Red River Valley Area

The red river winds its way through the dried up bed of an the former Lake Agassiz. The Red is in no hurry to get to its final destination, only dropping 70 meters during its 870km length. The slow moving water is densely clouded from mud washed off its banks, causing making it challenging for organisms to find food via sight. Organisms living here are specially adapted to this environment, often having better sense of smell or vibration detection then others in clear water. First Nations have lived in this region for many centuries, but the area was first settled in 1812 by Lord Selkirk's settlers. Bad farming years and fur trading competition caused both groups to over hunt the buffalo, causing a rapid decline in population. The red river valley is relatively flat, with few hills, and consists of mostly farmland, which was converted from a natural grassland. Also, humans have had an influence on the amount the red river floods, with roadways blocking water in, and ditches bringing the water to the river much quicker then before they were dug.