Soil Survey of the County of St. Paul, Alberta
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Soi1 Survey of the County of St. Paul, Alberta J.A. Brierley, L.D. Andriashek and W.L. Nikiforuk Alberta Soi1 Survey Report No. 52 1993 - - - - - - - - - - - CENTRE OF LAND AND BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION NO. 93-82 -_ PRINCIPALCOOPERATIVE AGENCIES: AGRICULTURE CANADA, CLBRR - ALBERTA RESEARCH COUNCIL, ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING - - ‘- -- ii - - How to use this soi1 survey report - The soil survey report for the County of St. Paul consists Experience has shown that the following step by step of three chapters, five appendices and four 150 000 scale procedure assists users of the report: (lcm = 1/2km) planimetric base soi1 maps. A legend, 1. Locate the specific area on the appropiate map specific to each map sheet, describes the components of sheet. each soi1 map unit symbol. l an index to the four map sheets is on page 3 (a small The three chapters contain the following information: scale, index map is included on each map sheet) - Chapter 1 provides a general overview of the survey area l generally using the section, township and range grid, in terms of climatic, ecological and geologic charac- identii soi1 map delineation and the associated map teristics. symbol for the specific area. Chapter 2 provides a general description of the soi1 types 2. Expianation of map symbol. and associated landforms by subdividing the County into l find the map symbol and accompanying description of sixteen land systems. Each land system is described indi- associciated soi1 and landscape characteristics within vidually. the soi1 map unit legend, alphabetically and numerically Chapter 3 documents the methodology and assumptions arranged - used to rate the soi1 map units for arable agriculture and l soi1 map unit descriptions in the legend are described in - range productivity. Generalized maps illustrating the areal terms of the intregral components. - extent of these interpretive class ratings are included. 3. Detailed description of the individual soi1 map - units. The five appendices include: - A. A brief explanation of soi1 forming processes and soi1 l refer to Appendix C for the description of the soi1 map classification, as well as a description of the mapping units procedures, field and office activities. l refer to Appendix B for description of soi1 series, (the B. Documentation of the analytical methods used for ana- building blocks of soi1 map units) lyzing soi1 samples. Descriptions of the major soi1 se- l soi1 map units and soi1 series are listed alphabetically, by - ries, in terms of physical and chemical characteristics. symbol. - C. Detailed descriptions of the soi1 units and associated 4. Interpretations. - soi1 map units. l each soi1 map unit is interpreted for specified land use D. A table listing the specific interpretive ratings for each practices in Appendix D soi1 map unit. l a brief explanation describing the rationale and method- E. A glossary of terms used in this report. ology used to determine these ratings is given in Chap- - ter 3. - - - . - III - Preface Soi1 surveys have been an ongoing endeavour in Alberta Sand River Area (73L) (Kocaoglu 1975). Soil information since the 1920’s. Their purpose is to provide basic infor- was not available for a seven mile wide strip across the mation on the provincial soi1 resources. Most of the settled County and east to the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. This portions of Alberta are covered by reconnaissance soil project (which included the Soil Survey of the County of St. surveys. Many areas require resurvey and updating to Paul as well as the Frog Lake Indian Reserve and Fishing current standards, particularly the areas covered by earlier Lake Metis Settlement) rectified this defiency of the provin- surveys. cial soi1 data base. The previously existing available soil information for the In 1987 the County of St. Paul soil survey project was - County of St. Paul was variable. Majority of the area was initiated. The survey information complies with semi-de- included on the Soil Survey of the Wainwright and Vermil- tailed level (Soi1 Intensity Leve13) specifications (E.C.S.S. lion Sheets (Wyatt et al. 1944) and the Soil Survey of the 1987a). Field work for this project was completed in 1989. Acknowledgements The soil survey of the County of St. Paul was a project l L.W. Turchenek provided advice and assistance in map- conducted by Alberta Soi1 Survey. The Alberta Soil Survey ping and describing the organic soil landscapes within is a cooperative research body which includes repre- the County. sentatives of Agriculture Canada, Center of Land and l J. Lutz and M. Huemmert digitized the maps. J. Lutz Biological Resources Research and Alberta Research compiled, checked and plotted the final digitized maps, Council (ARC), Environmental Research and Engineering as well as producing the generalized interpretation Depattment. Additional funding for the project was pro- maps of the Cour@. vided by Alberta Agriculture. l J. Beres, W.C. McKean and A. Schwarzer conducted the - The following people and organizations are recognized physical and chemical analysis on the collected soil for providing assistance, support and cooperation during samples. the course of the survey: l L. Bradley and J. Matthie, Drafting and Publications, l Field mapping - L.D. Andriasheks, J.A. Brierleyl, ARC for cartographie production of maps. - W.L.Nikiforuks, C.M. Richterl and I.R. Whitsonlgs. l G.M. Coen, J.A. Shields and R.W. Howitt provided the l Field assistants - J. Burke, J. Christiansen, R. Delorme, scientific review of the manuscript. ,- K. King, T. Messier, B. Munroe, R.Penny, and S. l Landowners throughout the study area allowed access Prauner. to their land and offered friendly advice. l Soil correlation - G.M. Coen and J.A. Shields. 1. Agriculture Canada 2. Alberta Research Council iv Y - - Summary - The County of St. Paul is situated in east-central Alberta, ings of soils (grassland soils, forest soils and wet soils) - approximately 300 kilometers northeast of Edmonton. The characterize the environmental features of this portion of County is approximately 354 200 hectares in size. Agricul- physiographic region. The dominant surficial material is till. Fluvial and lacus- ture is the principal land use. Roughly 40% of the County -’ is trop land and 35% is used for forage production and trine materials occur sporadically throughout the area. grazing. Activities related to energy exploration and pro- These surficial materials overlie shale and sandstone bed- duction are other major land use practices impacting on rock of the Lea Park and Belly River Formations. - the land resource within the County. Sixteen landscapes with similar geographic, geologic The County is within the Eastern Alberta Plain physiog- and surface features are recognized within the County. - raphic region. The geographic and geologic charac- These landscape segments are called land systems. Land teristics of this region are varied. The contintental climate systems, described in terms of climate, soil, and land- associated with east-central Alberta is divided into three forms, provide a suitable basis for conservation and land agroclimatic zones. Two distinct vegetation zones (Aspen use planning decisions, at the municipal scale. Parkland and Boreal Mixedwood) and three large group- - - - - - V - Contents How to use this soi1 survey report ................................................................ ii Preface .................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ........................................................................... iii Summary .................................................................................. iv Chapter 1. General description of area. ........................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction .................................................................. ..l 1.2 Location and geographical features ................................................. 1 1.3 Climate ..................................................................... ..l 1.3.1 Agroclimatic zones .......................................................... 2 1.4 Vegetation .................................................................. ...4 1.5 Bedrockgeology ............................................................... 1.6 Surficialgeology ............................................................. ...7 1.6.1 Preglacial bedrock topography ................................................ 7 1.6.2 Glacial landforms and materials. ............................................... 8 1.6.3 Complex glacial landform models. .............................................. 9 Chapter 2. Land Systems within the County of St. Paul. ............................................. 12 2.1 Introduction...................................................................l 2 2.2 Description of Land Systems ..................................................... 13 2.2.1 AlmaPlain...............................................................l 3 2.2.2 BunderUpland............................................................l 4 2.2.3 DoloUpland..............................................................l 4 2.2.4 GadoisPlain ............................................................. 15 2.25 Kehiwin Plain. ............................................................ 15 - 2.2.6 MannLakeUpland ........................................................ 16 2.2.7 Muriel Upland ............................................................ 16 2.2.8 Northern Valley