Dillon River Wildland Provincial Park Explained

Iucn Category:Ib
Iucn Ref:[1]
Dillon River Wildland Provincial Park
Alt Name:Dillon River Wildland Provincial Park
Map:Canada Alberta#Canada#CAN AB Wood Buffalo
Map Alt:Location of the park in northern Alberta, Canada
Relief:yes
Location:Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Alberta, Canada
Nearest City:Fort McMurray
Coords:55.8458°N 110.0333°W
Area Ha:191545
Area Ref:[2]
Established:14 May 2018[3]
Governing Body:Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation[4]

Dillon River Wildland Provincial Park is a wildland provincial park in northern Alberta, Canada. It was established on 14 May 2018 and has an area of .[2] [3] The Government of Alberta announced the park's creation through its approval of the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan Land Use Framework in August 2012.[5]

Location

The park is located in the northeast portion of the province within the southern portion of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. It is immediately west of the Saskatchewan boundary and north of the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range. It is south of Gipsy-Gordon Wildland Provincial Park.

Ecology

The park protects a segment of the Athabasca Plain subregion of the Boreal Forest region in the Natural Regions Framework for Alberta.[4] In the National Ecological Framework for Canada used by Environment and Climate Change Canada, the park is in the Garson Lake, Christina Plain, and Mostoos Upland ecodistricts of the Mid-Boreal Uplands ecoregion of the Central Boreal Plains ecoprovince of the Boreal Plains ecozone.[6] [7] Under the OneEarth classification (previously World Wildlife Fund), the park is in the Mid-Canada Boreal Plains Forests ecoregion of the Mid-Canada Boreal Plains & Foothill Forests bioregion.[8] [9]

Climate

The Köppen climate classification of the park is Continental, Subarctic (Dfc) characterized by long, cold, dry winters, and short, cool, summers.[10] Using the data from nearby weather stations (Kirby Lake Auto, Cowpar Lake Auto, and Christina Lake near Winefred Lake) for 1991 to 2020, the average daily temperature exceeds only for June, July and August while average daily temperatures are less than for November through March. At the weather stations, the long-run average precipitation from 1991 to 2020 is less than per month in the winter months of November through March. Precipitation then peaks in June and July at per month.[11]

Activities

Only hiking and random backcountry camping is permitted as there are no developed facilities in the park. There are ample opportunities for Wildlife observation. Hunting and fishing are allowed with the proper permits. Snowmobile and all-terrain vehicle riding are allowed on existing trails only. Off trail use is prohibited.[4] [12]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2015 . Protected Area Profile for Dillon River Wildland Provincial Park from the World Database on Protected Areas . ProtectedPlanet.
  2. Web site: 17 May 2018 . Plan Showing Dillon River Wildland Provincial Park . Alberta Environment and Parks.
  3. Web site: 14 May 2018 . O.C. 138/2018 . Orders in Council . Government of Alberta.
  4. Web site: 9 January 2024 . Dillon River Wildland Provincial Park . Alberta Parks.
  5. Web site: Lower Athabasca Regional Plan 2012 - 2022 . Government of Alberta . August 2012 . 2012-08-23 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20120925205320/https://www.landuse.alberta.ca/Documents/LARP%20Lower%20Athabasca%20Regional%20Plan%202012-2022%20-%20Approved%20-%202012-08.pdf . 2012-09-25.
  6. Terrestrial Ecodistricts of Canada . Government of Canada . 2024-01-26.
  7. Book: Ecological Land Classification, 2017 . March 1, 2018 . . 978-0-660-24501-0 . 4–5, 27 . Catalogue no. 12-607-X.
  8. Web site: Reed . Noss . Mid-Canada Boreal Plains Forests . OneEarth.org.
  9. Web site: Mid-Continental Canadian forests . 2024-01-26 . World Wildlife Fund.
  10. Atlas of Canada: Climatic Regions . 2023-03-23 . Government of Canada . 15 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230315075731/https://ftp.geogratis.gc.ca/pub/nrcan_rncan/raster/atlas_3_ed/eng/environment/climate/030.pdf . live .
  11. Web site: 2020 . Climate Normals for Alberta . Government of Alberta . 2014-01-26.
  12. Web site: Exploring Alberta’s Wildland Provincial Parks: Dillon River . 2024-01-27 . Wild Albertan.