Extension Publication 202 Saskatchewan Institute of Pedology Publication S3 The Soils of the Rosetown Map Area 72-0 SASKATCHEWAN by J. G. ELLIS, D. F. ACTON and H. C. MOSS assisted in the field by C. J. ACTON, A. K. BALLANTYNE, 0. P. BRISTOL, J. A. SHIELDS and H. B. STONEHOUSE Laboratory work directed by W. K. JANZEN assisted by F. G. RADFORD 1970 Distributed by the Extension Division, University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon MODERN PRESS, SASKATOON i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The study of the soils of the Rosetown Map Area was financed by the following: The Research Branch,, Canada Department of Agriculture, The Saskatchewan Department of Agriculture, The University of Saskatchewan . Assistance provided by the following Departments and indi- viduals is also acknowledged: The Geology and Air Surveys Division, P.F.R.A., Regina, for preparing and supplying aerial mosaics. The Department of Energy, Mines and Resources, Ottawa, for supplying base maps. The Cartographic Section, Soil Research Institute, Ottawa, for publishing the soils maps. The Saskatchewan Department of Highways for supplying in- formation on highways and secondary roads. D. G. Fredlund, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, Saska- toon Campus for preparing Appendix III. J. S. Clayton, formerly Senior Pedologist in Saskatchewan, and now with the Genesis and Classification Section of the Soil Research Institute, Ottawa, for his suggestions in regard to some of the soil classification . R. A. Milne, of the Soil Science Section, Lethbridge Research Station, for organizing the collection of soil samples which were transported to Vauxhall, Alberta, for analyses to characterize their suitability for irrigation. D. Graveland, formerly with the Saskatchewan Conservation and Development Branch, and now with the Alberta Water Com- mission Lethbridge, for assisting in evaluating the irrigation poten- tial of some of the soils of the Rosetown map area. Miss G. Hellstrom, for her assistance in the preparation of this report. Student Assistants were K. Ayres, K. Blackburn, S. Blair, J. Bole, R. Bradley, G. Byrnes, T. Church, L. Crosson, T. Day, J. Dum- anski, F. Dunlop, B. Edwards, R. Gardiner, E. Halstead, J. Harapiak, L. Henry, E. Mackintosh, R. McKinnon, L. Thompson, W. Rice, H. Rostad, E. Spratt and L. Voldeng. PREFACE For many years, Soil Survey Reports Nos. 12 and 13 have provided the basic soil information for the settled portion of Saskatchewan . However, the intensive use of soil information in agricultural and other fields has created a need for more detailed soil maps and reports . As a consequence of this, the Saskatchewan Institute of Pedology has undertaken to provide more up-to-date, more accurate, and more detailed soil information for the province on a map sheet basis. The first two reports and maps in this new series of publications - Soils of the Regina Map Area and Soils of the Willow Bunch Lake Map Area were published in 1965 and 1967 respectively . This, the third in the series, deals with the soils of the Rosetown Map Area. For the areas covered by these three surveys, the new publications should be used in place of -the No. 12 report and map . A separate publication, A Guide to Understanding Saskatchewan Soils may be consulted by those unfamiliar with the terms used to describe sails. The increased access to map areas, the availability of improved aerial photographs and topographic maps, the introduction of new mapping tech- niques and laboratory analyses, and the accumulated knowledge of the prop erties and uses of soils through the years have all contributed to the additional information contained in the new series of survey publications. In addition to describing the soils and showing their location and extent, the Rosetown publication deals with the agricultural capability of the soils. Since the map area includes the South Saskatchewan River Irrigation Project, a grading of the soils for irrigation use is also included. A new feature of the report is a section dealing with the engineering properties of the soils, written by Prof. D. G. Fredlund of the College of Engineering. R. J. St. Arnaud, Acting Director, Saskatchewan Institute of Pedology, University of Saskatchewan . CONTENTS Page Introduction . .. .. ... .. .. ... .. .. .. ... ... .. .. .. ... .. ... .. .. .... .. .. ... VIII Explanation of the Map Legend . ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. ... .. ... .. VIII Explanation of the Soil Report . .. .. ... .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .... ... XI General Description of the Map Area Location and Areal Extent .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. ... .. 1 Factors Affecting Soil Formation . .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. ... ... .. 1 Physiography . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... 1 Landforms . .. ... .. ... .. .. .. .. ... ... .. .. .. ... .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. 9 Topography and Drainage ... ... .. .. ... .. .. ... .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. 9 Surface Geological Deposits . .. ... .. .. ... .. .. .. .... .. .. ... .. 10 Climate . .. ... .. ... ... .. .. .. .. ... .. ... .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 12 Native Vegetation . ... .. .. ... .. ... .. .. .. ... .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. 16 Soils of the Brown Zone Dominantly Chernozemic Soils Birsay Association . .. ... ... ... ... .. .. ... .. .. .. ... .. .. .. ... .. .. .. 17 Chaplin Association . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 20 Fox Valley Association . .. .. ... .. ... .. ... .. .. .. ... .. .. ... .. ... .. 21 Hatton Association . ... .. ... ... .. ... .. .. ... .. ... .. ... .. ... .. .. .. 24 Haverhill Association .. .. ... .. .. ... ... .. .. .. .. .. ... ... .. .... .. 26 Sceptre Association .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .. 30 Willows Association . .. .. .. ... .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. ... .. .. 32 Dominantly Solonetzic Soils Flaxcombe Association . .. .. .. ... .. .... ... ... ... .. ... .. .. .. .. .. 33 Gilroy Association .. ... .. .. ... ... .. ... .. ... .. .. .. ... ... .. .. ... .. .. .. .. 35 Kindersley Association . .. .. ... .. ... .. ... ... .. .. ... ... .. ... .. ... .. ... .. 37 Soils of the Dark Brown Zone Dominantly Chernozemic Soils Alert Association . .. .... .. .. ... .. ... .. .. ... .. .... .. ... .. ... .. .... .. .. 39 Allan Association . .. ... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. .. .. .41 Asquith Association . .. ... .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. ... .. ... .. ... .. .. .. .. 43 Bear Association . .. .. .. ... .. .. .. ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... .. ... ... .... .. .. 45 Biggar Association ... .. ... ... .. .. ... .. .. .. ... ... .. .. ... .. ... .. ... .. 47 Bradwell Association .. .. .. .. .. .. ... ... .... .. .. ... .. ... .. .. .. .. .. 49 Elstow Association .. .. ... .. ... .. .. ... .. ... .. .... ... .. .. .... .. .. 53 Keppel Association . ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 57 Regina Association . .. .. .. .. ... .. .. 59 Sutherland Association . .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. ... .. .. .. 61 Weyburn Association . .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. 63 Wyandotte Association . .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. 67 Dominantly Solonetzic Soils Grandora Association . ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. 68 Hanley Association . ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .... .. .. 69 Rosemae Association . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 72 Trossachs Association . .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. 73 Tuxford Association . .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 74 Wingello Association . .. .. ... .. ... ... .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 76 Dominantly Regosolic Soils Dune Sand Association ... .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... ... .. 78 Miscellaneous Soils Alluvium Complex ... .. ... .. ... .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. ... .. .. .... .. .. 80 Hillwash Complex . .. ... .. .. .... .. .. .. ... .. ... .. ... .. .. .. ... .. .. 82 Runway Complex .. ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... .. .. ... .. ... ... .. .. .. ... 82 Soils and Agriculture Agricultural Land Use ... ... .. .. .. .. ... .. ... ... .. .. ... .. .. .. .. 83 Soil Management Problems .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. 84 Soil Capability Classification for Agriculture .. ... .. .. ... .. .. .. .. :.. 89 A Method of Rating Irrigation Soils .. .. .. .. ... .. ... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. 93 Appendix I Descriptions and Analyses of Soil Series Profiles . .. .. .. ... .. 98 Appendix II Acreage of Map Units and Their Topographic Classes . .. .. .. .132 Appendix III Atterberg Limits of Selected Soil Associations . .. .. .. .. .. .. .150 Appendix IV Explanation of Soil and Geological Terms Used in Report . .. .. ... .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. Inside Back Cover LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Major Physiographic Divisions of Rosetown Map Area . ... .. .. .. 3 2. Relation of Soils to Geological Deposits of the Map Area . .. ... .. ... .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 13 3. Long-time Average Yields of Wheat on Summerfallow Expressed in Bushels Per Acre for Selected Soils in the Rosetown Map Area ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 84 4. Capability Classes-Degree of Limitations . .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. 90 5. Capability Subclasses-Kind of Limitations . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 91 6. Initial Capability of the Soil Associations and their Textural Types in the Rosetown Map Area . .. .. ... .. .. .. ... .. ... 92 7. Irrigation Rating of the Soil Associations in the Rosetown Map Area .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. ... .. ... .. ... .. .. .. ... .. .. 96 ILLUSTRATIONS Plate Page 1. Physiographic Divisions of the Rosetown Map Area . .. .. .. .. 2 2. Russian Thistle on Eroded Hatton Soils . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 25 3. Moderately Rolling Haverhill Landscape . .. .. ... .. .. ..... .. ... 28 4. Gravelly Glacio-fluvial Deposits . ... ... .. .. .. ... .. .. .. ... .. .. 48 5. Sandy Glacio-lacustrine Deposits . .. .. .. ... .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. 50 6. Elstow.