Geology | Fresh Water | Soils | Plants | Animals Cultural Environment | Sites of Special Interest Topics & Habitats

This Unit has two subdivisions:
(a) Beaverbank
(b) Dollar Lake

Geology and Landscape Development
Both sub-Units are underlain by parallel bands of greywacke and slate oriented east-west. These form a low ridge and shallow valley topography which has little variety except where river valleys or lake basins interrupt the rolling surface.

The bedrock is covered by a till sheet dominated by red, sandy Lawrencetown Till. In several locations large areas of rock are exposed. The till sheet changes to a quartzite till composition to the west of Beaverbank Lake, where both Lawrencetown and quartzite tills are overlain by a swarm of drumlins composed of Lawrencetown Tills.

Fresh Water
In general the drainage in both sub-Units is deranged, with several small irregular lakes connected by wandering streams. The Beaverbank area possesses a long chain of lakes (the Waverley chain), which extends nearly one-third of the way across the province to the head of the Shubenacadie River. These lakes may form part of an ancient river system which rose on the Scotian Shelf and flowed northwards during the Cretaceous. Scattered bogs and fens can be found throughout, but larger wetlands tend to be found in the northern areas. The Sackville River in sub-Unit 436a is on a significant floodplain.

Soils
Beaverbank (sub-Unit 436a)
Medium textured, red Wolfville loams are dominant in this sub-Unit with some areas of well-drained Halifax and imperfectly drained Danesville sandy loam to the north.

Dollar Lake (sub-Unit 436b)
Fairly deep, red Wolfville soils cover most of this sub-Unit.

Plants
Red Spruce and Eastern Hemlock are the characteristic species in this Unit, with White Pine, Balsam Fir, Red Maple, and Yellow Birch. Shade-intolerant birches and aspens occur on shallow soil in burnt areas, and shade-tolerant species grow on well-drained hilltops.

Animals
Shubenacadie Grand Lake supports a landlocked population of Atlantic Salmon as well as unique, freshwater population of striped bass that lives in the lake but spawns in the intertidal portions of the Stewiacke River. Dollar Lake and Pockwock Lake contain relict populations of Lake Trout.

Cultural Environment
In earlier times, small-scale farming was a feature of the landscape in this area. Today, primary land uses involve forestry and related industries, such as sawmill operations. The Sackville and Fall River areas have become suburban commuter communities, and the surrounding lakelands are now dotted with cottages.

Sites of Special Interest

• Lake Charles to Shubenacadie Grand Lake - the valley of the Waverley chain of lakes (part of the 19th-century Shubenacadie canal system)

Provincial Parks and Park Reserves

• Dollar Lake
• Oakfield
• Laurie

Proposed Parks and Protected Areas System includes Natural Landscape 30 and Candidate Protected Area 21 Clattenburgh Brook.

Associated Topics T2-2 The Avalon and Meguma Zones T3-2 Ancient Drainage Patterns T3-4 Terrestrial Glacial Deposits and Landscape Features T12.10 Plants and Resources

Associated Habitats H3 Freshwater H4.1 Bog H4.2 Fen H6.3 Mixedwood Forest (Spruce, Fir, Pine-Maple, Birch Association)