Qu'Appelle Valley Geolog Stop 2 - Valley View
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Picture of Sign at Stop 2

Stop 2 is found inside Echo Valley Provincial Park, up the hill and across the highway from Stop 1. It is located on a point on the south side of the valley that overlooks Sioux Crossing, Pasqua Lake and Echo Lake.

Echo Lake Provincial Park was built in 1960 and was one of the first provincial parks to be built in the province. A lot of development of the area was needed before the park was opened to the public, including the construction of artificial beaches. In order for the beaches to be constructed, a large amount of sand was used to fill parts of Echo Lake and the marshes of Sioux Crossing. Unfortunately the filling of Sioux Crossing destroyed an important natural fish spawning habitat, diminishing the levels of fish in the region for a time.

Currently Stop 2 is a sandy knoll, with very typical Saskatchewan flora. There are plenty of Saskatoon and Chokecherry bushes, grasses, and wild prairie flowers. The west side of the slope is exposed to the elements and is very dry. Local residents have grooved out a mountain bike trail that winds from the top of the hill around to its base. The east side of the hill is more moist than the west side, and drains into a gully that stretches all the way to the base of the hill.

Geology

The Qu'Appelle Valley is actually three valleys in one - with the advancement and subsequent melting of glaciers, the valley area that is now Qu'Appelle has been cut, filled, and covered twice before.

The first of these valleys was the Hatfield Valley. It was cut 68.6 million years ago (mya), and was subsequently filled and covered. After this, the area was cut again to form the Muscow Valley. After 18,000 years, the Muscow Valley was filled and covered.

Finally, 15,500 years ago, the Qu'Appelle area was cut by still another glacier, and 14,000 years ago the glacier melted. It left behind a unique valley which cuts through the Saskatchewan landscape. However, as with all valleys, the Qu'Appelle Valley is also in the process of being filled.

Aerial Photo

Click here to see an aerial photograph of stop 2.

 

Picture of Hill at Stop 2

Plant species found at stop 2:

Alfalfa Green ash Rough fleabane
Alumroot Hairy golden-aster Sand bladderpod
American elm Harebell Saskatoon
American hedysarum Indian breadroot Scarlet gaura
American vetch June grass Scarlet mallow
Ascending purple milk-vetch Kentucky bluegrass Silverleaf psoralea
Awned northern wheatgrass Lewis wild flax Slender wheatgrass
Balsam poplar Long-headed coneflower Smooth aster
Bastard toadflax Loose-flowered milk-vetch Smooth brome
Bearberry Low goldenrod Smooth fleabane
Black-fruited chokecherry Low prairie rose Spiny ironplant
Blue grama Manitoba maple Spreading dogbane
Blue lettuce Many-flowered aster Stiff goldenrod
Bur-clover Moss phlox Trembling aspen
Canada buffaloberry Norhtern awnless brome Tufted fleabane
Canada thistle Northern bedstraw Two-grooved milk-vetch
Compact groundsel Northern wheatgrass Western snowberry
Crested wheatgrass Pasture sage Western wheatgrass
Dandelion Pineappleweed White sweet-clover
Early yellow locoweed Prairie onion Wild bergamot
False ragweed Prairie sage Wild licorice
Flixweed Prickly pear Winterfat
Foxtail barley Prickly rose Wolfwillow or Silverberry
Golden-bean Purple milk-vetch Yarrow
Graceful (Canada) goldenrod Purple prairie-clover Yellow sweet-clover
Great-flowered gaillardia Purple rock cress Yellow umbrellaplant
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Page last updated on 2004-10-08
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