Lost Echo Creek
Caribou Creek is accessed from the Hanson Lake Road along the southern shore of Upper Fishing Lake. Along the highway, near the point where Caribou Creek flows out of Upper Fishing Lake, is Caribou Creek Lodge. The lodge features a motel, cabins, a dining room, fuel, and a convenience store.
Course
Caribou Creek begins in muskeg and swamp in a valley formed over 10,000 years ago during the last ice age at the western boundary of Narrow Hills Provincial Park, just south of Highway 913. North flowing waters from that valley make their way into the Nipekamew Creek while south flowing waters form Caribou Creek. Caribou Creek follows the course of the valley to Lower Fishing Lake. Along the way, it is joined by several tributaries and there are three lakes along its course.
The first notable tributary to meet Caribou Creek is a river that begins at Bean Lake, near the northern boundary of Narrow Hills Provincial Park, and flows south to meet it. Less than a mile downstream, a short stream from Summit Lake meets Caribou Creek and then it opens up into Lost Echo Lake. From the south end of Lost Echo Lake, the river opens up to a much smaller Lower Echo Lake. From there, Caribou Creek continues southward and is joined by tributaries from Fairy Glen Lake and Strickly Lake before emptying into Upper Fishing Lake. That stretch of river from Lost Echo Lake south to Upper Fishing Lake–a distance of 12 kilometres–is also known as Lost Echo Creek. From the eastern end of Upper Fishing Lake, the river carries on south-east past Caribou Creek Lodge and across Hanson Lake Road for about a mile and terminates at Lower Fishing Lake.
Brook trout
Brook trout were first introduced to the Lost Echo Creek portion of Caribou Creek in 1934. As Lost Echo Creek is well suited for brook trout, they adapted well and became naturalised. The only access to the creek is through trails off of Hanson Lake Road.
Since 1934, brook trout have been introduced to 25 rivers in the Cub Hills with five of those rivers now supporting populations of naturalised, self-sustaining feral brook trout. The other four rivers include the creeks of Nipekamew, White Gull, and McDougal and Mossy River. All seven of Saskatchewan's trout species can be found in the Cub Hills.
See also
References
- ^ Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada. "Place names - Caribou Creek". www4.rncan.gc.ca.
- ^ "Narrow Hills Provincial Park". Tourism Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan Government.
- ^ Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada. "Place names - Cub Hills". www4.rncan.gc.ca.
- ^ "Boreal Plains Ecozone". ecozones. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
- ^ "Caribou Creek Lodge Ltd". Tourism Saskatchewan. Government of Saskatchewan. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
- ^ Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada. "Place names - Bean Lake". www4.rncan.gc.ca.
- ^ "Caribou Creek". geoview.info. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
- ^ "Trout Streams of the Cub Hills". environment.gov.sk. Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment.