Mb8 Report.Pdf
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
SOILS REPORT No. 8 REPORT OF RECONNAISSANCESOIL SURVEY OF WEST-LAKE MAP SHEET AREA W. A. EHRLICH, L. E. PRATT, E. A, POYSER AND F. P. LECLAIRE With a Soi1 Map covering Townships 15 to 22 Ranges8 to 18 (inclusive) West of the Principal Meridian, prepared by the Manitoba Soi1Survey. MANITOBA SOILtSURVEY CANADA DEPARTMENT of AGRICULTURE, MANITOBA DEPARTMENT of AGRICULTURE AND IMMIGRATION, AND Sor~s DEPARTMENT, THE UNIVERSITY of MIANITOBA Report published by the Manitoba Department of Agriculture and immigration. Ma$ publz’shed by Canada Department of Agriculture. Acknowledgments THE SOIL SURVEYof the West-Lake Map Sheet Area was con- ducted as a joint project by the Canada Department of Agri- culture, the Manitoba Department of Agriculture, and the Soils Department of The University of Manitoba. Acknowledgment is made to Dr. P. C. Stobbe, Mr. J. H. Day, Canada Department of Agriculture and Dr. R. A. Hedlin, Depart- ment of Solls, The University of Manitoba, for their critical review of the report. The soils were mapped in the field by W. A. Ehrlich, L. E. Pratt, E. A. Po~ser, F. P. Leclaire, R. E. Smith, R. A. Wallace, J. A. Robertson and G. Emmond. Mrs. Helen E. Gallagher assistedin the recording of field and laboratory data and in the preparation of the report. The final draftii and printing of the soi1map was undertaken and fïnancedby the Experimental Farms Service, CanadaDepart- ment of Agriculture, Ottawa, and the printing of the report was undertaken and fmanced by the Manitoba Department of Agri- culture and Immigration. Summary THE RECONNAISSANCE SOIL SURVEY of the West-Lake Map Sheet Area covers 2,316 squaremiles in the central portion of Southern Manitoba between Lake Manitoba and the Riding Mountain National Park. The West-L.ake map area is divided into two broad physiographic areasby the Manitoba escarpment. Above the escarpment, the topography is irregular, gently to steeply sloping and the soils are dominantly well-drained, whereasbelow the escarpment the topography is nearly level and the soils are dominantly imperfectly drained. The cliiate of the area is sub- humid and has a definite summer maximum of precipitation. Frost is a hazard to grain production in the Dark Grey and Grey Wooded soi1areas, occurring on the southern slopesof the Riding Mountain. Vegetation tends to vary with latitude and altitude. Below the escarpment, the aspen-oaktype of native vegetation covers a11of the lowlands, except a portion in the north-east corner where jack pine and tamarack are present. Above the escarpment, the aspen-oak type of vegetation prevails in the southern area and mixed woods occur on the higher land in the northern portion. The soils above the escarpment are dominantly well-drained members of the Black, Dark Grey Wooded and Grey Wooded types, whereas the soils below the escarpment are dominantly imperfectly drained members of the above-mentioned types. Productivity of these soils varies with texture, topography, drainage and degreeof degradation. Approximately 37 per cent of the farm land is under cultivation. Grain growing is the principal farm enter-priseand over 90 per cent of the cultivated land is utilized for grain and flaxseed production. Generally, wheat is the principal trop grown on the Black soils and coarse grains are the main crops on the other soils. The generalcropping practice is one year fallow followed by two years of grain. Live- stock are produced on most farms; in some areas with a low arable-land acreage livestock production is the major farm enter-prise. Introduction THE RECONNAISSANCE SOIL SURVEY of the West-Lake Map Sheet Area is the eighth of a seriesof reports devoted to the description of the soils of Manitoba as determined through the work of the Manitoba Soi1 Survey. The abject of the survey was to obtain the essential facts about the soils of the area. The publication consists of two parts, a colored soi1map and a report. The West-Lake soi1map indicates the distribution and area of the soil associations. The soi1map was drafted at the scale of one inch equals two miles. Township and Range numbers are shown along the margin of the map. Solid black boundary lines are used to separate associationsand phasesof associations,and broken black boundary litres are used to separate associates within the associations. Soi1associations and phasesare identified by color and letter designation. Local soi1conditions such as poor drainage, salinity, stoniness,and rough topography are indicated by defïned symbols. A key to the colors, letter designationsand symbols appearsat the bottom of the map. The report describes the cultural and physical features of the map area and the formation, character, capabilities and limita- tions of the soils. The report is divided into four parts. Part 1 describes the location and extent of the area, the population distribution and the transportation and market facilities. Part II describesthe physical features including relief, drainage, geology, climate and vegetation. Part III presents a key to the soils of the area, describes the physical, morphological and agronomie features of each association, presents a grouping of the soils into eight land-use classesand a table indicating the adaptability of each soi1to regional crops. Part IV outlines the history of early settlement and describesland use. Contents Page Acknowledgments ........................................................ 3 Summary ............................................................... 5 Introduction. ............................................................. 7 PART 1 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF AREA A. LOCATION AND EXTENT ............................................... 15 B. POPULATION. ....................................................... 16 C. TRANSPORTATION AND MARKETS. ...................................... 17 PART II PHYSIOGRAPHIC FACTORS AFFECTING SOIL FORMATION A. RELIEF AND DRAINAGE. ............................................... 19 B. GEOLOGY AND SOIL PARENT MATERIALS. ............................... 21 (i) Geology of Underlying Rocks. ....................................... 21 (ii) Surface Deposits and Physiographic Areas. ............................. 21 C. CLIMATE. ........................................................... 24 (i) Temperature. ..................................................... 24 (ii) Precipitation ...................................................... 24 (iii) Local Variation in Climate ........................................... 26 D.VEGETATION ......................................................... 26 PART III SOILS A. THE SOIL PROFILE. ................................................... 29 B. SOIL CLASSIFICATION. ................................................ 30 CSOIL MAPPING ....................................................... 30 D. FIELD CLASSIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE SOIL OF THE WEST-LAKE MAP AREA ................................................ 36 9 Contents-Continued SOlL ASSOCIATIONS IN WHlCH THE DOMINANT SOlL IS A BLACK Page NEWDALEASSOCIATION ................................................. 39 Newdale Undulating Phase ............................................ 39 Newdale Smooth Phase ............................................... 40 CARROLLASSOCIATION .................................................. 40 Carroll Clay Loam .................................................... 40 Carroll Clay Loam, Ml substrate phase ................................... 41 WELLWOODASSOCIATION ................................................ 41 Wellwood Loam, till subsfrate phase ..................................... 41 TOBARMOREASSOCIATION ............................................... 42 ST~CKT~NASSOCIATION................................................. 43 Stockton Loamy Sand ................................................. 43 Stockton Fine Sandy Loam ............................................. 43 Stockton Fine Sandy Loam, till substrate phase ............................ 43 AGASSIZASSOCIATION ................................................... 44 Agassiz Loamy Sand .................................................. 44 Agassiz Loamy Sand, till substrate phase ................................. 45 Agassiz Loamy Sand. sand-substrate phase ............................... 45 MARRINGHURSTASSOCIATION ............................................ 45 MINIOTAASSOCIATION .................................................. 46 SOlL ASSOCIATIONS IN WHlCH THE DOMINANT SOlL IS A BLACK-MEADOW ARDENASSOCIATION .................................................... 47 Arden Loam ......................................................... 47 Arden Loam. grave1 lens phase .......................................... 47 KELDASSOCIATION ..................................................... 48 MCCREARYASSOCIATION ................................................ 49 NORGATEASSOCIATION................................................. 50 KELWOODASSOCIATION ................................................. 50 DAUPHINASSOCIATION .................................................. 51 Dauphin Clay ........................................................ 51 Dauphin Clay, till substrate phase ....................................... 51 LAKELANDASSOCIATION ................................................. 52 LakelandLoam ....................................................... 52 Lakeland Loam, till substrate phase ...................................... 53 LakelandClayLoam .................................................. 53 Lakeland Clay Loam. till substrate phase ................................