Herald Provincial Park

IUCN Category II - National Park

The 27 m high Margaret Falls

The Herald Provincial Park is a 79 hectare Provincial Park in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is located on the shores of Shuswap Lake and about 14 kilometers east of the small town of Tappen in Salmon Arm. The access road goes into Tappen from Highway 1. The park is located in the Columbia - Shuswap Regional District.

Plant

The small park is located directly on the shores of Shuswap Lake on the Interior Plateau. The camping area of ​​the park is divided into three sub- systems. The park is crossed by Reinecker Creek. This separates the two camping areas from the third camping area and picnic area. However, before the stream flows through this area, he has the Upper Canyon flows through and is the Margaret Falls brought down about 27 feet deep in two stages. The camping areas are different densely covered with trees. While one of the three sub- area is complete without trees, growing in the second region partially shady trees and the last area is then densely wooded with trees. Also, the picnic area is divided into areas with denser and areas with little or no forest cover. In the park is a protected area category II (National Park).

History

The name of Margaret Falls is intended to refer to the name of the first white woman who has visited the waterfall. Evidence does not exist, however. Proven was, however, from the year 1905 on the territory of the park a farm that was owned by a Dr. Dundas and a woman Edith Herald. The small park was established in 1975 and should still experienced more changes in its legal form and size over the years.

As with almost all provincial parks in British Columbia also applies to this, he, hunting and fishing territory of different tribes of First Nations was long before the area populated by immigrants or she was part of a park.

Flora and Fauna

Within the ecosystem of British Columbia, the area in which the park Moist Warm subzone is located in the Interior Douglas - fir zone assigned. Here grows next to the Douglas fir and the red cedar and paper birch. The trees here in the park no longer part by past forestry industry use the original vegetation but are so-called secondary forest. However, the forest has also an understory of ferns and other plants. Thus we find here the umbels umbellata and Erlenblättrige Amelanchier. Also found in the park, the endangered Rocky Mountain Sedge ( Carex backii ), a Sedge plant. The spread in many parts of the province of Pacific Dogwood blossoms, the coat of arms plant of British Columbia, can be found here as well.

The lake is rich in fish, represented here primarily of sockeye salmon ( sockeye English ). The fish lure ospreys and bald eagles. In the park there are mainly small rodents and small mammals such as the Douglas Squirrel, while in sparsely populated hinterland of the park, there are also black bears, lynxes and pumas. Many bird species in the park area. Including the national bird of British Columbia, the Steller. Overall, the park administration indicates about 70 different species of birds in the area would live.

Activities

The special attractions of the park are the one of the Shuswap Lake and on the other the Reinecker Creek Canyon with the Margaret Falls. Also the park is covered in total with numerous, mostly relatively light, hiking trails. Especially the lakeside location makes the park popular with families. The lake is ideal for all water sports.

In addition to a picnic area, the park has 119 ( partially reservable ) pitches for caravans and tents and has several, equipped with showers, toilets.