Cypress County | ||
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Municipal district | ||
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Location of Cypress County in Alberta | ||
Coordinates: 49°58′0″N 110°35′46″W / 49.96667°N 110.59611°WCoordinates: 49°58′0″N 110°35′46″W / 49.96667°N 110.59611°W | ||
Country | Canada | |
Province | Alberta | |
Region | Southern Alberta | |
Census division | No. 1 | |
Established | 1985 | |
Incorporated | 1985 | |
Government | ||
• Reeve | Darcy Geigle | |
• Governing body | Cypress County Council | |
• Office location | Dunmore | |
Area (2016) | ||
• Land | 13,173.25 km2 (5,086.22 sq mi) | |
Population (2016) | ||
• Total | 7,662 | |
• Density | 0.6/km2 (2/sq mi) | |
Time zone | MST (UTC-7) | |
Website | cypress |
Cypress County is a municipal district located in southeastern Alberta, Canada. The County completely surrounds the City of Medicine Hat and the Town of Redcliff. The municipality is part of Census Division 1, Alberta. The first farm in the area was settled in 1890.
The Cypress County landscape is dominated by a shortgrass prairie ecosystem. The land is flat to slightly rolling. The Cypress Hills region features mixed grasslands, wetlands and montane habitats. Major hydrological features include the South Saskatchewan and Milk rivers. Extensive coulee systems have formed adjacent to major rivers resulting in badlands terrain.
Near Walsh, Alberta at 50°0′38.2″N 110°6′48.3″W / 50.010611°N 110.113417°W lies the Badlands Guardian. Here the landscape takes the form of a head wearing a feathered headdress. The head is approximately 300 metres (980 ft) wide and 25 metres (82 ft) deep. This unusual geographic feature is a result of natural erosion of the surrounding prairie.