Municipality Climate Adaptation Case Study Report

Table 6
West Hants Natural Landscapes
7-South Mountain Rolling Plain
Location
Southern portion of the municipality
Character
Southwardly inclined and resistant upland plain characterized by a variety of
glacial deposits and dominated by Acadian coniferous forest.
Bedrock Geology
Devonian Carboniferous granites (90%), and Cambrian/Ordovician slate and
grey wacke (10%)
Surficial Materials
Stony till (50%), silty till (20%), ground moraine (20%), glacially scoured
bedrock (10%)
Soils Gibraltar (90%)
Coastal Environment None
(1) Well-drained coniferous (red spruce-white pine-eastern hemlock and red
Dominant Ecosystems oak) undulating terrain;
(2) Poorly-drained coniferous (black spruce-larch) flats
28-Shubenacadie River Rolling Hills
Location
Northern and central portion of municipality surrounding Minas Basin
A series of hills and undulating terrain with Acadian coniferous-dominated
forest types, and drainage defined by portions of several large rivers (e.g.,
Character
Avon, St. Croix, Kennetcook); coastal sections consist of eroding, low cliffs,
wide intertidal flats and several large estuaries.
Early-late Carboniferous sandstones, other clastic sedimentary rocks and
Bedrock Geology
carbonates (95%), and Cambrian/Ordovician slates (5%)
Surficial Materials Silty till (90%), alluvial deposits (5%), glaciofluvial deposits (5%)
Soils Queens (60%), Wolfville (20%), Tormentine (15%), Stewiacke (5%)
Eroding, non-resistant, low cliffs; wide intertidal mud or sand flats; saltmarshes
Coastal Environment
in estuaries.
(1) Well-drained mixwood and mixed forest (red spruce-sugar maple-
American beech (eastern hemlock) hills;
Dominant Ecosystems
(2) Imperfectly-drained coniferous (red spruce-black spruce+white pineeastern
hemlock) undulating terrain
27- Walton River Clay Plain
A large area roughly centering around Cogmagun in the northeastern portion
Location
of municipality, north of the Kennetcook River
A predominantly flat plain characterized by Acadian coniferous forest types
and many wetlands on flat to hummocky terrain. Dendritic drainage defined by
Character
headwaters and upper reaches of a few moderate-sized rivers (Walton,
Cogmagun and Tomcod).
Bedrock Geology Early-late Carboniferous sandstones and carbonates (100%)
Surficial Materials Silty till (90%), organic deposits (10%)
Soils Kingsville (75%), Queens (15%), organic soils (10%)
Coastal Environment None
(1) Poorly-drained black spruce-larch flats;
Dominant Ecosystems (2) Imperfectly-drained black spruce-red spruce (white pine, red pine)
undulating terrain
Source: N.S. Environment and Labour, Natural Landscapes of Nova Scotia: Summary Descriptions, January 2002.
Parks, Protected Areas and Sites of Ecological Interest
Panuke Lake Nature Reserve: 150.9 ha (373 ac) including 47 ha (116 ac) of old growth
eastern hemlock-red spruce forest.
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