Topography

The geology of the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, Pearce Estate Park and the Corridor is postglacial gravel covered by thin layers of flood silt and soil. The Bow River basin is composed of stepped terraces. Terraces, each with an associated habitat, can be seen in the Sanctuary. These are indicators of former beds of the ancient, higher river course as well more recent and ongoing shifts of the river.

In 2004, berms were formed at Pearce Estate Park using material removed to create a wetlands and a stream. A topographic feature, a sinuous engineered landform, is proposed to replace or supplement those berms. It is intended to block flood water from reaching the Bow Habitat Station and Inglewood beyond.

The Wildlands stretch over a relatively flat area, topographically, extending the flood terraces found in the sanctuary. The geologic makeup of the soil in the Wildlands was somewhat metamorphosed in the twentieth century first through hydrocarbon contamination caused by the oil refinery and then through remediation to remove the pollutions. In addition to the “environmental chemistry” that altered the soil profile, some earth moving occurred in the Wildlands as part of remediation work. Trenches were dug to reach oil in the soil and ground water. Once the oil had been significantly removed, a central T-shaped trench was dug further and converted into a wetland pond. Two small hills were formed from material excavated to create the pond. The hills were planted with aspen, shrubs, and grasses.