Geology & Landscape | Freshwater & Wetlands | Soils | Plants Animals | Scenic Quality | Cultural Environment | Sites of Interest Topics & Habitats

Geology and Landscape Development
This District encompasses a strip of coastline along the eastern shore of St. Marys Bay. The bedrock consists of metamorphosed, interfolded slates

Atlantic surf Click to enlarge

and greywacke of the Meguma Group which are highly eroded and have little relief. Overlying the bedrock is a ground moraine of varying thickness on which are good examples of subglacial and glaciofluvial deposits such as end moraines, deltas, and spits. Evidence of coastal rebound, and tilting following glacial withdrawal, is found in raised beaches and wave-cut platforms. The effects of the more recent coastal submergence are seen in beach erosion, retreating till cliffs, and submerged forests along the shore. Glaciomarine deposits can be found along St. Marys Bay.
Detailed analysis and description of the surficial geology was completed by the Geological Survey of Canada during the 1970s.

Freshwater Environments and
Coastal Wetlands
Most surface-water coverage in this District occurs north of Yarmouth where many small to medium-sized irregularly shaped lakes are linked by small rivers and streams. A few freshwater wetlands are associated with Rivière Grosses Coques. Many small tidal marshes and barachois ponds are scattered along the coast in coves. Larger marshes can be found at the mouth of the Chegoggin and Salmon rivers and in Yarmouth Harbour.

Soils
The soils in the northern part of this District derive from moderately coarse-textured quartzite till and are predominantly imperfectly drained Danesville with poorly drained Aspotogan. South of Meteghan the tills are somewhat finer in texture and derived from slate. The three associated soils are well-drained Bridgewater, imperfectly drained Riverport, and poorly drained Middlewood. In Yarmouth County the soils are developed on drumlinoid mounds of till derived from schistose rocks. On the drumlins the soils are moderately well-drained sandy loams of the Yarmouth series, often cleared and farmed.

Between the drumlins, Deerfield soils are prevalent. Drainage is restricted by a compact, nearly impervious parent material, and seepage spots are common. Areas of peat, and Bridgewater, Mersey, and Halifax soils also occur. Digby soils can be found on raised beaches all along the coast; these are rapidly drained sandy loams over a gravelly till containing many shells of marine origin.

Plants
The vegetation of this District has been extensively disturbed by cutting. Poor drainage conditions over much of the area has given rise to large numbers of peat bogs. White Spruce and Balsam Fir are the most common species, together with shade-intolerant birches, maples and aspens. On the wetter areas, Black Spruce and larch are found. In this area, Blue-joint Grass meadows are common. Along the more sheltered, muddy coast, small salt marshes have developed, and unlike the Bay of Fundy, Eelgrass beds can be seen.

Animals
This section of the coast has a mixture of intertidal muds, sandy beaches with some dunes, rocky shores, and some salt marshes. The south shore of St. Marys Bay is considered regionally important because large numbers of Common Eider overwinter there. Waterfowl are also present in moderate numbers in early spring and fall, but not in summer. The salt marshes and mud flats at Cape Cove also provide attractive habitat for Black Duck and shorebirds, although their numbers are not large. Because of the ample sediment, marine infauna is richer than the epifauna. Unusual offshore species are often washed up on the sandy beaches, which offer good shell collecting. In the warm, sheltered waters towards the head of the bay, relict marine fauna may be found, for example, Quahog shells and marsh snails at Gilbert Cove. Typical freshwater fish species include White Sucker, Brown Bullhead, and White Perch.

Scenic Quality
The coast north of Pointe à Tom differs from that to the south. The area to the north is a level till plain, while to the south is found a

Beach and tide mark, Mavilette Beach, Digby County Click to enlarge

drumlinized landscape of rounded hills interspersed with marshes and lakes. The human element also differs; the northern plain has uninterrupted farmland, while the southern area has discontinuous farmland on drumlin tops. Both areas have moderately high scenic value, but the Acadian settlements of Clare district have certain unique features, for example, unusually large churches (e.g., St. Bernard, Church Point) and characteristic long-lot field patterns.

Cultural Environment
This area, known as the French Shore, was where the Acadians came to settle after making their way back to Nova Scotia following the 1755 deportation. Small-scale farming, hunting, and waterfowling were commonly practised along the French Shore. Today, fishing is an important economic base, particularly the lobster, clam, scallop, and herring fisheries. The village of Grosses Coques is so named because of the big clams common there. Fish scraps are used to feed the significant mink ranching operations. Forestry in backwoods areas provided timber for the extensive shipbuilding which took place here in the nineteenth century. A shipyard in Meteghan continues to build wooden boats. Acadian settlement patterns have shaped the human landscape along the French Shore, with homes stretching along a cleared, open coastal landscape in a linear fashion as one community blends into another. Yarmouth has a good harbour and is a commercial centre for this area. Speckled Trout is a popular recreational fishing species near Yarmouth.

Sites of Special Interest

Glaciation and Post-glacial Emergence (north to south)

• Bingays Brook (northeast of Barton) - evidence of oysters in interglacial deposits show high sea levels occurred between ice advances
• Church Brook (northeast of Gilbert Cove) - glaciomarine delta 22 m above high tide, now a gravel pit
• Belliveau Cove to Meteghan River - end-moraine complex forms prominent ridge fronting the coast for 20 km (best developed at Saulnierville)
• Meteghan - glaciomarine delta upraised 20 m above high tide
• Picnic park to south of Pointe à Tom - perfect fossil wave-cut platform forms a beach at 5 m, also a modern equivalent
• Mavillette - large fossil spit exploited for gravel
• Cape St. Marys - Pleistocene raised beaches and glacial till containing fossils of marine shells; one of several coastal exposures in southwestern Nova Scotia; similar occurrences found in Kings County and Cape Breton
• Cape Cove (south of Cape St. Marys) - complete sequence of glacial tills from last 120,000 years (see T3.4)
• Green Cove (north of Port Maitland) - marine terrace under campground
• Red Head (south of Port Maitland) - raised and tilted wave-cut platform, with a modern example; area provides the most southerly evidence of post-glacial coastal tilting and emergence; the pivot point for coastal rebound and tilting is close to Yarmouth

Recent Submergence (north to south)

• West of Church Point - a submerged forest 5,000 years old, 5 m below high tide
• Pointe des Maréchal - submerged forest, 3 m below high tide
• South of Overton - submerged forest, one metre below high tide
• Yarmouth Bar - eroding tombolo
• Cape St. Marys (IBP Proposed Ecological Site 55) - salt marsh and sand dune system of more than 120 hectares
• Grosses Coques (IBP Proposed Ecological Site 58) - salt marsh system; wintering ground for Common Eider

Provincial Parks and Park Reserves

• Savary
• Smugglers Cove
• Mavillette Beach
• Port Maitland Beach
• Bluff Head
• Pembroke
• Sand Hills Beach
• Cape Fourchu
• Kellys Cove

Proposed Parks and Protected Areas System includes Natural Landscape 4.

Scenic Viewpoints

• Weymouth Harbour
• Smugglers Cove Provincial Park
• Cape St. Marys
• Cape Fourchu

Associated Topics T2.2 The Avalon and Meguma Zones T3.1 Development of the Ancient Landscape T3.3 Glaciation, Deglaciation and Sea-level Changes T7 The Coast

Associated Habitats H1 Offshore H2 Coastal H4 Bog H5.3 Cliff and Bank H6.3 Mixedwood Forest (White Spruce, Fir-Maple, Birch Association) Associated Offshore Region 911 Atlantic