For the first half of the 20th century, the South Saskatchewan would completely freeze over during winter, creating spectacular ice breaks and dangerous conditions in Saskatoon, Medicine Hat, and elsewhere.

The waters of these two rivers, in turn, originate from winter snowpack and rainfall in the Rocky Mountains near the British Columbia and Montana border.

[3] The Red Deer River is a major tributary of the South Saskatchewan merging 16 kilometres (10 mi) east of the Alberta-Saskatchewan border.

Climate change, agricultural and urban infrastructure water use, and dams producing hydroelectricity, have all combined to reduce the flow of the South Saskatchewan River by 70 percent.

Covering an area of 460.71 km2 (177.88 sq mi), the IBA consists of two sections on the base along the north-western shore of the South Saskatchewan River.

Besides the aforementioned birds, the habitat is also important for several animals,  including the mule deer, pronghone antelope, Ord's kangaroo rat, pygmy short-horned lizard, western hognosed snake, and the prairie rattlesnake.

The valley floor is heavily wooded and includes trees such as the eastern cottonwood, Manitoba maple, peach-leaved willow, and the green ash.