PHYSICAL FACTORS

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LOCATION AND SIZE
The East Kootenay region is located in the southeast corner of the Province of British Columbia. The region is bordered by Alberta and Kootenay National Park on the east, Montana on the south, the Purcell Mountains on the west and a point between Spillimacheen and Harrogate on the north. The region is 27,567.6 km2 in size, which is 3.2% of the Province's land base.

PHYSIOGRAPHY
The East Kootenay is divided into three distinct physical units: the Purcell Mountains to the west, the southern Rocky Mountain Trench and the Rocky Mountains to the east. The southern Rocky Mountain Trench ranges in width from 3 to 16 km. The topography is flat to rolling with elevations between 750 in and 1850 m above sea level. The Rocky Mountains are characterized by spectacular peaks and ridges, the summits of which range from 2000 to 3600 metres. The eastern flank of the Purcells is less dramatic, but includes world class peaks and glaciers on the west ranges, rising to 3500 m.

VEGETATION
Vegetation varies with elevation. Valley bottoms are dominated by ponderosa pine, rocky mountain douglas fir, lodgepole pine, and trembling aspen. Extensive grasslands are found in the southern part of the region. Other species of trees include black cottonwood and white spruce in wetter areas. Above the valley floor, at approximately 1300 meters, forest cover includes engelmann spruce, lodgepole pine, western larch and trembling aspen. In the western part of the region, higher precipitation allows western red cedar and western hemlock to grow. In the sub-alpine areas, above 1530 meters, whitebark pine and alpine larch are found. Alpine meadows include wildflowers, shrubs and alpine larch.

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