Bulletin No. 42. September, 1944. UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE Soi1 Survey of Wainwright and Vermilion Sheets BY F. A. WYATT AND J. D. NEWTON (With Appendix .by 3. A. Allan) University of Alberta W. E. BOWSER AND w. ODYNSKY Dominion Department of Agriculture Experimentccl Farms Service Distributed by Department of Extension, University of p?l@?rta Edmonton, Alberta, Canada TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Acknowledgement ...... ...................... ................... ... ................... ..... .......................... ........................ Preface ....................................................................................................................*. ................................................ Description of Area ............................................................................................ ................ ............ .... ....... Agricultural Development ................................................................................................ ............ Transportation ....... .................... ..... ................................................................................ ............ .... ..... Topography ... .......... ..... .......................... ............................... ........................ ......................... ... ..... Drainage ............................... ............... ............... .................................................................. .... ..... Soi1 Forming Factors ..................... ..... .......................... ........... ..................... ........... ..................... ... .... Climate ..... .............................,, ............................................ ......................... ...................... ......... .... ... ...... Vegetation .............................................................................................. ............ ... ....................................... The Soil’s Parent Material ..... ...................................... ................ .......... ........ ..... .... .............. Soi1 Classification ...................................... .................................................................................................. System of Soi1 Classification ................................................................................................ Soi1 Survey Method ........................................................................................................................ Description of Soils ...................................................... .... .......................... .......................................... ....... Surface Texture ....................................... ................ .......... ................................. ........... .... ....... ..... Color Zones ..............................* .................. .......... ............................................................................... ...... Dark Brown Soil Zone ..................... ................................................................................ Glacial loams in the southeast corner of the Wainwright sheet Glacial loams between Chauvin and McLaughlin ................................ Glacial loams between Hughenden and Bellshill lake .................. San& of the Wainwright area ....................................................................................... Glacial loams southeast of Killam ...................................................................... Table XI. Soil areas of dark brown soi1 zone ............... ............. ....... ... Shallow Black Soi1 Zone ....................................................................................................... Sandy soils of the Iran Creek area ....................................................................... Sorted loams of the Wainwright area ................................................................ Glacial loams between Baxter lake and Paradise Valley ............... Glacial loams between Islay and McLaughlin ...................................... Glacial loams of the Viking moraine .......................... ...................... .... ................ Solonetz soils around Vanesti and north to tp. 50.. .............................. Sorted glacial solonetz soils of the Viking, Killam and Galahad areas ............................................... .......................................................... .................. ................ .......... Sorted residual solonetz SO& near Torlea ................................................ Sofis of the Vermilion valley ........................................................................................ Table XII. Soil areas of the shallow black soi1 zone ....................... Black Soi1 Zone ............................................................................................................................... ..... .... Sorted loams of the Lloydminster area ........................................................... Glacial residual soils between Jumbo Hi11 and Onion lake ........ Sorted soils between Streamstown and Elk Point ......................... .... Heavy textured soils of the Derwent area .......................... ............. ....... Glacial loams between Lavoy and Vermilion .......................................... Sandy soils near Slawa ._..... ....................................................................................................... Birch lake sandy loams ............................................................................................................ Area b&wen Two Hi&, and Brosseau .................................................................. Solonetz soils of the Vegreville area ................................................................... Table XIII. Soi1 areas of the black soi1 zone ............................................ Podsolic (Wooded) Soil Zone .................................................................................................. Black-gray transition soils between Elk Point and Frog Lake Glacial soils between Landonville and Hairy Hi11 .................... ........ Table XIV. Soi1 areas of the wooded or podsolic soi1 zone ... Chemical Composition of Soils ............................................................................................... Alkali ....... ..........................................................................................................................,-. ......................... ....... Present Utilization ........................................................................................................................................... Farm Practice ....................................................................................................... .... ...................... .......... Soi1 Rating Map _..,.._..........._......._...._....,..........,.... .._.................. CONTEfilS-Continued . APPENDIX: The Relation of the Geology to the Soils in the Wainwright and Vermilion sheets ..................................................................................................................106 Introdudion ....................................... .......... ..................... .............. ........................................... ................ 106 Physical Features ............ ........... ................... ........... ...................... .............. ................ ........... ..... 109 Sub-surface Geology ................................................... ..................................... .......... .......................... 111 Origin of Surficial Deposits ................................... ................................. ......................... ........ 116 Maps and Illustrations.: Eleven plates containing 26 figures. Soi1 Survey Map of Wainwright and Vermilion sheets, scale 1 inch to 3 miles, and Land Rating Map ..........................Inside Back Cover f ACKNOWLEDGMENT The soi1 survey report of the Rosebud and Banff sheets is the result of co-operation between the Dominion Department of Agriculture, the Soils Department of the University and the Geology Department of the University. The authors of this report wish to acknowledge their appreciation for assistance and support received from the following sources: The Dominion Department of Agriculture, Experimental Farms Service, supplied funds under the Prairie Farm Re- habilitation Act for conducting the field and laboratory work and for drawing and printing the soi1 map. The University of Alberta provided office and laboratory accommodation and supplied funds for printing the report. The Department of Mines and Resources, Surveys and Engineering Branch, Hydrographie and Map Service, supplied the township and sectional maps and supervised the compila- tion and drawing of the soi1 map. The report is published with the approval of the Committee on Agricultural Extension and Publications of the University. PREFACE The farmer is among the first to recognize the fact that soils vary tremendously in their power to produce crops. This variation is due to differences in physical, chemical and bio- logical relationships within the various soi1 types. This report describes the properties of the surface and subsoil of the various soi1 types, and gives the fertility invoice of the principal areas. It describes the topography, drainage, water supply and alkali problems of the area. Methods of soi1 management and possible utilization of the area