McDougal Creek explained

McDougal Creek
Map:Saskatchewan basin map.png
Map Size:250px
Pushpin Map:Saskatchewan#Canada
Pushpin Map Size:250px
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of the mouth in Saskatchewan
Subdivision Type1:Country
Subdivision Name1: Canada
Subdivision Type2:Province
Subdivision Name2:Saskatchewan
Source1:Divide Lake
Source1 Location:Narrow Hills Provincial Park
Source1 Coordinates:54.2489°N -104.654°W
Mouth:Mossy River
River System:Nelson River

McDougal Creek[1] is a river in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The river's source is at the southern end of Divide Lake at the northern end of Narrow Hills Provincial Park[2] in a hilly plateau called Cub Hills.[3] The landforms of the Cub Hills, such as the lakes, streams, steeply rolling hills, and flat lowlands, were formed over 10,000 years ago during the last ice age. The entire course of the river is in the boreal forest[4] ecozone of Canada.

Divide Lake[5] is a small bifurcation lake of which the north flowing outlet goes into Little Bear Lake and the southern outlet is McDougal's source. From Divide Lake, the river travels south through the park and hills, then easterly en route to the Mossy River, which is a tributary of the Saskatchewan River.

Description

McDougal Creek is a trout river that begins at the southern end of Divide Lake where it travels south through a glacier formed valley in the north-east region of Narrow Hills Provincial Park. From the start, the river roughly follows the route of Hanson Lake Road. Just before Hanson Lake Road's intersection with Highway 913, the river crosses the road and begins heading south-east past McDougal Creek Wilderness Campsite[6] [7] before crossing Highway 920 and heading east. A large portion of the park's eastern boundary follows the course of McDougal Creek. The river then leaves the park and the Cub Hills and continues eastward through much flatter terrain and muskeg until it joins up with Mossy River. Mossy River continues on in a south-easterly direction and meets the Saskatchewan River at the Saskatchewan River Delta.[8]

Brook trout

Brook trout were first introduced to McDougal Creek in 1934 and with further stockings in the 1950s and 1960s, the population became self-sustaining. Since then, brook trout have been introduced to 25 rivers in the Cub Hills with five of those rivers now supporting populations of naturalised, self-sustaining feral brook trout. The other four rivers include the creeks of Nipekamew, White Gull, and Lost Echo and Mossy River. All seven of Saskatchewan's trout species can be found in the Cub Hills.[9]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Place names - McDougal Creek. Natural Resources Canada. Government of Canada. www4.rncan.gc.ca.
  2. Web site: Narrow Hills Provincial Park . Tourism Saskatchewan . Saskatchewan Government.
  3. Web site: Place names - Cub Hills. Natural Resources Canada. Government of Canada. www4.rncan.gc.ca.
  4. Web site: Boreal Plains Ecozone . ecozones . 31 December 2021.
  5. Web site: Place names - Divide Lake. Natural Resources Canada. Government of Canada. www4.rncan.gc.ca.
  6. Web site: 30 Free Places to Camp in Saskatchewan . Explore . Explore Magazine. . 3 April 2024.
  7. Web site: Narrow Hills Provincial Park « Saskatchewanderer .
  8. Web site: McDougal Creek, Saskatchewan Map . geodata.us . 2 February 2022.
  9. Web site: Trout Streams of the Cub Hills . environment.gov.sk . Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment.