Big Muddy Badlands

The Big Muddy Badlands[1] are a series of badlands in southern Saskatchewan and northern Montana in the Big Muddy Valley and along Big Muddy Creek.[2] Big Muddy Valley is a cleft of erosion and sandstone that is 55 kilometres (34 mi) long, 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) wide, and 160 metres (520 ft) deep.[3]

Big Muddy Badlands
Badlands
Castle Butte
Castle Butte
Big Muddy Badlands is located in North America
Big Muddy Badlands
Big Muddy Badlands
Location of Big Muddy Badlands
Coordinates: 49.2176°N 105.2191°W / 49.2176; -105.2191
LocationSouthern Saskatchewan and northern Montana
RangeMissouri Coteau
Part ofBig Muddy Valley
AgeLast ice age
Formed byBig Muddy Creek
GeologyBadlands
Dimensions
 • Length55km
 • Width3.2km
 • Depth160m

The Big Muddy Valley and Big Muddy Badlands were formed over 12,000 years ago near the end of the last ice age when a glacial lake outburst flood occurred from a pre-historic glacial lake located at present-day Old Wives Lake.[4] Big Muddy Lake is a large salt lake at the heart of the badlands. Two other notable lakes, Willow Bunch Lake and Lake of the Rivers are farther upstream in the valley.

A prominent feature of the badlands is Castle Butte (49.2175°N 105.2191°W / 49.2175; -105.2191), which is an outcrop of sandstone and compressed clay that protrudes above the flat prairie. It has a height of 60 metres (200 ft) and a circumference of 500 metres (1,600 ft). It is located 19 kilometres (12 mi) south of Bengough on Highway 34, about halfway between Big Muddy Lake and Willow Bunch Lake.[5]

Jean Louis Legare Regional Park is a campground and golf course near Willow Bunch at the northern end of the valley.[6]

Ranching and tourism are important industries in the sparsely populated area.[7]

Important Bird Areas of Canada

Within the Big Muddy Valley and Badlands are four Important Bird Areas of Canada covering five salt lakes and almost 400 km2 (150 sq mi) of habitat. All four sites are important for the nationally endangered piping plover.[8]

Canada's Historic Places

Sam Kelly Sites

In the nineteenth and early twentieth century the Badlands formed the northern end of the "Outlaw Trail", a series of trails and stopping areas utilized by outlaws in the American West spanning from Canada to Mexico. Outlaws such as Henry Borne and his brother Coyote Pete, Sam Kelly, the Pigeon Toed Kid, and the notorious Sundance Kid turned up in the area.[14][15][16]

In 1999, 256 ha (630 acres) of land was set aside as the Sam Kelly Sites (49.0069°N 105.001°W / 49.0069; -105.001) in the Canadian part of the badlands and put on the Canadian Register of Historic Places. The historical site contains nine archaeological sites, including stone rings and effigies, caves, and homestead remains.[17]

Buffalo Effigy

The Buffalo Effigy (49.0167°N 105.1888°W / 49.0167; -105.1888) was constructed by local Indigenous people from fieldstone overlooking West Beaver Creek[18] near the border with Montana. The 64-hectare site was formally recognized in 1999. Besides the Buffalo Effigy, there is a stone cairn and at least eight stone rings.[19]

Minton Turtle Effigy

The Minton Turtle Effigy (49.1874°N 104.7469°W / 49.1874; -104.7469) is located on a hill overlooking Big Muddy Badlands and Big Muddy Lake. The effigy is 41.98 m (137.7 ft) long and 26.07 m (85.5 ft) wide. It was first identified by Thomas Kehoe in 1965. He believed it represented a turtle, yet others, including Indigenous elders, believe it represents a badger.[20] The site is a protected area and is fenced off with an informative plaque describing the turtle.[21]

  • Photograph of the old Big Muddy North West Mounted Police (NWMP) post (1902-1917). Building originally built by James Marshall, then traded to the Mounties for a larger barracks located across the road.
    NWMP Post in the Big Muddy Badlands, circa 1902
  • Entrance to Hole in the Wall Coulee
    Entrance to Hole in the Wall Coulee
  • Panorama of Castle Butte
    Panorama of Castle Butte

See also

References
  1. "Big Muddy Valley". Canadian Geographical Names Database. Government of Canada. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  2. "Big Muddy Creek". Canadian Geographical Names Database. Government of Canada. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  3. Yanko, Dave. "The Badlands". Virtual Saskatchewan. Virtual Saskatchewan. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  4. Harel, Claude-Jean. "Big Muddy Valley". The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan. University of Regina. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  5. "Castle Butte". Tourism Saskatchewan. Government of Saskatchewan. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  6. "Jean Louis Legare". Regional Parks of Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan Regional Parks. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  7. "Coronach Tourism Big Muddy & Outlaw Cave Tours". Tourism Saskatchewan. Government of Saskatchewan. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  8. "Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas". Nature Saskatchewan. Nature Saskatchewan. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  9. "Alkali Lake". Canadian Geographical Names Database. Government of Canada. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  10. "Alkali Lake". IBA Canada. Birds Canada. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  11. "Coteau Lakes". IBA Canada. Birds Canada. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  12. "Big Muddy Lake (and surroundings)". IBA Canada. Birds Canada. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  13. "Willow Bunch Lake, Saskatchewan". IBA Canada. Birds Canada. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  14. "The Infamous Sam Kelley". Virtual Saskatchewan. Virtual Saskatchewan. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  15. Bain, Jennifer (6 October 2017). "Big Muddy Badlands are a hidden gem in Saskatchewan". Toronto Star. Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  16. Yanko, Dave. "Outlaw Rule". Virtual Saskatchewan. Virtual Saskatchewan. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  17. "Sam Kelly Sites". Canada's Historic Places. Parks Canada. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  18. "West Beaver Creek". Canadian Geographical Names Database. Government of Canada. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  19. "Buffalo Effigy". Canada's Historic Places. Parks Canada. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  20. Siegfried, Evelyn (11 October 2017). "Minton Turtle Effigy". Royal Saskatchewan Museum. Royal Saskatchewan Museum. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  21. "Six Unmissable Saskatchewan Heritage Landmarks to Find on your Next Saskatchewan Road Trip". Tourism Saskatchewan. Government of Saskatchewan. 10 April 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
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