Surficial Geology and Erosion Potential. Rocky Mountains and the Foothills of Alberta

The terms of reference are set out in agreements between the Government of the Province of Alberta, Department of the Environment and Bayrock and Reimchen Surficial Geology Ltd., dated April 23rd, 1974, April 30th, 1975 and July 1st, 1976 and the main points are as follows:

1.To outline and describe surficial deposits of the area at a scale of 1:250,000 with work maps at a scale of 1:50,000.

2.To categorize surficial deposits according to the degree of internal stability.

3.To perform slope analyses in the area using the following classes and subheadings: a.0 - 14 per cent b.15 - 29 per cent c.30 - 44 per cent d.45 per cent and greater.

4.Internal stability classes of surficial deposits are to be combined with the slope classes to give potential erosion categories.

The study was broken down into three phases: Phase I was completed on the first of April 1975 and encompassed the Rocky Mountains and the Foothills north of the 52nd parallel. Phase II was completed on the first of April 1976 and encompassed the Rocky Mountains and the Foothills from 52 parallel to the U.S.-Canada border. Phase III, being this report, is essentially a compilation of the two previous reports into the final report with some additional field work on a minor scale.

The final report is accompanied with maps of surficial geology of the study area to a scale of 1:250,000. Erosion Potential, Slope Analyses, and Surficial Geology maps to a scale of 1:50,000 are on open file at Alberta Research. Erosion Potential maps, 1:250,000 scale, were compiled from the 1:50,000 maps in 1975-1976. The revised Erosion Potential maps generated for this final report (1:50,000 scale) have not been reduced to 1:250,000 scale.

The study area encompasses all the Foothills and Rocky Mountains lying within the Province of Alberta excluding National Parks. Some Indian Reserves are covered in this report but have not been surveyed during the fieldwork phase. The western boundary of the study area is the Alberta-British Columbia border or the Jasper, the Banff, and the Waterton National parks boundaries. The eastern boundary is the outer limit of the Foothills. Because it was found difficult to define the eastern limit of the Foothills, the study area extends a few miles to the east of the Foothills as is apparent from the bedrock structure. The total area surveyed encompasses over 9 million acres or 36.5 thousand square kilometers.