Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park

October 21, 2014

Dry Island

Photographer: Paul Williams
Summary Authors: Paul Williams; Jackie Phillips

Dry Island is a prominent mesa in Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park, located in Alberta, Canada. It's not now nor likely ever was an island. The mesa is a remnant of the surrounding prairie isolated thousands of years ago after gullies eroded back from the Red Deer River. Its flat top is about 1,148 ft (350 m) long, 492 ft (150 m) wide and about 656 ft (200 m) above the river surface. This 12.3 acre patch of prairie has never been developed and still contains native grasses. The Buffalo Jump part of the park’s name comes from an arc of cliffs located behind the photographer. Approximately 1.9 mi (3 km) long, these cliffs were purportedly used centuries ago as a buffalo jump by the native Cree tribe. The Red Deer River is now popular for canoeing. Photo taken on September 21, 2014.

Photo details: Camera Maker: Panasonic; Camera Model: DMC-FZ8; Focal Length: 6.0mm (35mm equivalent: 56mm); Aperture: f/5.6; Exposure Time: 0.0031 s (1/320); ISO equiv: 100.