This ecoregion comprises the northern extension of open grasslands in the Interior Plains of Canada and is closely correlated with semiarid moisture conditions and Dark Brown Chernozemic soils. The mean annual temperature is approximately 2.5°C. In some areas of southwestern Alberta the mean annual temperature can reach 5°C. The mean summer temperature is 15.5°C and the mean winter temperature is -11°C. The mean annual precipitation ranges 350-400 mm.

Native vegetation is relegated to nonarable pasturelands, dominated by spear grass and wheat grass, and a variety of deciduous shrubs including buckbrush, chokecherry, wolf willow, and saskatoon. Patches of scrubby aspen, willow, cottonwood, and box-elder occur to a limited extent on shaded slopes of valleys, on river terraces, and ringing nonsaline depressional sites covered with meadow grasses and sedges. Local saline soil areas support alkali grass, wild barley, red sampire, and sea blite. The region is composed of upper Cretaceous sediments and covered almost entirely by hummocky to kettled glacial till and level to very gently undulating, sandy to clayey lacustrine deposits. Although Dark Brown Chernozemic soils are dominant, significant areas of Solonetzic soils occur, particularly in eastern Alberta. Intermittent sloughs and ponds provide habitat for waterfowl. White-tailed deer, pronghorn antelope, coyote, rabbit, and ground squirrel are common in the region.

Spring wheat and other cereal grains are produced by employing a wheat or other grain-fallow rotation. Oilseed crops are also becoming increasingly important. Minor irrigation of these crops occurs near Lake Diefenbaker in Saskatchewan and in southern Alberta. Waterfowl hunting is common, and recreation is important around several large reservoirs. Major communities include Fort Macleod, Lethbridge, Drumheller, Rosetown, Unity, Biggar, Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, Regina, Estevan, and Weyburn. The total population of the ecoregion is approximately 656,000.