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 . ..