Alberta Environment, a Ministry of the Government of Alberta, undertook a survey of the Elk River in the 1980s. The following data was generated from the survey:[2]
Reach number 1
Valley characteristics
- Description: Wide, stream cut valley
- Terraces: 2 fragmentary levels
Valley Flat
River Channel
Reach number 2
Valley characteristics
- Description: Broad glacial spillway channel now occupied by a smaller underfit stream
- Terraces: None
Valley flat
River channel
- Pattern: Irregular to tortuous meanders
- Islands: None
- Bar type: Point bars
- Bed material: Sand with local gravel
- Bank material: Sand and gravel overlain by silt, occasional till where channel is confined
Reach number 3
- Terrain surrounding valley: Rolling hills, fluted ground moraine
Valley characteristics
- Description: Wide, stream cut valley
- Terraces: None
Valley flat
River channel
Reach number 4
- Terrain surrounding valley: Fluted ground moraine, some outwash
Valley characteristics
- Description: Narrow stream cut valley
- Terraces: None
Valley flat
- Width: >100 m
- Description: Highly variable
River channel
- Pattern: Irregular
- Islands: None
- Bar type: Point bars, side bars
- Bed material: Sand with local gravel
- Bank material: Sand, gravel, and till
Reach number 5
Valley characteristics
- Description: Narrow stream cut valley
- Terraces: None
Valley flat
- Width: >100 m
- Description: Fragmentary
River channel
- Pattern: Irregular to sinuous
- Islands: None
- Bar type: Side bars
- Bed material: Gravel
- Bank material: Gravel, outwash, and till
Reach number 6
- Terrain surrounding valley: Rolling upland, ground moraine
Valley characteristics
- Description: Wide, stream cut valley
- Terraces: None
Valley flat
- Width: 400 m
- Description: Wide alluvial flat marked by oxbow cutoffs
River channel
- Pattern: Tortuous meanders
- Islands: None
- Bar type: Point bars
- Bed material: Sand
- Bank material: Sand overlain by silt