Qu'Appelle Valley Geolog Stop 8 - Lake Indian Head Plain
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What is interesting about Stop 8 is the topography of the area. Stop 8 is surrounded by some of the highest quality soil in Canada. If it were not for ice being dammed and rerouted down the Pipestone Spillway (see diagram), the fields of Stop 8 would not exist. Rather than spreading across the plain and making the soil similar to others in the Qu'Appelle area, 15,000 years ago the glacier from Lake Indian Head melted down the Pipestone Spillway. This meltwater drained into Lake Souris, leaving the Indian Head lakebed flat, gently undulating, and nutrient-rich.

Phase 1: about 15,500 yrs ago Phase 2: about 15,000 yrs ago
Phase 3: about 14,000 yrs ago Phase 4: about 13,500 yrs ago

Underneath the soil is a large amount of silty clay. Because of the high clay content of these soils, Lake Indian Head Plain has the capability of storing large amounts of water in a form best for plant growth, resulting in good arable farmland.

Aerial Photo

Click here to see an aerial photograph of stop 8.

 



Plant species found at stop 8:

Alfalfa Low prairie rose Stiff goldenrod
American elm Manitoba maple Stinging nettle
Balsam poplar Many-flowered aster Trembling aspen
Beautiful sunflower Marsh hedge-nettle Two-grooved milk-vetch
Black-fruited chokecherry Northern awnless brome Water parsnip
Canada thistle Northern wheatgrass Western dock
Dandelion Pasture sage Western shining willow
False ragweed Philadelphia fleabane Western snowberry
Field mint Pin cherry White sweet-clover
Flixweed Prarie sage Wild bergamont
Foxtail barley Prickly rose Wild licorice
Golden dock Red-osier dogwood Wild oat
Graceful (Canada) goldenrod Round-leaved hawthorn Wolfwillow or Silverberry
Green ash Sandbar willow Yarrow
Gumweed Saskatoon Yellow goat's beard
June grass Slender wheatgrass Yellow sweet-clover
Lewis wild flax Smooth aster  
Low goldenrod Smooth brome  

 

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Page last updated on 2004-10-08
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