Peace River Area in British Columbia Was a Joint Project of the Canada and British Columbia Departmrnts of Agriculture and the University of British Columbia
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SOIL SURVEY of the PEACERIVER AREA IN BRITISH COLUMBIA L. FARSTAD, T. M. LORD, A. J. GREEN and H. J. HORTIE Canada Department of Agriculture Research Station, Vancouver, B.C. Report No. 8 of thd? British Columbiu Soi1 Survey University of British Columbia British Columbia Department of Agriculture and Research Branch, Canada Departmeut of Agriculture 1965 95723-l ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The soil survey of the Peace River area in British Columbia was a joint project of the Canada and British Columbia departmrnts of agriculture and the University of British Columbia. The assistance rendered by each of the following is acknowledged. Dr. A. Leahey, Associate Director (Soils), Research Branch Executive, Ottawa, gave advice on classification of the soils and reviewed the manuscript. Dr. W. H. Matthews, Professor of Geology, University of British Columbia, provided the information on the geology of the area. Dr. D. G. Laird, Professor Emeritus, and Dr. C. A. Rowles, Department of Soi1 Science, University of British Columbia, assisted in the mapping and in classifying the soils. The Canada Department of Mines and Technical Surveys supplied the base maps. The maps were prepared for the printer by the Soi1 Research Institute, Research Branch, Ottawa. The following assisted in field and laboratory work: T. Arscott, W. Baldwin, G. Chaster, J. S. Clark, F. D. Cook, Vernon Case, W. F. Crow, J. H. Day, H. F. Fletcher, P. H. Martin, G. E. Munro, H. Payne, J. S. D. Smith, S. A. Vernon, G. R. Webster and the late L. Todhunter. 95723-14 CONTENTS Page Acknowledgments .................................................. 3 Introduction ....................................................... 9 Description of the Area ............................................. 11 Location and extent ............................................ 11 History and early settlement .................................... 11 Natural resources .............................................. 11 Transportation ................................................ 13 Social services ................................................. 13 Agricultural services ........................................... 13 Physiography, relief and drainage ................................ 13 Climate ....................................................... 16 Native vegetation .............................................. 19 Geology of the Area ................................................ 19 Soi1 Formation, Mapping and Classification .......... :. ................ 23 Soil formation ................................................. 23 Mapping ...................................................... 23 Classification .................................................. 24 Major soil groups .............................................. 24 Descriptions of the Soils ............................................ 30 Soils developed on glacial till .................................... 30 Alcan series ............................................... 30 Murdale series ............................................. 31 Mytron series .............................................. 32 Buick series ............................................... 34 Fellers series .............................................. 35 Demmitt series ............................................. 36 Hanshaw series ............................................ 36 Snipe series ............................................... 37 Moberly series ............................................. 38 Soils developed on lacustrine-glacial till .......................... 39 Donnelly series ............................................ 39 Esher series .............................................. 40 Landry series .............................................. 42 Goose series ...................... ...* ..................... 43 Prestville series ............................................ 44 Hazelmere series ........................................... 45 Albright series ............................................. 46 Soils developed on lacustrine materials .......................... 47 Nampa series .............................................. 47 Falher series ............................................... 48 Rycroft series ............................................. 49 Sukunka series ............................................. 50 5 Page Devereau series ............................................ 51 Arras series ............................................... 52 Rolla series ................................................ 53 Coleman series ............................................. 54 Kathleen series ............................................ 55 Judah series ............................................... 56 Beatton series ............................................. 58 Doig series ................................................ 58 Roseland series ............................................ 59 Prespatou series ............................................ 60 Soils developed on alluvial and aeolian materials .................. 61 Toad series ................................................ 61 Lynx series ................................................ 62 Davis series ............................................... 63 Tangent series ............................................. 64 Codner series .............................................. 65 Centurion series ........................................... 65 Groundbirch series ........................................ 66 Sundance series ............................................. 67 Twidwell series ............................................ 68 Pingel series ............................................... 69 Widmark series ............................................ 69 Branham series ............................................ 70 Taylor series .............................................. 70 Farrell series .............................................. 71 Alluvial soils .............................................. 71 Alces series ................................................ 72 Codesa series .............................................. 73 Peoria series .............................................. 74 Belloy series ............................................... 74 Beryl series ............................................... 75 Sloane series .............................................. 76 Coldstream series ........................................... 77 Soils developed on coarse outwash and beach materials ............ 78 Clouston series ............................................ 78 Clayhurst series ............................................ '78 Grouard series ............................................. 79 Soils developed on residual and modified residual materials ........ 80 Tremblay series ........................................... 80 Shearerdale series ......................................... 80 Boundary series ............................................ 81 Soils developed on organic materials ............................ 82 Eaglesham series ........................................... 82 Kenzie series .............................................. 83 Eroded, steeply sloping and broken land .......................... 83 6 Page Analyses of Representative Soils ..................................... 88 Organic matter ................................................ 88 Nitrogen ...................................................... 88 Phosphorus .................................................... 88 _ Base exchange ................................................. 88 Soil acidity .................................................... 89 Silicon, iron, aluminum, titanium, calcium and magnesium ........ 89 Minor elements ................................................ 96 Mechanicalanalyses ............................................ 98 Porosity and permeability ...................................... 100 Agricultural Problems .............................................. 104 Soilerosion .................................................... 104 Water supplies ................................................. 104 Land clearing and land use ...................................... 104 Maintenance of soi1 fertility ..................................... 105 Pestsandweeds ................................................ 105 Frosthazard ................................................... 105 Soil Ratings ...................................................... 106 Glossary .......................................................... 108 Analytical Methods ................................................ 113 Figures 1 Areas of British Columbia surveyed ........................... 4 2 Surface deposits and physiographic areas of the Peace River district 14 3 Drainage systems ............................................ 15 4 Pine River valley ............................................ 16 5 The Peace River near Bear Flats .............................. 22 6 Common horizons in a soi1 profile ............................ 23 7 Farmstead on a Esher soi1 .................................... 41 8 Wheat on a Landry soi1 ...................................... 42 9 Soi1 erosion near Dawson Creek ............................... 44 10 Representative soi1 profiles .................................... 84-87 11 Percentages of clay and sand in the main textural classes of soils . 112 Tables 1 Numbers of farms, acreages occupied and acres of improved land . 12 2 Acreages cropped, and acreages of main crops, 1931-61