing slopes, where more favourable conditions of soil and local
climate prevail, White Spruce (Picea glauca), Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea),
Aspen (Populus tremuloides) and Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifera) form
mixed stands of good growth .
Subdivisions
The Clearwater River Plains has been divided into two subsections, as
follows : - 137 -
G1 .1 Clearwater River Valley
This area is part of the eroded valley and the alluvial flat of the
Clearwater River . The valley is from 500 to 1,000 feet deep with dissected
truncated soils on the valley sides . The topography ranges from flat to
strongly rolling . The landscape is mainly that of dissected valley slopes
and river plains and terraces .
Soils(l)
Vegetation, parent material, and drainage conditions, particularly
the last two, are the major factors influencing the types and development of
soils in the Clearwater Valley . The vegetative cover is fairly typical of
that found on the borders of the XX Mixedwood and Northern EXKKX Coniferous
Sections of the Boreal Forest Region . The tree cover, on imperfectly to well
drained sites, varies from mature stands of spruce to mixedwoods of Spruce -
Aspen with more local stands of Jack Pine or mixed Aspen and Birch . Poorly
drained areas are dominated by a marsh-meadow vegetative cover of sedges,
meadow grasses and willows with local stands of mixed Black Spruce and Tamarack.
Under such vegetation one might expect well developed Podzolic, Gleysolic
Meadow, and Organic soil profiles . However, the excessively sandy nature of
the parent materials, and the extreme range and variations in drainage conditions,
have resulted in a dominance of weakly developed Regosolic, Podzolic, and
Gleysolic profiles .
The soils of the steep valley sides have developed largely on incoherent
sandy loams and sands presumably derived by erosion and slumping of sandy till.
and outwash, or from sandy material of Lower Cretaceous origin . These valley
slopes are for the most part excessively drained with numerous eroding slopes
and intermittent water courses . Under these conditions the soils are mainly
Mor Regosols (weakly developed soils under forest cover), with some weakly
(1) Preliminary Soil. Survey of the Clearwater River Valley in North-Western Saskatchewan . D,F . Acton . Saskatchewan Soil Survey . July 1962.
- 138 -
developed Podzolic soils found on the more stable slope positions .
The soils of the valley bottomland are mostly developed on loamy sand
and incoherent sand deposits . In a few areas there is a thin overlay of finer
textured, alluvial materials . The river has entrenched itself into a flood
plain, usually less than a mile in width, leaving a series of flat terraces
which rise in elevation as they extend back from the river. These terraces
and bottomlands .receive the accumulated run-off from a much larger area of
excessively drained valley slopes and consequently the soils have developed
under conditions of very poor to imperfect drainage . The lowest terraces near
the river are usually very poorly drained, whereas the higher terraces ax may
exhibit somewhat better drainage conditions . The soils are mostly immature
or weakly developed, varying from fibrous peaty (Organic soils) to peaty
Gleysolic soils developed under meadow vegetation . Local areas of weakly
developed Podzolic, or Mor Regosolic soils occur on the slightly better
drained sites, or on sandy ridges with tree cover.
Resource Evaluation
The potential arability and productivity is low due to adverse
topography on the slopes and flooding in the bottom, some organic meadows
also occur in the bottomlands . Productivity for forestry is fair to good on
the better drained alluvial soils .
G1 .2 Christina River Plain
This subsection is a low lying plain on the Alberta-Saskatchewan border
and lies north and south of the twenty-first baseline . The area is mainly
muskeg and Organic soils over sandy till and outwash .
Potential agricultural productivity is poor due to ,a predominance
of Organic (muskeg) soils . Forestry potential is considered as poor to
fair.
- 139 -
Reflections on Agricultural Pursuits in the Northern Provincial Forest Area
The Saskatchewan Institute of Pedology does not regard the present
report as final or even complete . It is only the beginning of further studies
which must be made by Pedologists and workers in other disciplines before .
intelligent decisions can be made regarding alternative land use in the
Provincial Forest .
Due to the broader generalizations made in this report the authors deem
it necessary to record their reasoning for statements made throughout the text .
1 . The interpretation of the "Source Information" in Appendix I and the
incorporation of such statements as seemed applicable into the report is
entirely that of the authors of this report . If the viewpoints of the
original authors was misconstrued the fault is ours .
II . The authors viewed the physical factors that affect land use as follows :
The more important physical factors affecting land use in a given area
are :
a) climate and associated biological factors -- vegetation, micro-organisms, etc .
b) land forms -- including geological deposits, topography and drainage .
c) soils .
Other factors such as accessibility, transportation, markets are also
important but are more logically treated under economic factors .
In the area under discussion, which is roughly the forest region of
Saskatchewan, the most important climatic factors are those relating to length
of growing season . In general, moisture conditions are satisfactory for
vegetative growth but the amount of growth (and for agricultural plants, the
proper maturing or ripening of the crop) is greatly affected by weather
conditions during the growing season . - 140 ..
There are. insufficient long-time meteorological records for Northrrn
Saskatchewan, but the available information indicates some important differences in length of growing season and frost hazard . In general, the Prince Albert area and the eastern section of the present settled area have a longer growing season than the northwestern section .
It seems reasonable to assume that the frost hazard increases with higher latitudes and hence in any consideration of northward extension of agriculture the climatic factor will become increasingly important . In%this connection it is important to realize that the favorable growth conditions at a number of far northern settlements are due to the proximity of large lakes . The long growing
season enjoyed at Ile-a-la-Crosse, for example, is unlikely to extend far beyond the immediate vicinity of the lake .
The foregoing remarks are intended to emphasize the importance of the
climatic factor in any proposed agricultural development . The same factor influences the rate of growth and ultimately the type and value of the forest
cover .
The land forms of a given area are particularly important in considering
agriculturalland use . The presence of the ice-scoured Pre-Cambrian Shield with
its bare rock outcrops, undrained lakes and basins, and thin soils, is a
definite barrier to large scale agricultural development . Between the Shield
and the present limits of settlement the nature of the surface geological
deposits is also very important . Excessively sandy, gravelly or stony deposits
are direct handicaps to agricultural land use, irrespective of the type of
soil or topography .
The topography and related drainage conditions are obvious factors in
land use . Extremely rough topography on the one hand and wet undrained lowlands
on the other are unsuitable for arable agriculture . It is true that some lowlands
are potentially suitable for agriculture if drainage can be effected . In between these extremes of topography the land surface i s suitable for agri cul tiirnl use, providing other factors are favorable . There is, however, a great difference in potential productivity between rolling land and nearly level land . Thus, soil conditions need to be more favorable as the topography becomes rougher, if the costs of development are to be justified .
The topography is also partly responsible for local drainage conditions,
local climate, the erosion hazard, rmf relative ease and cost of cultivation,
road development, etc . In any study of potential land use topography is one of
the most important factors to be considered .
The factors already mentioned are also important in assessing the soil
factor, since soils are the product of climate, vegetation, geology, topography,
drainage and time or maturity . The combined effects of these soil-forming
factors are expressed in the soil profile -- which is simply the succession of
natural layers of soil extending from the surface downwards into unaltered
geological material . In addition to its depth, the soil also has length and
breadth -- or in other words it represents an area of the earth's surface . It
is the task of the soils man to identify different soil profiles, to describe
their characteristics and to show their areal extent on a map . He is also expected,
in most instances, to make some arrangement or grouping of the soils according
to known or predicted uses .
For the area under discussion, we may say that most of the upland soils
have been influenced by a forest vegetative cover. Under the prevailing ROM climate
this type of vegetation favors the development of an organic matter layer on the
surface . The resultant soil tends to develop a light coloured surface layer
and a heavier textured brownish coloured subsoil . The light coloured layer is
leached -- has lost various salts, plant nutrients, organic matter and clay,
which are partly re-deposited in the subsoil . As a result the forest soils are
lower in natural fertility than the dark coloured soils developed under grass
vegetation . - 142 -
In the most strongly leached gray soils of the forest, problems of fertility and poor soil structure are encountered as soon as such soils are broken up . Light textured gray soils are problem types .
The lowland soils include organic (peat or muskeg), meadow and other
soils associated with wet poorly drained conditions . Hence, drainage is required
before any agricultural development can take place. In addition, the kind u£ organic matter and underlying mineral material greatly influence the potential
fertility of these soils . Thick, raw peat deposits and light textured, light
coloured mineral subsoils are both unfavourable .
An agricultural classification of the soils of the northern settled
area and forest fringe is given below . It is suggested that in considering any
new areas for agriculture most of the soils should consist of groups A and B .
An Agricultural Classification of Northern Soils
A - .Good Agricultural Soils -- Moderately well drained upland soils on level to gently undulating topography .
1 . Black parkland, loams to clays . 2 . Degraded black-parkland-forest, loams to clays . 3 . High lime (very calcareous) forest, loams to clays .
B - Good Soils (if drainage is established and if suitable methods of handling peaty surface are adopted) -- soils of poorly drained to undrained flats and depressions .
1 . Poorly drained members of Group A soils . 2 . Meadow loams to clays . 3 . Thin or shallow sedge peat over loam to clay subsoils .
C - Fair to Good Soils -- if native fertility and soil structure are improved ; and in sandy soils, if wind erosion is controlled . Drainage and topography as in Group A soils .
1 . Gray leached forest loams to clays . 2 . Black, degraded black and high lime sandy soils .
- 143
D - Poor to Fair Soils -- depending upon the degree to which adverse conditions exist and upon management .
l . Gray forest sandy loams on level to gently rolling topography . 2 . Thick or deep sedge peat over fine sandy loam to clay . 3 . Mixed sedge-moss peat over loam to clay . 4 . Rolling areas of Group A and C soils .
E - Very Poor (chiefly non-arable) Soils .
1 . Soils on strongly rolling to hilly topography and gray soils on moderately rolling topography . 2~ Soils of rough, broken, eroded land . 3 . Excessively stony soils . 4 . Dune sands ., 5 . Sand or gravel_ deposits (may have peat surface) . 6 . Thick or deep moss peat (muskeg) soils . 7 . Wet marshes and swamps, not suitable for drainage .
When the above physical factors of land use are known they may be applied
to make decisions in regards to alternative land use . Thus to evaluate the
problem of the allocation of land in Northern Saskatchewan for agricultural or
forestry uses the authors present a portion of an address (l) given by the
late Hadley Van Vliet who was Head of the Department of Agricultural Economics,
University of Saskatchewan, till his untimely death in 1968.
"There is this furl-her question in this whole decision -- how far should
settlement go - as to where may be reasonable bounds between agricultural and
forest use in terms of the relative capabilities for use of a particular land
area . We are coming closer and closer to the point where we must no longer
regard forestry as,a residual use of a land area. The question should no longer
be one of how far can agriculture go, that is, where should agriculture stop .
There should be the reverse question as to how far should agriculture reasonably
go in the light of how far forestry can reasonably use a land area . Looking at
our own general northern potential in forest agricultural development, I think
we can say that there still is a pretty broad twilight zone of use in which you
(1)Proceedings of First Land Use Conference . Prince Albert . 1951 . i44
can say that neither use can firmly establish itself . In other words, you car.
say that there is an area which is hazardous for the further extension of agricultural development, there is also that in-between area in which forest use for the most part perhaps does not show a very strong potential . In that
respect the broad problem then still perhaps is one of deciding where is a .
reasonable point to cut off farming for its own good . But within smaller
localities and within the areas of the individual farm where specific and
particular adaptations to forestry are involved there is a point of decision
as to how far agricultural- utilization is reasonable utilization as against a
higher potential which forest use may show.
There is, I think, a point for considering more and more closely the
cut-off line as being one in terms of what forestry can do in good use of the
land area as against what agriculture may do in mediocre use of that very
same area . In terms of the general position of some of those factors I think one can say that for the most part we shouldn't attempt to overdo_ ourselves in extending agriculture into the forest area . For the most part I think we can afford to keep our standards with respect to agricultural opportunities in forest area development relatively high, that we should consider for the most part good agricultural opportunities but not consider opportunities which go far down the line where they are going to give us precarious agricultural development . There doesn't seem to be either the force of contribution or the need for development of agriculture in that sense to say that we should push agricultural development beyond that which would give us good standards of farming opportunity .
Secondly, taking the question as to what basis of agricultural settlement should be contemplated in the forest region there are I think a number of guide posts of experiments which we might well perhaps take into account . The first of those is that indiscriminate agricultural settlement of the forest area has
145
proven extremely costly, and we can hardly afford to reconcile such a thought
in settlement again . Our main history of settlement in forestry so far has
been one of free and indiscriminate settlement . It has proven extremely
damaging to the interest of maintaining forest cover and maintaining good
forest use . It has proven costly to the maintenance of forestry in terms of
protection and in terms of eventual restoration . It has proven equally costly
to agriculture in terms of hazardous agricultural settlement, which often led
to eventual abandonment settlement, which has proven to be continually costly
in terms of the social cost of maintaining needed community services . We can
take as a general guide post perhaps the experience that any settlement in
the forest area from now on should be carefully bounded and carefully controlled .
It should be guided settlement in terms o£ filling it into the areas where for
the most part good potentials for long term agriculture remain .
The second guide post, suggested by experience, is that settlement
in forest areas has a high social cost . It implies a comparatively high cost
of facilities and social services on the basis of what usually are relatively
restricted, limited and more or less isolated areas . In the future we can
hardly reconcile a settlement pattern which gives us small isolated settlement
areas . The cost of maintaining such areas for agriculture is too high . The
cost of maintaining forest use in terms of protection and good forest utilization
on the basis of that type of settlement is also too high . This suggests that,
as a general principle, future settlement in the forest area should be on the
basis of a general community principle whereby settlement should be restricted
to proceed in areas which are contiguous to established services and
communities . Such settlement should be based on areas which are large enough
to reasonably afford the development of economic facilities and community
services . We should not reconcile the high cost of scattered and isolated - 146 settlement which goes beyond the finge of a reasonable community pattern .
Thirdly, the question of the general relation of agriculture and forestry use in the forest area . There perhaps are a number of other guide posts to which one might cling in trying to find an opinion on some of these questions .
There are a number of features which have characterized our forest settlement
up to the present time . First of all, much of the reliance in our forest
settlement has been in terms of a population . We relegated our settlement
of forest areas to .a general population which has shifted into the forest zone
either in terms of a regular pioneering boom or in terms of exigencies such
as we saw during the depression period . It has meant that for the most part
the type of farm operator which has been available to forest settlement has
not been of the highest calibre . Very often it has meant that it pushed a
marginal to sub-marginal type of agricultural operator into the forest zone .
That's a generalization . It is not necessarily true as an overall representation,
but it does saythat for the most part we haven't been selective to any degree
whatsoever in terms of the type of farm operator which we have found in forest
agricultural development . We must recognize, and Dr . Mitchell, I think,
established the principle, that for the most part the utilization of our areas
of forest soils requires more care for the most part than most of our other
areas of major soils . On the other hand, I think we can also say that those
types of soilsprobably afford better rewards for good utilization than most of
our other soils . What it means is that our emphasis in the development of a
northern agricultural settlement should be in terms of the types of farm
operators who are of a high calibre and who can give those types of soils
both the type of care that they need and the type of attention which they can
afford . We can afford, I think, in northern agricultural development to think
of selective settlement on the basis of settlers of a high calibre, and we - 147 - can afford perhaps,to think of selective area settlement along with selective individual settlement as a general principle for the northern region .
Secondly, we can also say that we have regarded our forest settlement in the sense of subsistence or semi-commercial types of agricultural settlement .
We have had in the background of our mind the picture of the man and his axe going into the forest hewing out a garden and finally a farm unit . That type of settlement has not proven itself in the forest area . Forest settlement requires more capital and it means more capital more quickly for good develop- ment than any other type of farming development . We need on the one hand a concept of commercial settlement and we need it in terms of a scale of farming unit which will give a good immediate starting unit and we need it in terms of the types of assistance and capital which will give a man a start in forest settlement right . A problem in forest settlement has been up to now the long
lag from the homestead period to the period 15, 20 and often as long as 30 years from that initial homestead period before a settler had even a starting subsistence unit . That type of settlement has not proven conducive to good settlement . It has for the most part not proven conducive to good farming and agricultural development . If we're going to accept reasonable settlement in the forest area it should be based on the concept of full scale commercial settlement which accepts the normal principle that a man is going to live off
the farm and that he wants to develop that for a commercial unit just as quickly as it can be developed .
Thirdly, there is also, I think, the general idea which has resided in much of our forest settlement that for the most part forestry and agriculture should be closely integrated in the settlement pattern . Mr. Marshall referred to the general relation of forestry as being perhaps, up to now, a very effective handmaiden to agricultural establishment . The timber permit was as
- 148 -
an original settlement principle of our dominion land policies, one of the
finest devices which was devised in terms of establishing the homestead and
the homestead settler . The general idea has been perhaps carried too far,
however, in forest development in the suggestion that agriculture and forestry
can go closely hand in hand as two bases of agricultural utilization . In
early U .S . legislation it was the same thing . There, after the original U.S .
homestead principle was established, we had the timber homestead . Then we had
the reforestation homestead ; then we had the large forest homestead and so on .
In :the 1930's under the Farm Security Act there we have many ideas in
rehabilitation settlement of getting either a farm forest economy in which
a man ran a farm and had a little bit of forestry or a forest farm economy in
which you ran a bit of forest and had a little farm subsistence unit to take
care of your agricultural needs .
For the most part that basis of direct integration of agriculture and
forest utilization has not proven itself . Too much forestry has ruined the
farm as much as too much farming has ruined the forest . It looks as if we're
going to have to separate basis of utilization somewhat . When we think of
agricultural utilization it should be primarily in the sense of an opportunity
which guarantees a good long commercial opportunity in farming . Forestry can
serve desirably on an assistance basis for the establishment of agricultural
settlement in the earlier period by providing additional employment
opportunities, giving off season labor to aid the settler in breaking out and
establishing himself in farming . In the long run, however, too close a tie
between farming and forestry in the individual unit sense has proven perhaps
a drag on both forms of utilization . When a man has depended too much on
forestry he has neglected farming in the sense that he hasn't achieved the
amount of farm development which he should have . On the other hand, when it 149 - was a matter of forestry coming first and uppermost then it didn't again give the basis for farm development, and this result is that unless you can think of the very delicate balance between the two of them you should think perhaps of agriculture and forest utilization as being integrated in a more indirect sense rather than thinking of it in the close direct integration of individual settlement units . For the most part, opinion would seem to favor the suggestion of getting agriculture established on a good, long run, sound commercial basis accepting the valuable aid which forestry can give in the establishment period but from then on carrying the agriculture and forestry position largely on an independent basis" .
- 150 -
Appendix I
Sources of Information
1 . Acton, D .F. Preliminary Soil Survey of the Clearwater River Valley in North-Western Saskatchewan . Sask. Soil Survey, Univ . of Sask . 1962 .
2 . Atkinson, J .M ., and Palley, M .N . Forest Resources of the Pasquia-Porcupine Area of Saskatchewan . Department of Natural Resources, Province of Saskatchewan. 1952 .
3 . Brown, A.R. Horticultural and Agricultural Possibilities of the Southern Portion of the Churchill River Basin 1948-49 Survey . Sask. Co-operative Extension Program. Sask. Dept . of Agriculture (Confidential) . 1949 .
4. !Bristol, O .P ., Ellis, J .G ., and Johnson, W.E. Preliminary Soil Survey of the Green Lake Settlement. Sask. Soil Survey, Univ . of Sask . 1951 .
5 . Bristol, O,P ., and Moss, H .C. Preliminary Soil Traverses of Lowlands North-East of Carrot River. Sask. Soil Survey, Univ . of Sask . 1950 .
6 . Crean, J .P . The New North West . 1908 Report of Exploration Season 1908-1909 . Dept . of the Interior Canada .
7 . Chambers, Ernes J . The Unexploited West . 1914. Dept . of the Interior.
8 . Clayton, J .S,, Ellis, J .G ., and Edwards, A .P. Soil Survey of the Cumberland House Area . Sask . Soil Survey, Univ . of Sask . 1951 .
9 . Clayton, J .S ., Bristol, O .P ., and Ellis, J .G. Preliminary Soil Survey of the Lower Red Deer River Basin in Saskatchewan. Sask . Soil Survey, Univ . of Sask . 1950 .
10 . Clayton, J .S ., and Ellis, J .G. Report on the Soils of the Lower Saskatchewan Valley . Sask . Soil Survey, Univ. of Sask. 1952.
11 . Dowling, D.B . J .S .C. Report Vol . XIII Part F.F. 1902 Report on Geological Exploration in Athabaska - Saskatchewan and Keewatin Districts .
12 . Delury, J .S . Geol . Survey Canada . Summary Report 1924 Part 8 . Wapawekka and Deschambault Lakes Area, Saskatchewan .
13 . Ellis, J .H . The Pasquia Land Settlement Project . Interim Reports No . 1, 2 and 3 . Lands Branch, Department of Mines and Natural Resources . Winnipeg . 1956 .
14. Ellis, J .G., and Ballantyne, A .K . Report on the Soils of the Beauval Area . Soil Science Dept ., Univ . of Sask . 1957 .
15 . Ellis, J .G . Soils and Potential Land Use of the Ravendale-Kennedy Creek. Plain . Sask. Soil Survey, Univ . of Sask. 1957 .
16. Ellis, J .G . ; and Graveland, D. Preliminary Soil Survey of the Saskatchewan River Delta Project . Saskatchewan Institute of Pedology, Univ . of Sask . 1967 .
17 . Ellis, J .G ., and Moss, H .C . Preliminary Soil Survey of West La Loche Settlement on Methy Lake . Sask . Soil Survey, Univ . of Sask. 1958 .
18 . Forest Resources of the Prince Albert Area of Saskatchewan . Forestry Branch, Department of Natural Resources, Province of Saskatchewan . 1953 .
19 . Forest Resources of the Meadow Lake Area of Saskatchewan . Forestry Branch, Department of Natural Resources, Province of Saskatchewan . 1954 .
20 . Halliday, W.E.D . A Forest Classification for Canada . Ottawa . Dept . of Mines and Resources, Forest Service, Bul . 89 . 1937 .
21 . Kabzems, A., and Kirby, C .L . The Growth and Yield of Jack Pine in Saskatchewan . Department of Natural Resources, Forestry Branch . 1956 .
22 . Kitto, F .H . Dept . of the Interior 1919 . The Province of Saskatchewan, its Development and Opportunities .
23 . ------Natural Resources Intelligence Branch 1919 . An Account of a Reconnaissance Expedition from McMurray to Hudson Bay Mostly by Canoe .
24 . McInnes, W. Geol . Survey of Canada . Summary Report 1907 Pasquia Hills and Lower Carrot River Region .
25 . ------Geol . Survey Can . Summary Report 1910 . Saskatchewan River District. N.W . of CumberlandLake .
26 . ------Memoir No . 30 . Geological Survey Canada . 1913 . The Basins of the Nelson and Churchill Rivers .
27 . Moss, H .C . A Preliminary Study of Soils of the Churchill River Basin of Northern Saskatchewan . Soils Dept ., Univ . of Sask . 1950 .
28 . Mitchell, J ., and Moss, H .C . The Soils of the Canadian Section of the Great Plains . Soil Science Society of America Proceedings Vol . 13 . 1948 .
29 . Mitchell, J ., Clayton, J .S ., and Gross, R .A . Preliminary Soil Survey of a Portion of the Carrot River Valley . Sask . Soil Survey . 1944 .
30 . Mitchell, J ., and Hutcheon, W.L . Soil Survey of Candle Lake Area . Sask. Soil Survey, Univ . of Sask . 1939 .
31 . Mitchell, J ., Moss, H .C., and Clayton, J .S . Soil Survey of Southern Saskatchewan . Soil Survey Report No . 12, Univ . of Sask . 1944 .
32 . Mitchell, J ., Moss, H .C ., and Clayton, J .S . Soil Survey of Saskatchewan . Soil Survey Report No . 13, Univ . of Sask . 1950 .
- 15 2 -
33 . National Soil Survey Committee . Report of the Sub-Committee on Landscape Features . 1948 .
34 . Proceedings Resources For People . Saskatchewan Resources Conference . Saskatoon . January, 1964.
35 . Proceedings of First Land Use Conference . Saskatchewan Institute of Agrologists and Canadian Institute of Forestry . Prince Albert . December, 1951 .
36 . Proceedings of the Fourth National Meeting of the National Soil Survey Committee of Canada . 1960 .
37 . Rowe, J .S . Forest Regions of Canada . Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources . Forestry Branch . Ottawa . 1959 .
38. Reports Dom: Water Power and Reclamation Service . Dept . of the Interior 1923-24, 1924-25 . Carrot River Triangle Drainage Project .
39 . Surveyors Reports . Topographic Survey of Canada by Dominion Land Surveyors .
40 . Saskatchewan's Forest Inventory 1947 to 1956. Department of Natural Resources, Forestry Branch . 1959 .
41 . Sproule, J.C . The Pleistocene Geology of the Cree Lake Region Sask. Trans . Royal Society. Canada . Section IV. 1939.
42 . Tyrrel, J .B . assisted by Dowling, D.B . Geol . Survey of Canada . Vol . VIII 1895 . Report D. Report on the Country Between Athabaska Lake and the Churchill River.
,43 . ------Geol . Survey of Canada Vol . IX 1896 Part F. (around the Pas)
44 . ------Geol . Survey of Canada New Series Vol . VIII Part F . 1902 Report on the North-eastern Portion of the District of Saskatchewan and Adjacent Parts of the District of Keewatin .
45 . Warren Upham. The Glacial Lake Agassy. Monograph of United States Geological Survey. Vol . XXV. 1896.
46 . Worcester, W.G . Clay Resources of Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan Department of Natural Resources . Technical and Economic Series. Report No. 2. 1950 . - 15 3 -
Appendix II
Soil Classification
The soils of the Northern Provincial Forest were classified according
to the system adopted by the 1960 meeting of the National Soil Survey Committee of Canada . The Northern Provincial Forest area includes soils in the Chernozemic,
Podzolic, Regosolic, Gleysolic and Organic Orders respectively. The character-
istics used to identify the soils which occur within the aforementioned Orders are as follows .
Criteria and Definitions for Chernozemic Soils
Chernozemic Order soils are well to imperfectly drained soils developed
under xero- or meso-phyllic grasses and forbs or under transition grassland-
forest vegetation . Chernozemic soils are characterized by the occurrence of dark colored humus-mineral surface horizons, (Ah or Aa) of high base-saturation with a cationic ratio of calcium to other ions significantly greater than 1 and with flocculated surface structures that do not become massive on wetting and drying . Carbon-nitrogen ratio is 17 or less if virgin and usually does not exceed 13 if cultivated . The thickness and darkness in colour of the Ah horizon must be sufficient to produce an Aa horizon of at least 5 inches in thickness, one Munsell (1) unit darker in value than the C horizon and should be lower in chroma than the B horizon if present . The high base-saturation of the A horizon is apparently maintained by annual cyclic growth and decomposition of a vegetative ground cover dominated by xero- or meso-phyllic grasses and forbs .
Dark Gray Chernozemic Soils
A Great Group separation whose virgin A horizon may have a colour on the surface of the peds comparable to the Dark Brown or Black soils, (values darker than 4 .5), but will crush or rub out to a grayer or browner colour of higher value or chroma, ranging in Munsell values from 3 to 5 .5 . A "salt and
(1)Munsell Soil Color Charts . Munsell Color Company, Inc ., Baltimore 2, Maryland, U.S .A .
- 154 -
pepper effect" i .e. lighter grayish spots or bands may be observable in this
type of horizon, and it may exhibit a tendency to blocky or platy structure,
which crushes to a granular condition . Where these latter conditions are
significantly expressed it may be possible to separate an Ahej horizon from
the Ah . Such soils should have Ah, or L-H, Ah horizons of sufficient thickness
and darkness in colour to give an Aa horizon with a range of Munsell colour
values darker than 5 .5 dry.
These soils in their original or undisturbed state support a mixed
vegetation of grasses, forbs and trees but with a dominant ground cover of
meso-phyllic grasses and forbs characteristic of transition areas between
grassland and forest vegetation . Depending on the extent and development of
tree cover, these soils in virgin state may have an organic, L-H, horizon,
but are mainly characterized by an amphistratic Ah horizon of humus-mineral
character .
Rego Chernozemic Profile types : Ah, Ck, C or Ah, C .
Soils with Ah or Aa horizons as defined in the Order and Great Groups
underlain by C horizons . No significant depth of colour B is permitted .
These profiles may be further separated on the basis of the occurrence of
salts, or of gleyed (imperfectly drained) horizons . Grumic or self-mulching
characteristics may occur in Rego profiles of high clay content.
In profiles on well-drained sites or with excessive surface drainage,
the A horizon.i s commonly free of lime and overlies a weak Ck horizon of
carbonate accumulation above the calcareous parent material . In the gleyed
(imperfectly drained) rego-profiles, carbonates of secondary origin frequently
extend into the A horizons due to precipitation from the rise of saturated
solutions of lime bearing waters .
In profiles with Grumic characteristics because of the self-mulching - 155-- properties of the solum and the sloughing of surface material into cracks, the Ah horizon is not as sharply defined as in other Rego Chernozemic profiles and tends to merge into a transitional AC horizon .
Calcareous Chernozemic Profile types : Ah, Bmk, Ck, C .
Soils with Ah or Aa horizons as defined in the Order and Great Groups underlain by a colour Bmk from which free carbonates are not completely removed . This colour Bmk horizon is usually weakly prismatic in macro structure . A lighter coloured Ck horizon of carbonate accumulation is usually present above the C .
This profile type may be divided into a well-drained and a gleyed
(imperfectly-drained) type . In the well-drained type the carbonates are present in the B through insufficient leaching ; in the latter they are frequently an expression of upward movement of soluble carbonates . In profiles with grumic (self-mulching) characteristics, the separations between Ah, Bmk and
Ck horizons tend to be diffuse and transitional .
Criteria and Definitions for Podzolic Soils
Podzolic Order soils are well and imperfectly drained soils developed under forest or heath having light coloured eluvial (Ae) horizons and illuvial
(B) horizons with accumulations of sesquioxides, organic matter or clay ; or any combination of these .
Gray Wooded Great G roup of the Podzolic Order
Soils with organic surface borizon(s) (L-H), with lighter coloured eluvial horizon(s) (Ae) and with illuviated horizons (Bt) in which clay is the main accumulation product . Developed on basic parent materials . The solum generally has a medium to high degree of base saturation .
- 15 6 -
0 rthic Gray Wooded Profile : L-H, (Ah)Ae, (AB)Bt, C .
Soils with organic surface horizons (L-H), with a light coloured Ae
and a Bt . They may have thin Ah, (less than 2") slightly mottled lower Ae
and a marked AB horizon .
Dark Gray Wooded Profiles : L-H, Ah or Ahe, Ae, (AB), Bt, C, or L-H, (Ah), Aeh, Btj, C .
Soils with organic surface (L-H) and with Chernozemic Ah or Ahe (more
than 2") over 'a light coloured Ae, or soils with organic surface over a
prominent dark gray Aeh horizon and underlain by Bt . The plowed layer of both
subtypes is darker than that of the orthic subgroup .
Bisequa Gray Wooded Profile : L-H, Ae, Bf, C/Bt, C or L-H, Ae, Bfl, (Bf2)/Ae, Bt, C .
Gray Wooded soils in which a podzol sequence of horizons has developed
in Ae and overlying a continuous textural (Bt) horizon at depths of less than
30 inches from the surface . If the solum of the podzol sequence is well
developed (orthic) it must be less than 18 inches thick . This profile is also
referred to in the soillegend as Podzolized Gray Wooded .
Podzol Great Group_ of the Podzolic Order
The undisturbed soils have organic surface horizons) (L-H), a light
coloured eluvial horizon (Ae), and an illuvial B horizon (Bf or Bfh) in which
organic matter and sesquioxides are the main accumulation products . The
B horizon contains less than 10% of organic matter but a thin (less than
thick) Bh horizon containing more than 10% organic matter may be present
immediately under the Ae . The solum is generally moderately to strongly unsaturated . - 15 7 -
Orthic Podzol Profile : L-H, Ae, (Bh), Bfh of Bf, C .
Soils with organic surface horizon(s) (L-H), a light coloured eluvial horizon (Ae) more than I" thick and a friable Bfh or Bf horizon of high chroma .
A Bh sub-horizon containing more than 10% organic matter is lacking or less than 2" thick .
Criteria and_Definitions for_Regosolic Soils
Regosolic Order soils are well and imperfectly drained soils which lack discernible horizons or in which horizon development is limited to a non-chernozemic organic-mineral surface horizon (Ah) or to organic surface horizons (L-H) less than 12 inches thick.
Great Group of the Regosolic Order
Only one great group has been recognized to date . Therefore the great group definition is the same as for the Order .
Orthic- Regosols
Soils lacking any horizon development or with thin or weak Ah horizons and without visible evidence of salts or gleying. (Weak Ah horizons are defined as Ah horizons that will not produce Aa horizons of 5 inches thickness one
Munsell unit darker in value than the C horizons - dry colours) . 0 rthic Regosols over bedrock are referred to in the soil legend as Lithosols .
Mull_ Regosols
Soils which have a distinct non-chernozemic Ah horizon, little or no
L-H, and without visible evidence of salts or gleying .
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Criteria and Definitions for Gleysolic Soils
Gleysolic Order soils are soils with organic horizons (12 inches thick),
or with an Ah horizon, or with both, or without these surface horizons but with
some organic material dispersed throughout the mineral soils . The subsoils
usually show gleying and are dull colored but may have brighter colored
prominent mottles .
Soils associated with wetness . They have . developed under various
climatic and vegetative conditions and in the presence of a high or highly
fluctuating water table .
Meadow Great Group of - the Gleysolic Order
Soils with dark coloured Ah horizons more than 2 inches thick which
grade into dull coloured horizons that may or may not show gleying . May
have organic horizons not exceeding 12 inches in thickness .
These soils have developed under grasses, sedges and swamp-forests .
Orthic Meadow
Soils with a non-calcareous, Ah horizon which grades into a dull
coloured horizon or horizons . Underlying material are usually calcareous .
May have organic horizons up to 3 inches thick .
Peaty Meadow
Any meadow soil with 3 to 12 inches of peat .
Gleysol Great Group of the Gleysolic Order
Soils with organic horizons less than 12 inches thick or without these
horizons and with a strongly gleyed mineral horizon or horizons . May have a
thin Ah horizon up to 2 inches thick . No noticeable eluvial or illuvial
horizons .
These soils developed under swamp-forest, heath or swamp vegetation .
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Rego-Gleysol
Soils with less than one inch of peat or muck on the surface and without
an Ah horizon . Some organic material in the form of peat, muck, or organic mud
may be dispersed through the mineral soil . Strongly gleyed mineral soil occurs
at or near the surface .
Peaty-Gleyso l
All Gleysol soils except Rego-Gleysol with 6 to 12 inches of peat .
Criteria and__Definitions for . Organic -Soils
Organic Soil
A soil that contains at least 20 per cent organic matter, is 12 inches
or more in depth, and has no horizon development in the mineral substratum
other than gleying .
Sphagnum Peat
Organic soil material consisting predominantly of sphagnum moss,
leaves and stems .
Fibrous Peat
Organic soil material consisting predominantly of the partially decayed
remains of marsh plants other than sphagnum .
Disintegrated Peat
Organic soil material consisting predominantly of finely divided,
unidentifiable plant remains, that are not chemically decomposed .
Woody Peat
Organic soil material consisting predominantly of small fragments
of the woody parts of plants .
Muck
Organic soil material consisting predominantly of finely divided
unidentifiable plant materials . Solubility in saturated - sodium pyrophosphate
solution is greater than three-quarters of one per cent . Sedimentary Peat
Organic soil material consisting predominantly of the fecal remains of small aquatic animals . Material is plastic and non-sticky .
Diatomaceous Earth
An unconsolidated deposit of the remains of diatoms mixed with organic matter .
Marl
An impure unconsolidated deposit of carbonate of lime .
Characteristics to be Used in Examination_ of Organic Soil Profiles
Depth - to mineral layer or to the first impermeable layer.
Muck - l . Less than 24" (Shallow) 2 . 24"-48°' (Deep) 3 . 48" + (Very deep)
Peat - 1 . Less than 36 °' (Shallow) 2 . 36'°-72" (Deep) 3 . 72" + (Very deep)
Reaction - pH of individual layers examined .
Name of Underlying Material - Examples
1 . Shallow organic soil overlying sand . 2 . Shallow organic soil overlying loam and silt loam . 3 . Shallow organic soil overlying clay. 4 . Shallow organic soil overlying marl .