Great Sand Hills Explained

Great Sand Hills
Photo Size:270px
Elevation M:727
Elevation Ref:[1]
Prominence M:20
Prominence Ref:[2]
Area Km2:1900
Location:Saskatchewan, Canada
District Type:Rural municipalities
District:RM of Clinworth No. 230
Map:Saskatchewan#Canada
Map Size:270px
Label Position:right
Coordinates:50.6984°N -109.2876°W
Formed By:Glaciation
Age:12,000
Type:Sand dune

The Great Sand Hills,[3] also spelt Great Sandhills, are sand dunes in the south-west region of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The Great Sand Hills are the second largest active dunes in Saskatchewan, after Athabasca Sand Dunes, and are part of Great Sandhills Ecological Reserve,[4] which covers an area of about . The sands that make up the dunes are made up of very finely ground sand called rock flour that were deposited near the end of the last ice age. The region around the sand hills is often windy and, as a result, the wind blows the fine sands around creating an ever-changing landscape.[5]

Swift Current, the fifth largest city in Saskatchewan, is to the south-east while Leader, the closest town, is to the north-west. Access is from Sceptre, which is north of the hills. Sceptre is home to the Great Sandhills Museum & Interpretive Centre.[6]

Formation

The Great Sand Hills were created over 12,000 years ago near the end of the last ice age as the Wisconsin ice sheet retreated. At that time, the landscape of southern Saskatchewan was much different than it is today as there were retreating glaciers and several proglacial lakes. At the height of the glacial advance 18,000 years ago, the ice sheet was almost thick and as the glaciers retreated, they left behind huge piles of sandy debris, glacial till, and moraines[7] while the melting waters carved out huge spillways. The area of the Great Sand Hills, and nearby Elbow Sand Hills at the headwaters of the Qu'Appelle River in Douglas Provincial Park, was covered by Glacial Lake Bursary. The South Saskatchewan Spillway flowed from the lake and as the glaciers disappeared and the waters began to dry up, sand deltas built up causing the South Saskatchewan Spillway to change course, thereby carving out the South Saskatchewan River Valley. Glacial Lake Bursary dried up exposing the sand deltas, which are the sand hills that exist today.[8] [9]

Flora and fauna

Animals found around the hills include the mule deer, pronghorn,[10] fox, coyote, white-tailed deer, badger, weasel, porcupine, and the rare Ord's kangaroo rat. Local birds include the sharp-tailed grouse, white pelican, merlin, peregrine falcon, golden eagle, burrowing owl, mourning dove, and sandhill crane. Vegetation around the hills is limited due to the dry conditions and poor soil but includes prairie grasses, sagebrush, and small clumps of trees such as aspen and willow.[11]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Maps showing Great Sand Hills, Saskatchewan . Canmaps . Yellow Maps . 5 August 2022.
  2. Web site: The Great Sandhills . Great Sandhills Museum . Great Sandhills Museum . 5 August 2022.
  3. Web site: Great Sand Hills . Canadian Geographical Names Database . Government of Canada . 5 August 2022.
  4. Web site: Unique Places to visit in Saskatchewan . To Do Canada . 26 March 2024 . 21 July 2023.
  5. Web site: Great Sandhills . Tourism Swift Current . Tourism Swift Current . 5 August 2022 . 3 October 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221003235430/https://tourismswiftcurrent.ca/visitor-information/area-attractions/great-sandhills/ . dead .
  6. Web site: Welcome to the Great Sandhills Museum & Interpretive Centre . Great Sandhills Museum . Great Sandhills Museum . 5 August 2022.
  7. Web site: Dale . Janis . Glacial Deposition . The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan . University of Regina . 5 August 2022 . 10 February 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230210062105/https://esask.uregina.ca/entry/glacial_deposition.jsp . dead .
  8. News: Johnston . Dean . The Great Sandhills: Saskatchewan’s Hidden Gem . 5 August 2022 . Routinely Nomadic . 9 June 2021.
  9. Web site: Great Sand Hills . Tourism Saskatchewan . Government of Saskatchewan . 5 August 2022.
  10. Web site: Pronghorn . Britannica . Encyclopaedia of Britannica . 8 May 2024.
  11. Web site: Great Sandhills . Discover Southwest Saskatchewan . Mooseworld Inc. . 5 August 2022.