Last Mountain Creek is a river in south-central Saskatchewan. It is a tributary of the

Qu'Appelle River The Qu'Appelle River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba that flows east from Lake Diefenbaker in south-western Saskatchewan to join the Assiniboine River in Manitoba, just south of Lake of the Prairies, near t ...

in a region called the

Prairie Pothole Region The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR; french: Région des cuvettes/fondrières des prairies) is an expansive area of the northern Great Plains that contains thousands of shallow wetlands known as potholes. These potholes are the result of glacier act ...

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

, which extends throughout three

Canadian provinces Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North ...

and five U.S. states. It is also within Palliser's Triangle and the

Great Plains ecoregion The ecology of the Great Plains is diverse, largely owing to their great size. Differences in rainfall, elevation, and latitude create a variety of habitats including short grass, mixed grass, and tall-grass prairies, and riparian ecosystems. Th ...

. The river is part of the Upper Qu'Appelle River watershed and starts at the southern end of Last Mountain Lake. It travels in a southerly direction for just over three miles until it meets the Qu'Appelle River in the Qu'Appelle Valley, which was formed during the last ice age. During years in which the Qu'Appelle River is high, Last Mountain Creek naturally reverses direction and flows into Last Mountain Lake.

Craven Dam Craven Dam is at the confluence of the Qu'Appelle River and Last Mountain Creek and immediately east of the village of Craven on the Qu'Appelle River at SW 24-20-21 W2. It is in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan in the RM of Longlaket ...

is located east of Last Mountain Creek's mouth on the Qu'Appelle River on the eastern side of the village of Craven. The gates of the dam are used to regulate water flows along the Qu'Appelle and can be closed to backflood water up Last Mountain Creek and into Last Mountain Lake.

River course

At the southernmost point of Last Mountain Lake, there's Valeport Marsh and a

dyke Dyke (UK) or dike (US) may refer to: General uses * Dyke (slang), a slang word meaning "lesbian" * Dike (geology), a subvertical sheet-like intrusion of magma or sediment * Dike (mythology), ''Dikē'', the Greek goddess of moral justice * Dikes, ...

that helps control the lake's water levels. Last Mountain Creek flows out of the lake at the dyke and runs along the east side of the marsh and follows

Highway 20 Route 20, or Highway 20, may refer to: International * European route E20 Australia * Sturt Highway (NSW/VIC/SA) * Yarra Bank Highway Brazil * BR-020 Canada * Alberta Highway 20 * British Columbia Highway 20 * Manitoba Highway 20 *New B ...

until it meets the Qu'Appelle River at the village of

Craven Craven may refer to: * Craven in the Domesday Book, an area of Yorkshire, England, larger area than the district ** Craven District, a local government district of North Yorkshire formed in 1974 Places * Craven, New South Wales, Australia, see ...

and highways

641 __NOTOC__ Year 641 ( DCXLI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 641 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era ...

and 729. Wascana Creek meets the Qu'Appelle River just west and upstream from the mouth of Last Mountain Creek.

Tributaries

Other than Last Mountain Lake and Valeport Marsh, no named tributaries flow into Last Mountain Creek. Several tributaries flow into Last Mountain Lake, though, including Arm River, Lewis Creek, and

Lanigan Creek Lanigan Creek is a river in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is located in the south central part of the province in a region called the Prairie Pothole Region of North America, which extends throughout three Canadian provinces and ...

Valeport Marsh

Valeport Marsh () is an extensive floodplain on the south-east corner of Last Mountain Lake at the point where Last Mountain Creek starts. The wetland is over in size and follows the course of the river towards Craven and the Qu'Appelle River for about . A 900-acre conservation project called ''Valeport Wildlife Management Area Trails'' protects the wetlands for migratory birds, ducks, grebes, and other wildlife. It was created by the provincial government with the assistance of

Ducks Unlimited Canada Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is a Canadian non-profit organization that works to conserve, restore and manage Canadian wetlands in order to preserve habitat for North American waterfowl, wildlife and people. They work with industry leaders, govern ...

and is an

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

of Canada called ''Valeport Marsh (SK 061)''. The park also offers canoeing, picnicking, hiking, and walking along the top of the dyke. Along the west side of the Valeport Wildlife Management Area is a

Nature Conservancy of Canada The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is a private, non-profit, charitable nature conservation and restoration organization based in Canada. Since its founding in 1962, the organization and its partners have protected of land and water across ...

property called Big Valley (50°44'20.5"N 104°53'19.1"W). Big Valley is 552 acres of protected grassland and is managed for bird and wildlife habitat. While Valeport Marsh Wildlife Management Area is at the southern tip of Last Mountain Lake, Last Mountain Lake National Wildlife Area is at the northern end.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Rivers of Saskatchewan Tributaries of Hudson Bay Division No. 6, Saskatchewan Important Bird Areas of Saskatchewan Tributaries of the Assiniboine River

River course

Tributaries

Valeport Marsh

See also

References

External links