Milk River Ridge
Encyclopedia
The Milk River Ridge is a high, flat ridge in southwestern Alberta, Canada. It is about 2700 square kilometres (1,042.5 sq mi) in area. Its plateau is about 1,219 meters (4,023 feet) above sea level
- which is about 274 meters (904 feet) higher than Lethbridge
to its north. The Milk River
flows through the plateau.
The ridge was formed thousands of years ago as the glaciers that once covered Canada
retreated. The area was one of the few parts of Canada to not be over-run by the glaciers during the last Ice Age
.
Because of its height, it can be especially windy on the plateau - especially when the Chinook
blows in. Though rare, it is also not unheard of to have snow in the summer. Two summer snowfalls of note in recent years are August 21–23, 1992 (up to three feet), and July 15, 1999 (at least one foot).
The rolling grassland
s provide habitat for mule deer
, pronghorn antelope
, white-tailed deer
, yellow-bellied marmot
and birds of prey such as ferruginous hawk
, golden eagle
and prairie falcon
.
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
- which is about 274 meters (904 feet) higher than Lethbridge
Lethbridge
Lethbridge is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada, and the largest city in southern Alberta. It is Alberta's fourth-largest city by population after Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer, and the third-largest by area after Calgary and Edmonton. The nearby Canadian Rockies contribute to the city's...
to its north. The Milk River
Milk River (Montana-Alberta)
The Milk River is a tributary of the Missouri River, long, in the United States state of Montana and the Canadian province of Alberta. Rising in the Rocky Mountains, the river drains a sparsely populated, semi-arid watershed of , ending just east of Fort Peck, Montana.-Geography:It is formed in...
flows through the plateau.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
retreated. The area was one of the few parts of Canada to not be over-run by the glaciers during the last Ice Age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
.
Because of its height, it can be especially windy on the plateau - especially when the Chinook
Chinook wind
Chinook winds , often called chinooks, commonly refers to foehn winds in the interior West of North America, where the Canadian Prairies and Great Plains meet various mountain ranges, although the original usage is in reference to wet, warm coastal winds in the Pacific Northwest.Chinook is claimed...
blows in. Though rare, it is also not unheard of to have snow in the summer. Two summer snowfalls of note in recent years are August 21–23, 1992 (up to three feet), and July 15, 1999 (at least one foot).
The rolling grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s provide habitat for mule deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
, pronghorn antelope
Pronghorn
The pronghorn is a species of artiodactyl mammal endemic to interior western and central North America. Though not an antelope, it is often known colloquially in North America as the prong buck, pronghorn antelope, or simply antelope, as it closely resembles the true antelopes of the Old World and...
, white-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
, yellow-bellied marmot
Yellow-bellied Marmot
The yellow-bellied marmot , also known as the rock chuck, is a ground squirrel in the marmot genus.-Description:...
and birds of prey such as ferruginous hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
, golden eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
and prairie falcon
Prairie Falcon
The Prairie Falcon is a medium-sized falcon of western North America.It is about the size of a Peregrine Falcon or a crow, with an average length of 40 cm , wingspan of 1 metre , and weight of 720 g...
.
External links
- Ducks Unlimited - Milk River Ridge