Birch River Wildland Provincial Park

Birch River Wildland Provincial Park is a wildland provincial park in northern Alberta, Canada. It was established on 14 May 2018[2] and covers 331,832 hectares (1,281.2 sq mi).[2][3]The park is contained in the Lower Athabasca Region Land Use Framework finalized in 2012.[4] The park is named for the Birch River that flows through it.

Not to be confused with Birch Mountains Wildland Provincial Park.

Birch River Wildland Provincial Park
Map showing the location of Birch River Wildland Provincial Park
Map showing the location of Birch River Wildland Provincial Park
Location of Birch River WPP
Map showing the location of Birch River Wildland Provincial Park
Map showing the location of Birch River Wildland Provincial Park
Birch River Wildland Provincial Park (Canada)
Map showing the location of Birch River Wildland Provincial Park
Map showing the location of Birch River Wildland Provincial Park
Birch River Wildland Provincial Park (Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo)
LocationWood Buffalo, Alberta, Canada
Nearest cityFort McKay
Coordinates57°49′00″N 113°28′00″W
Area331,832 ha (1,281.21 sq mi)[2]
Established14 May 2018[2]
Governing bodyAlberta Parks[3]

Location

The park is in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, northeastern Alberta. The park borders Wood Buffalo National Park to the north, Kitaskino Nuwenëné Wildland Provincial Park to the east, and has a short southern border with Birch Mountains Wildland Provincial Park. The shape is a rough triangle. The longest side bordering Wood Buffalo is 93 km (58 mi) east to west. The height north to south is 76 km (47 mi). The only access is via aircraft at the airstrip near the Edra fire lookout tower.[5]

Ecology

The park protects an example of the Kazan Uplands subregion of the Canadian Shield region as well as the Northern Mixedwood and Peace–Athabasca Delta subregions of the Boreal Forest region in the Natural Regions Framework for Alberta.[3] In the National Ecological Framework for Canada used by Environment and Climate Change Canada, the park is in the Birch Upland and North Birch Upland ecodistricts of the Mid-Boreal Uplands ecoregion of the Central Boreal Plains ecoprovince of the Boreal Plains ecozone. As well, the lower section of the park is in the Loon Lake Plain ecodistrict, Wabasca Lowland ecoregion, Central Boreal Plains ecoprovince, 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]

Geography

The park covers a ridge of the Birch Mountains running from the southwest to the northeast. In the northwest, the park drops down to the Birch and Peace River valleys and the Peace–Athabasca Delta. Elevations range from a high of 844 m (2,769 ft) in the mountains to a low of 265 m (869 ft) where the Birch River leaves the park.[10]

Climate

The Köppen climate classification of the park is Continental, Subarctic (Dfc) characterized by long, cold winters, and short, warm to cool summers.[11] Using the data from a weather stations within the park, Edra Auto at the fire lookout tower, for 1991 to 2020, the average daily temperatures exceeds 10 °C (50 °F) only for June, July, and August while average daily temperatures are less than 0 °C (32 °F) for November through March. At Edra Auto, the long-run average precipitation from 1991 to 2020 for the wettest month, July, is 114 mm (4.5 in) per month; conversely, the station receive less than 30 mm (1.2 in) per month from October through April.[12]

Wildlife

The park is home to 68 species of concern including three that are listed under the Canadian Species at Risk Act such as the peregrine falcon, wood bison, and boreal woodland caribou. The park contains 13 per cent of the core habitat for the Red Earth caribou range.[13][14]

Activities

Human activity is significantly limited within the park. The park is remote, and access is only available via aircraft with prior authorization. Backcountry hiking and random backcountry camping are permitted; there are no developed campsites. Hunting and fishing are allowed with special permits.[3]

See also

References
  1. UNEP-WCMC (2018). "Protected Area Profile for Birch River Wildland Provincial Park from the World Database on Protected Areas". ProtectedPlanet.net. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  2. "O.C. 141/2018". Orders in Council. Alberta King’s Printer. 14 May 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  3. "Birch River Wildland Provincial Park". Alberta Parks. 3 February 2022.
  4. Lower Athabasca Regional Plan 2012 – 2022 (PDF). Alberta Parks. August 2012. ISBN 978-1-4601-0537-5. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 September 2012.
  5. Namur Lake 84H (PDF) (Map). 1:250,000. Alberta Environment and Parks. 2018.
  6. Terrestrial Ecozones, Ecoregions, and Ecodistricts: Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, Canada (Map). 1:2 million. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Environment Canada. 1995.
  7. Ecological Land Classification, 2017 (PDF). Statistics Canada. 1 March 2018. pp. 4–5, 27. ISBN 978-0-660-24501-0. Catalogue no. 12-607-X.
  8. Noss, Reed. "Mid-Canada Boreal Plains Forests". OneEarth.org.
  9. "Mid-Continental Canadian forests". World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  10. "Alberta Topographic Map" (Map). Topographic-Map.com.
  11. Atlas of Canada: Climatic Regions (PDF) (Map). Government of Canada. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 March 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  12. "Climate Normals for Alberta: Edra Auto". Government of Alberta. 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  13. "Birch River Wildland Provincial Park". Nature Conservancy of Canada. 2020.
  14. Alberta Caribou Ranges (PDF) (Map). 1:3 million. Government of Alberta. 2017.


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