orth NSaskatchewan River “The Story of This River is the Story of the West” Canadian Heritage Rivers System Background Study North Saskatchewan River Alberta 2005 Prepared for Canadian Heritage Rivers 6th Floor Century Place System Background Study 9803 - 102A Avenue North Saskatchewan River Edmonton, Alberta T5J 3A3 Alberta Prepared by: Billie L. Milholland Education & Communications Coordinator North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance 2005 Cover and inside cover photographs by John Ulan 2001 North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance gratefully acknowledges the funding support of our project partners: Community Development ii Background Study North Saskatchewan River The Story of this River is the Story of the West is the chorus from the song: Roll on North Saskatchewan Words and Music by James Gordon from his CD “The Song The River Sings” - Pipe Street Records Published by Pipe Street Publishing (SOCAN) jamesgordon.ca Roll on North Saskatchewan Born in the Rockies when the ice age receded, In a Columbia glacier a mile above the sea; Through wild canyons, the newborn river twists and bends, Its journey will be long before it ends. Kelsey, La Verendrye, the Blackfoot and the Cree All searched that river for their destiny; Near here David Thompson, His bride Charlotte by his side, Felt a country stirring as he looked across the great divide. Still many miles to go before that river takes its rest, The story of this river is the story of the west. At Rocky Mountain House where The Nor-westers built a post, They pushed their fur trade empire across to the coast; Trading with the Peigan and the Kootenays, They loaded their canoes to make the long paddle east. Across the flatlands where that widening river flowed, Through the territory of the buffalo, By the time the steel rails stretched across Saskatchewan, The buffalo who drank from the riverbanks were gone. Roll on, roll on, roll on you North Saskatchewan. Section 1 John Ulan Photograph 2001 iv Background Study North Saskatchewan River Edmonton Queen - Edmonton photo Billie Milholland Dawson Bridge - Edmonton photo Billie Milholland N RS v N Acknowledgements RS and Credits Numerous groups, agencies and individuals contributed to the work of this Canadian Heritage Rivers System Background. Local citizens all along the river were very generous with their time and information, and the NSWA membership continues to support this project. NSWA Board of Directors 2000 Cindy Shepel, (EPCOR Water Services) President Charles Labatiuk, (City of Edmonton, Drainage Services Department) Treasurer Gail Feltham,TransAlta Utilities Richard Escott, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada - Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration Bill Fox, Alberta Beef Producers Diana Rung, Alberta Conservation Association Ernie Ewaschuk, Land Stewardship Centre of Canada Douglas Thrussell, Alberta Environment Adele Mandryk, NSWA Manager, 1999 - 2001 Sharon Willianen, NSWA Manager, 2001- present NSWA Board of Directors to June 2005 Tracy Scott, (Ducks Unlimited Canada) President Frank Vagi, (Petro-Canada) Vice-President Chris Ward, (City of Edmonton Drainage Services Department) Treasurer Candace Vanin, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada - Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration Ernie Ewaschuck, Land Stewardship Centre of Canada Bill Fox, Alberta Beef Producers Douglas Thrussell, Alberta Environment Beth Michener, EPCOR Water Services Locke Girvan, Strathcona County Kim Nielsen, Clearwater County vi Background Study North Saskatchewan River People who offered specific information and expertise: Adele Mandryk - PhD Candidate, Dept. of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta Anne Belliveau - Historical Author, Nordegg Asoke Weerasinghe - Alberta Environment Beth Michener - Watershed Specialist, EPCOR Water Services Beulah Williams - Early River Pioneer, Edmonton Bill Fox - Public Affairs Committee Alberta Beef Calvin Desjarlais - Decedent of the Chief of the Papaschase Band, Edmonton Charles Labatiuk - Senior Environmental Engineer, City of Edmonton Chris Ward - General Supervisor, City of Edmonton Dawn Carr - Planner, Alberta Community Development Don and Charlene Dubyna - Saskatchewan Canoeists and North Saskatchewan River Enthusiasts, Caudo, Saskatchewan Doug Bowes - System Planner, Alberta Community Development Doug Frost - Park Ranger, City of Edmonton Community Services Doug Thrussell - Water Resource Planner Alberta Environment Central Region Douwe Vanderwel - Senior Engineer, City of Edmonton Drainage Services Department Dr. Bruce Rains - Associate Professor, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Dr. Glen Hvenegaard - Associate Professor, Dept of Geography Faculty Advisor, Environmental Studies Program, University of Alberta, Augustana Campus Dr. Harry Groenewold - Professor of History,The King's University College Dr. John Wood - Associate Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies,The King's University College, Dr. Peter Mahaffy - Professor of Chemistry,The King's University College Dr. Richard Vaudry - Associate Professor of History,The King's University College Dr. Ross W.Wein - Professor Dept of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta. Duke Hunter - GIS Technologist, Alberta Natural Heritage Information Centre Edgar Mapletoft - Historian and caretaker of Fort Pitt Historic Park Ernie Dorman - Retired River Enthusiast, Edmonton N Ernie Ewaschuk - the Executive Director of the Land Stewardship Centre of Canada S Francis Dufrasne - Fishing Lake Métis Settlement Frank Vagi - Senior Advisor for Regulatory and Environmental Services, Oil Sands R Division, Petro-Canada PetroCanada vii Background Study North Saskatchewan River Gary Anweiler, entomologist, retired Gary Byrtus - Pesticide monitoring Specialist, Alberta Environment Gwen Edge - Gwen Edge Graphic Design Hanne Csanyi - Librarian, Alberta Geological Survey Jan den Dulk - Fisheries Biologist, Hydraulic Engineer, Edmonton Jeff Smith - Strategic Planning Technologist, City of Edmonton Jim O'Neill - Senior Fisheries Scientist, Edmonton John Ulan - Photographer, Edmonton Kim Nielsen - Clearwater County Ksenija Vujnovic - Botanist, Alberta Natural Heritage Information Centre Laura Graham - Planner, Alberta Community Development Lyndon Gyurek - Senior Environmental Engineer, City of Edmonton Mabel Dumont - retired pioneer teacher Margaret McPherson - Historical Author, Edmonton Mark Lund - Burtonville Island Expert, Master Canoeist, Edmonton Marvin Bjornstad - Elk Point Historical Society Pat Johnson - Local Canoeist, Fur Trade Interpreter Fort George - Buckingham House Provincial Historic Site, Elk Point Pat MacDonald - Historical Author, Rocky Mountain House Peter Kingsmill - Redberry Lake Biosphere Reserve, Hafford, Saskatchewan Robert Pruden - River Kayak Adventurer, Edmonton Ron Cheung - Senior Drafting Technologist, City of Edmonton Drainage Department Ron Onusko - Elk Point Historical Society Sharon Willianen - NSWA Manager, Edmonton Steve Andrishak - Local Historian and Museum Curator, Elk Point Ted and Marilyn Quinney, Frog Lake First Nations Alec Mair - Historical Author and Broadcaster, Edmonton Town of Marwayne Tracy Scott - Watershed Coordinator, Ducks Unlimited, Canada and President, NSWA, 2003/04 Wayne Nordstrom - Zoologist, Alberta Natural Heritage Information Centre N RS viii Background Study North Saskatchewan River Abraham Lake photo Billie Milholland Abraham Lake from Hwy 11 photo Billie Milholland N RS ix N Table of Contents RS Acknowledgements and Credits . .v Original NSWA Steering Committee . .v Present Steering Committee . .v Section I . .3 Executive Summary . .3 Purpose of the Study . .3 Study Focus . .4 Study Findings . .5 Conclusion . .5 Reach One . .7 Reach Two . .7 Reach Three . .8 Reach Four . .8 Reach Five . .10 Reach Six . .11 Reach Seven . .12 Current Management Strategies . .13 Commitment . .14 Introduction . .16 Canadian Heritage Rivers System (CHRS) . .16 Alberta's Heritage Rivers Program . .17 North Saskatchewan River Ranking . .17 Study Area . .18 Background Study Assumptions . .19 Background Study Approach . .19 Background Study Process . .20 Background Study Organization . .20 North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance (NSWA) . .21 End Notes . .27 x Background Study North Saskatchewan River Section II - Cultural Heritage Value . .29 Introduction . .31 Theme One - Resource Harvesting . .33 1.1 North Saskatchewan River Fishing . .37 1.2 North Saskatchewan River Shoreline Resources . .39 1.3 North Saskatchewan River-based Extraction of Water . .51 Theme Two - Water Transportation . .53 2.1 North Saskatchewan River-based Commercial Transportation . .54 2.2 North Saskatchewan River-based Transportation Services . .58 2.3 North Saskatchewan River-based Exploration and Surveying . .59 Theme Three - Riparian Settlement . .65 3.1 North Saskatchewan River-based Dwelling Sites . .67 3.2 North Saskatchewan River-based Communities . .73 3.3 North Saskatchewan River-influenced Transportation . .78 Theme Four - Culture and Recreation . .86 4.1 North Saskatchewan River-based Spiritual Association . .87 4.2 North Saskatchewan River-based Cultural Expression . .89 4.3 North Saskatchewan River-based Early Recreation . .91 Theme Five - Jurisdictional Use . .95 5.1 North Saskatchewan River-based Conflict and Military Associations . .95 5.2 North Saskatchewan River-based Boundaries . .100 5.3 North Saskatchewan River-based Environmental Regulation . .101 Cultural Value Conclusions . .102 Bibliography Section II . .107 End Notes . .112 Section III - Natural Heritage Value . .125 Introduction . .127 Theme One Hydrology . .130 1.1 Drainage Basin . .130 1.1.1 Hudson Bay Drainage Basin . .130 1.1.2 Sub-watershed Regions . .130 1.1.2a Sub-watershed tributaries & other water bodies: . .131 1.2 Seasonal Variation . .132 1.2.1 Dam Influence . .134 1.3 Water Content . .135 1.3.1 Physical Properties . .136 1.3.2 Chemical Properties . .136 N 1.3.3 Biological Properties . .136 1.4 River Size: river volume and length . .137 S 1.4.1 Average Flow Volume (annual) . .137 R 1.4.2 Total River Length . .137 xi Background Study North Saskatchewan River Theme Two - Physiography . .137 2.1 Physiographic Region . ..