Geology and Landscape Development
South of the East Bay Hills, a large wedge of Late Carboniferous sandstone has been downfaulted between blocks of ancient Avalon Zone strata. This is the Salmon River Lowland. The elevations are low in this part of Cape Breton, being on the low side of the tilted planation surface, and the area has been thickly covered by glacial deposits.

The Salmon River has been impounded by ridges of glacial debris to form Loch Lomond, Lake Uist, and Enon Lake, which lie just to the south of the area. Another deposit, oriented north-south, divides a small lake into two at the northern end of the lowland. In general the terrain is low and rolling, with few elevations greater than 100 m.

Fresh Water
Drainage is dendritic, and many tributaries feed the Salmon

Shoreline Vegetation, MacAdam's Lake, Cape Breton Click to enlarge

and Gaspereaux rivers in the northeastern areas. The headwaters of the Grand River are located in Cape Breton County. Southwestern portions in Richmond County are dominated by the Lake Uist and Loch Lomond system. A drainage divide separates the northeastern and southwestern areas. Surface-water pH levels range between 6.3 and 7.0. Concentrations of raised bogs can be found in the southwestern areas, and wetlands are associated with lake edges throughout.

Soils
Shulie soils (well-drained sandy loams) cover much of this Unit. Around Rock Elm, to the north of the Unit, is a small area with complex soils - clay loams such as Millbrook and Kingsville, and alluvial soils such as Cumberland and Millar. Near Gaspereaux Lake, in an area known as the Big Barren, poorly drained Arichat and imperfectly drained Debert soils occur, with better-drained Woodbourne soils derived from a gravelly clay loam till. Around the Loch Lomond lakes, the soils are mostly imperfectly to poorly drained, usually sandy or silt loams over compact clay tills such as Millbrook, Woodbourne, Masstown, Debert, and Kingsville soils.

Plants
This Unit is transitional between Loucks’ Coastal Forest Zone and Sugar Maple-Hemlock, Pine Zone. Shade-intolerant hardwoods also occur with scattered shade-tolerant species. The compact clay soils support mostly Balsam Fir, with lesser amounts of White Spruce. Shade-intolerant Red Maple and White Birch with aspen and a few American Beech grow on the better-drained slopes.

Cultural Environment
Farming and forestry characterize land use in this area. Lead ore was mined in the Salmon River area from 1946 to 1966, and a small amount of by-product silver was also recovered. The Mi’kmaq traditionally fished the Salmon River. Today, recreational anglers fish Atlantic Salmon and Brook Trout in these waters.

Provincial Parks and Park Reserves

• Two Rivers

Proposed Parks and Protected Areas System includes Natural Landscape 54.

Associated Topics T2.4 The Carboniferous Basin T3.1 Development of the Ancient Landscape T3.4 Terrestrial Glacial Deposits and Landscape Features T7.3 Coastal Landforms T12.11 Animals and Resources

Associated Habitats H3 Freshwater H4.1 Bog H6.1 Hardwood Forest (Maple, Oak, Birch Association) H6.3 Mixedwood Forest (White Spruce, Fir-Maple, Birch Association)