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