Peace River Corridor Provincial Park

History

This area is an historic route of European explorers during the fur trade. Evidence of this history can be seen in the remains of an 1806 fort built by the Northwest Company, the remains of which are located just west of Peace River Corridor Protected Area at the mouth of the Beatton River in Beatton River Provincial Park.

In 1990 the area was designated as a Provincial Recreation Corridor and a draft management plan was prepared. A recreation corridor is a designation that seeks to protect important recreation and heritage values through coordinated management of lands and waters in the corridor.

The area was later proposed as a Goal 2 Protected Area within the Fort St. John and Dawson Creek Land and Resource Management Plans. The Peace River is designated as a Provincial Heritage River.

Cultural Heritage

Peace River Corridor Provincial Park overlaps with the traditional use area of the Blueberry River and Doig River First Nations. It is within Treaty 8 area.

Conservation

Peace River Corridor Provincial Park is located in the Boreal White and Black Spruce Biogeoclimatic zone within the Peace Lowlands ecosection. The open aspen and south facing grassland hillsides provide important wintering habitat for ungulates such as mule and white-tailed deer and the islands provide important moose calving sites in the spring. The area is a prime migratory waterfowl staging area with an abundance of species present in both the spring and fall. Bald eagles and other raptors nest within the large cottonwoods located alongside the Peace River.

Various red and blue-listed species have been identified within the corridor. These species include fennel-leaved desert parsley (Lomatium foeniculaceum var foeniculaceum) and slender penstemon (Penstemon gracelis). Although not a red or blue-listed plant species, prickly pear cactus is abundant throughout the area.

Wildlife

Ungulates, such as mule deer, white-tailed deer, and moose are found throughout the area. Coyotes, fox and other small mammals also can be found in the aspen grassland and wooded habitats.

Waterfowl, including the trumpeter swan, use this river corridor as a staging, migrating and nesting area. Birds of prey, such as bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, and American kestrals, also can be viewed perched or soaring throughout the area.

Arctic grayling, mountain whitefish, yellow walleye, burbot, bull trout, rainbow trout, goldeneye, kokanee and northern pike can all be found within the Peace River.