Elkwater, Alberta
| Elkwater | |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated community | |
 Elkwater
|
|
| Coordinates: 49°39′39″N 110°16′54″W / 49.66083°N 110.28167°WCoordinates: 49°39′39″N 110°16′54″W / 49.66083°N 110.28167°W | |
| Country |
 Canada
|
| Province |
 Alberta
|
| Region | Southern Alberta |
| Census division | 1 |
| Municipal district | Cypress County |
| Area | |
| • Land | 2.83 km2 (1.09 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,234 m (4,049 ft) |
| Population (2016) | |
| • Total | 84 |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
| Highway | Highway 41 |
| Waterway | Elkwater Lake |
Elkwater is an unincorporated community at the western edge of the Cypress Hills in southeastern Alberta, Canada, 65 kilometres (40 mi) southeast of Medicine Hat. The main access route is via Alberta Highway 41 (Buffalo Trail), which leads south from the Trans Canada Highway (Alberta Highway 1).
The former hamlet is located within Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park on the south edge of Elkwater Lake, and consists mostly of a collection of cabins. The name "Elkwater" is translated from Blackfoot.
During the last ice age the Cypress Hills were not covered with ice because they were high enough to rise above the surrounding flatlands. As a result it has rare soils found on the upper plateau area which is the highest point between the Rocky Mountains and Labrador. The Elkwater townsite is elevated at 1,234 m (4,049 ft), the same altitude as Banff, resulting in much similar flora and fauna. Thick pine and spruce forests cover the hills.
Animals found there include white-tailed deer, coyote, elk, wild turkey, cougar and moose. Moose and wild turkeys are not native to the Cypress Hills, but were introduced.
As a designated place in the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Elkwater recorded a population of 84 living in 40 of its 260 total private dwellings, a change of 68% from its 2011 population of 50. With a land area of 2.83 km2 (1.09 sq mi), it had a population density of 29.7/km2 (76.9/sq mi) in 2016.
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