Features

Kakwa-Caw Ridge Features

The Kakwa region is adjacent to the northernmost border of Jasper National Park along the (North-South) border of British Columbia. The Wild Kakwa Wilderness is an area of 1467 km². The Kakwa Wildland Provincial Park occupies about 649 km² of this area.
undisturbed sub-alpine and alpine riparian landforms and ecosystems
periglacial features (solifluction lobes and stone stripes)
numerous creeks, important to fish habitat
Caw Ridge is an alpine ridge of provincially and nationally significant estimated at 21600 ha or 21 km² in size. Located 35 km NW of town of Grande Cache (TWP 58 and 59 RNG 9,10,11 W6) and 7 km east of Willmore Wilderness Park.
Natural Region: Rocky Mountain and Foothills
Subregions: Alpine and Sub-Alpine, Upper Foothills and Lower Foothills
Caw Ridge is within the Rocky Mountain Alpine Natural Subregion (Northwest Boreal).

Township and Range map: JPG | PDF

Natural Subregions map: JPG | PDF

Kakwa River (tributary of Smoky River), Torrens and Narraway flows via the Mackenzie River to the Arctic Ocean.
The surrounding area of Caw Ridge supports important watersheds and critical headwaters including; Redrock Creek, Torrens River and Prairie creek basins, Beaverdam Creek, Copton Creek, and Sheep Creek.

A number of plant species are at the northernmost extent of their range in Kakwa. Caw Ridge provides the southern and eastern limits for many plant and animal species.
critical woodland caribou ranges
more than 19 rare plant species
good to excellent ungulate habitat/winter range, qrizzly and wolf habitat
migration corridors

Caw Ridge is one of the most significant wildlife habitats in the Eastern Slopes of Alberta and serves as a meeting area for flora and fauna typically found in the northern and southern Canadian Rockies.
It is representative of a relatively intact alpine ecosystem including full range of alpine carnivores and ungulates, rodents and songbirds, wildflowers and lichens, insects and spiders.
Caw Ridge supports suitable terrain for populations of bighorn sheep, mountain goat, elk, mule deer, white tailed deer, moose, wolves and grizzly and black bear. Due to this variety of wildlife, Caw Ridge has been designated as a “Watchable Wildlife” area.
Caw Ridge is the primary spring and fall migration corridor for one of Alberta’s largest remaining woodland/mountain caribou herds; the 250 caribou of the Redrock/Prairie Creek woodland caribou herd. The herd uses the ridge for migrating between summer and winter ranges.
Caw Ridge supports the largest and most studied mountain goat population in Alberta. Biologists recognize that this herd of 90-100 mountain goats is of exceptional value to science as the majority of the goats on Caw Ridge are radio collared or ear tagged.
Nearby streams contain threatened bull trout and other native fish species.
Flora found on the ridge include the Forget-me-not, moss campion, and alpine cinquefoil.
Vegetation is composed of a sub alpine vegetation community:

Environmentally Significant
Areas map: JPG | PDF