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Soils of Colchester County, Nova Scotia Report No. 19 Nova Scotia Soi1 Survey K.T. Webb Land Resource Research Centre Truro, Nova Scotia R.L. Thompson Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Marketing Truro, Nova Scotia G.J. Beke Agriculture Canada, Research Branch Lethbridge, Alberta J.L. Nowland Land Resource Research Centre Ottawa, Ontario Land Resource Research Centre Contribution No. 85-45 Accompanying map sheets: Soils of Colchester County, Nova Scotia (North, South and West sheets) Research Branch Agriculture Canada 1991 Copies of this publication area available from Nova Scotia Department of Government Services Inforination Services P.O. Box 550 Nova Scotia Agricultural College Truro, Nova Scotia B2N 3E.3 Produced by Kesearch Prograrn Service 0 Minister of Supply and Services Canada 199 1 Cat. No. A57-l51/1990E ISBS 0-662-18263-0 Correct citation for this report is as follorvs: Webb, K.T.; Thornpson, K.L.; Beke, G.J.; Norvland, J.L. 1991. Soils of Colchester County, Nova Scotia. Report No. 19 Sova Scotia Soi1 Survey. Re!iedrch Branch, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Ont. 201 pp. Staff Editor Jane T. Buckley CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..................................... ................vi SUMMARY/RESUME .......................................................... vii PART 1 . GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CO UNTY ................................ 1 Location and extent ................................................. 1 History of development.............................................. 1 Population and industry ............................................. 3 Transportation...................................................... 3 Glaciation.......................................................... 4 Physiography and geology ............................................ 5 Climate ............................................................ 12 Vegetation ......................................................... 16 PART 2 . SOIL FORMATION. CLASSIFICATION. SURVEY AND MAPPING METHODS ......................................................... 20 Soil formation ..................................................... 20 Soil classification................................................ 25 Survey methods ..................................................... 27 Mapping methods .................................................... 29 PART 3 . SOIL ASSOCIATIONS AND MAP UNITS ................................. 31 Acadia association (Ac) .................................................. 31 Castley association (Ct) ................................................. 33 Cobequid association (Cd) ................................................ 35 Cumberland association (Cm) .............................................. 37 Diligence association (Dg) ............................................... 39 Fash association (Fs) .................................................... 41 Folly association (Fo) ................................................... 42 Hansford association (Hd) ................................................ 44 Hebert association (He) .................................................. 45 Kirkhill association (Kh) ................................................ 47 Millbrook association (Mi) ............................................... 49 Perch Lake association (Ph) .............................................. 51 Portapique association (Pp) .............................................. 53 Pugwash association (Pw) ................................................. 55 Queens association (Qu) .................................................. 57 Rawdon association (Ra) .................................................. 59 Rossway association (Ry) ................................................. 61 Stewiacke association (Se) ............................................... 62 Thom association (Tm) .................................................... 64 Truro association (Tu) ................................................... 66 Westbrook association (Wb) ............................................... 67 Woodbourne association (Wo) .............................................. 69 Woodville association (Wd) ............................................... 71 Wyverr, association (Wn) .................................................. 73 iii Miscelliîneous land types ................................................. 75 Coastal beach (Cb) ................................................. 75 Salt marsh (SM) .................................................... 75 PART 4 . SOIL INTERPRETATIONS FOR VARIOUS USES ........................... 76 AGRICULTURE .............................................................. 77 CLI soi1 capability classification................................. 78 Vegetable crops .................................................... 78 Alfalfa ............................................................ 79 Spring cereals ..................................................... 79 Winter wheat ....................................................... 79 COMMUNI'IY DEVELOPMENT.................................................... 92 On-site sewage disposa1 systems .................................... 92 Housing ............................................................ 92 Area-type sanitary landfill ........................................ 93 Local roads and streets ............................................ 93 Sewage lagoons ..................................................... 94 FORESTRY ................................................................ 110 Forestry-road construction........................................ 110 Off-road use of harvesting equipment.............................. 111 Resistance to windthrow .......................................... 111 Soi1 erosion hazard ............................................... 111 Tree species to plant ............................................. 112 SOIL AS A SOURCE OF MATERIAL ............................................ 126 Topsoil ........................................................... 126 Grave1 ............................................................ 126 Roadfill .......................................................... 127 REFERENCES .............................................................. 139 APPENDIX 1 . LOCAL AND BOTANICAL NAMES OF PLANTS ........................ 142 APPENDIX 2 . PROFILE DESCRIPTIONS AND ANALYSES .......................... 143 APPENDIX 3 . GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ........................ 190 APPENDIX 4 . ENGINEERING SOIL CLASSIFICATION AND DATA ...................196 iv F 1GURE S 1 . Location of Colchester County and areas of Nova Scotia previously surveyed ................................................. 1 2 . Location of toms and transportation routes ......................... 4 3 . Physiographic zones of Colchester County ............................ 6 4 . Generalized geological formations ................................... 7 5 . Relief and drainage ................................................. 9 6 . Climatic data for Colchester County ................................ 14 7 . Forest vegetation zones of Colchester County ....................... 18 8 . Hypothetical soi1 profile .......................................... 22 9 . Vehicle accessibility map .......................................... 28 10 . Soil-erodibility nomograph ........................................ 113 11 . Erosion hazard of soils ........................................... 113 12 . Tree species selection for reforestation.......................... 114 TABLES 1 . Monthly temperature and precipitation data for representative stations ........................................................... 13 2 . Average and extreme aates of frost and length of frost-free period at representative stations .................................. 15 3 . Probability of frost occurrence at representative stations ........16 4 . Volumes of tree species ........................................... 17 5 . Soil suitability for vegetable crops ............................... 80 6 . Soil suitability for alfalfa ....................................... 81 7 . Soil suitability for spring cereals ................................ 82 8 . Soil suitability for winter wheat .................................. 83 9 . SOIL INTERPRETATIONS FOR AGRICULTURE ............................... 84 10 . Soil suitability for on-site sewage disposa1 systems ...............95 11 . Soil suitability for housing ....................................... 96 12 . Soil suitability for area-type sanitary landfill ...................98 13 . Soil suitability for local roads and streets ....................... 99 14 . Soil suitability for sewage lagoons ............................... 101 15. SOIL INTERPRETATIONS FOR COMMUNI'N DEVELOPMENT .................... 102 16 . Soil suitability for forestry road construction................... 115 17. Soil suitability for off-road use of harvesting equipment .........116 18 . Soil resistance to windthrow ...................................... 117 19 . SOIL INTERPRETATIONS FOR FORESTRY ................................. 118 20 . Soil suitability as a source of topsoil ........................... 128 21. Soil suitability as a source of grave1 ............................ 129 22 . Soil suitability as a source of roadfill .......................... 130 23 . SOIL INTERPRETATIONS FOR SOURCE OF MATERIALS ...................... 131 V ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The soi1 survey of Colchester County was conducted as a joint project of Agriculture Canada and the Nova Scotia Department