SOIL SURVEY OF THE PINCHER CREEK-CROWSNEST PASS AREA, ALBERTA Alberta Soi1 Survey Report No. 50 B.D. Walker, J.A. Brierley and G.M. Coen 1991 AGRICULTURE CANADA, RESEARCH BRANCH, LRRC Edmonton, Alberta LRRC Contribution No. 88-04 Alberta Institute of Pedology Publication No. S-91-50 Copies of this publication are available from Agriculture Canada - Soi1 Survey 653 Terrace Plaza Tower 4445 Calgary Trail South Edmonton, Alberta T6H 5R7 Printed and bound by University of Alberta Printing Services ISBN: l-55091-001-9 PREFACE Soi1 surveys have been ongoing in Alberta since the early 1920’s. Their purpose is to provide basic information on the province’s soi1 resources. Most of the settled portions of Alberta have been covered by generalized, small scale, soi1 surveys. Yet several areas re- quire resurvey and updating to current standards, particularly those areas covered by the earliest surveys. In recent years, resurveys that provide greater detail have been con- ducted within the boundaries of local administrative areas, usually the county or municipal district. The Municipality of Crowsnest Pass and most of the Municipal-District of Pincher Creek were initially included in the early “Soi1 Survey of the Lethbridge and Pincher Creek Map Sheet” (Wyatt et ai. 1939). During the 1960’s parts of southwestern Alberta were resur- veyed by Agriculture Canada personnel, again at a generalized scale, to provide informa- tion for the Canada Land Inventory maps. This resurvey covered the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass and part of the Municipal District of Pincher Creek. But the basic soi1 information was never fully correlated and published. In 1985 the soi1 survey of the Pincher Creek-Crowsnest Pass area was initiated. It is one in a series of survey projects to update the soi1 information for southwestern Alberta. The others include Warner County (Kjearsgaard et a/. 1986) and Cardston M.D. (Brierley et al. In press). This soi1 information complies with semi-detailed level (Survey Intensity Level 3) specifications (E.C.S.S. 1987a). Field work on the Pincher-Crowsnest project was completed in 1987. III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The soi1 survey of the Pincher Creek-Crowsnest Pass area was conducted by personnel of Agriculture Canada’s Soi1 Survey Unit based in Edmonton, Alberta. The support and in- teraction of Alberta Research Council’s Environmental Research and Engineering Depart- ment and the Alberta Institute of Pedology, University of Alberta, is gratefully acknow- ledged. Other persons and organizations recognized for their contributions and assistance during the course of this survey project are: Soi1 landscape mappers J.A. Brierley, M, Fawcett, A.T. Rodvang, J. Tajek, and B.D. Walker. Field assistants Jim Bradley, Mark Fawcett, Tom Messier, Rhonda Penny, Lester Perrot, and David Zadnik. Mappers of the 1960’s CL1 projects, mainly A. Brunelle, M.J. Dudas, G.M. Greenlee, A.A. Kjearsgaard, S.S. Kocaoglu, T.W. Peters, W.W. Pettapiece, and their assistants, whose infor- mation significantly speeded up this current resurvey. Soi1 classification and mapping correlators G.M. Coen, W.W. Pettapiece and J.A. Shields. C. Richter who compiled the generalized maps for the report; R. Swenson who drafted the generalized maps and other figures for the report. J. Beres, W.C. McKean and A. Schwarzer who conducted physical and chemical analyses on the samples collected. W.W. Pettapiece and J.A. Shields who provided the scientific review of the manuscript. J. Christiansen, C. Qualizza and D. Burgess who proofed the soi1 maps at various stages; B. Edwards and staff of the Information Systems and Cartography Unit, LRRC, Ottawa, who prepared base maps and the final soi1 maps for printing. Farmers, ranchers and other land owners throughout the survey area who allowed sur- veyors access to their land SO that the survey project could proceed to completion. In par- ticular, the C. Smyth family of Cowley is gratefully acknowledged for providing rental accommodation and other field support. iv ABSTRACT The Pincher Creek-Crowsnest Pass area, located in the southwestern corner of Alberta, in- cludes the Municipal District of Pincher Creek (No. 9) and the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass. Approximately 270 000 ha were mapped at a scale of 150 000 to show landscape relationships and the distribution of soils classified at the series level in the accepted Canadian taxonomy. The recognized soi1 series and equivalents, taxadjuncts and variants, were organized into 78 soi1 units, each representing a geographic grouping of soils. The soi1 units were sub- divided into 126 map units according to repeating topographie classes. Map units repre- sent segments of the landscape that cari be seen on the ground and delineated on a map. Thirteen miscellaneous units were added to bring total mapping units for the area to 139, excluding water bodies. The main part of this report briefly describes the location and extent, population and land use, physiography, climate, vegetation, and surficial geology of the survey area. Soi1 classification and mapping procedures are outlined, and the generalized distribution of soils is described in terms of physiographic subdivisions. Soi1 degradation, with emphasis on erosion, is also briefly described. Appendices provide more detailed technical and descriptive information. Soils are described at the most detailed level of classification, the series level, in Appendix A. The soil, map and miscellaneous units are described in some detail in Appendix B. Appendix C contains interpretive and land capability information for selected agricultural land uses, namely arable agriculture, irrigation and rangeland. A glossary of terms used throughout the report is provided in Appendix D. , TABLE OF CONTENTS Page . PREFACE ................................................................................................................................. 111 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................. iv ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................. ” TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................................. vii Appendis A Contents ................................................................................................... vii Appendis B Contents ................................................................................................... Vlll List of Tables .................................................................................................................. x List of Figures .................................................................................................................. x List of Plates .................................................................................................................. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA .................................................................................... 1 Location and Errent ................................................................................................... Population and Land Lse ................................................................................................... Physiography and Bedrock Geology .................................................................................... 3 Drainage Systems .................................................................................................................. 13 Climate .................................................................................................................. 14 Vegeta tion .................................................................................................................. 21 Surficial Geology ................................................................................................... 23 THE SOILS: A GENERALIZED DESCRIPTION ..................................................................... 29 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 29 Mapping Procedures ................................................................................................... 29 Soi1 Classification ................................................................................................... 31 A Generalized Soils Map ................................................................................................... 3.5 Soi1 Degradation ................................................................................................... 48 Soi1 Interpretations ................................................................................................... 53 REFERENCES .................................................................................................. SS APPENDIX A: SOIL SERIES, TAXADJUNCT AND VARIANT DESCRIPTIONS ........................ 59 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 59 Methods .................................................................................................................. 59 The Soils .................................................................................................................. 60 APPENDIX B: SOIL, MAP AND MISCELLANEOUS UNIT DESCRIPTIONS ........................ 9s Introduction .................................................................................................................