Elk Valley (British Columbia)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Elk Valley is a valley in the southeastern Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada. Located in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, the Elk Valley is approximately 60 kilometres from the Alberta and Montana borders.
The valley runs via the basin of the Elk River from the southeastern Alberta border near Kananaskis to the Rocky Mountain Trench. Communities in the valley, from uppermost to lowermost, are Elkford, Sparwood, Hosmer, Fernie, Morrissey, and Elko. The valley features a diverse topography, including low-lying wetlands, mixed grassland-forest areas, and steep, forested uplands. The Elk River meanders 220 kilometers through the valley, connecting with Lake Koocanusa and the Kootenay River near the Montana border.[1]
Ecosystem and wildlife
The Elk Valley is a critically important wildlife corridor for the movement of wide-ranging carnivores such as grizzly bears, wolves, wolverines, and lynxes. It supports a variety of large animals, including moose, elk, bighorn sheep, mule deer, black bears, grey wolves, cougars, and others. The area is vital for the conservation of these species in the North American Rocky Mountains.[2]
