Soi1 survey of the County tif Flagstaff, Alberta R.A. MacMillan and W.L. Nikiforuk A.T. Rodvang Alberta Soi1 Survey Report No. 51 Soi1 mapping by W.L. Nikiforuk, A.T. Rodvang, R.A. MacMillan, K.M. Riddell, L.D. Perrott, D.A. Gower Geological investigations by C.M. Mougeot, D.M. Borneuf Report compilation and digital map production by: J. Lutz, R.M. Krzanowski Covec Landscape in the County of Flagstaff. (photo:- R.A. MacMillan) RESEARCH BRANCH, AGRICULTURE CANADA TERRAIN SCIENCES DEPARTMENT, ALBERTA RESEARCH COUNCIL EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA 1988 ii Copies of this report are available from: Edmonton: Alberta Research Council Publications Sales 250 Karl Clark Road Edmonton, Alberta Canada Phone (403) 450-5111 Mailing address: Alberta Research Council Publications Sales PO Box 8330 Postal Staton F Edmonton, Alberta Canada T6H 5X2 or Agriculture Supervisor Faculty of Extension University of Alberta Edmonton, Alberta Canada T6G 2G4 Calgary: Alberta Research Council Publications Sales 3rd Floor 6815 - 8 Street NE Calgary, Alberta Canada T2E 7H7 Phone (403) 297-2600 iii Contents Acknowledgments ..................................................................................................................................................... v Summary ................................................................................................................................................................... vi Part 1 - General description of the area Introduction.. ........................................................................................................................................................... 1 Location and extent ................................................................................................................................................ 2 Climate .................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Vegetation ............................................................................................................................................................... 5 Physiography, relief and drainage ......................................................................................................................... 6 Bedrock geology.. ................................................................................................................................................... 8 Depth to bedrock .................................................................................................................................................... 9 Surficial geology and materials ............................................................................................................................ 10 Hydrology ............................................................................................................................................................. 13 Hydrogeology ....................................................................................................................................................... 13 Part 2 - The soils Soil formation ....................................................................................................................................................... 20 Soil classification .................................................................................................................................................. 20 Chernozemic order ........................................................................................................................................... 20 Solonetzic order ................................................................................................................................................ 20 Regosolic order ................................................................................................................................................. 20 Gleysolic order .................................................................................................................................................. 20 Organic order.. .................................................................................................................................................. 20 Luvisolic order ................................................................................................................................................... 21 General soi1 distribution ....................................................................................................................................... 21 Map symbols and legend ..................................................................................................................................... 22 Mapping procedures ............................................................................................................................................. 23 Soil and map unit descriptions ............................................................................................................................. 23 Land systems and land units ............................................................................................................................... 23 Land system 1 ..................................................................................................................... .._.......................... 23 Land system 2 .................................................................................................................................................. 26 Land system 3 .................................................................................................................................................. 27 Land system 4 .................................................................................................................................................. 29 Land system 5 .................................................................................................................................................. 30 Land system 6 .................................................................................................................................................. 32 Land system 7 .................................................................................................................................................. 33 Land system 8 .................................................................................................................................................. 34 Part 3 - Interpretations for specific uses Capability for dryland (arable) agriculture ........................................................................................................... .36 Suitability of soils for deep plowing ..................................................................................................................... .36 Degradation of soils by water erosion ................................................................................................................. .37 References ..................................................................................................................... .._....................................... 40 Appendix A. Soil series descriptions and selected analytical data. ........................................................................ 41 Appendix B. Soil map unit descriptions.. ................................................................................................................. .48 Appendix C. Glossary of terms ................................................................................................................................ 82 Tables Table 1. Precipitation and temperature data for selected stations within or near the County of Flagstaff.. ....... 2 Table 2. Climatic data required for calculation of land capability classification for arable agriculture in Alberta ........................................................................................................................... 4 Table 3. Physiographic subdivisions in the County of Flagstaff.. ......................................................................... 7 Table 4. Extent of generalized surficial deposits in the County of Flagstaff.. .................................................... 12 iv Table 5. Statistics for the major streams and rivers in the County of Flagstaff. ............................................... 13 Table 6. Statistics for permanent standing water bodies in the County of Flagstaff.. ....................................... 14 Table 7. Extent of selected groupings of soils in the County of Flagstaff. ........................................................ 21 Table 8. Extent of soil units mapped in the County of Flagstaff. ....................................................................... 25 Table 9. Capability ratings for dryland (arable) agriculture for the County of Flagstaff. ................................... 37 Table 10. Deep plow ratings for the County of Flagstaff.. .................................................................................... 37 Table 11. Predicted soil erodibility for individual map units in the County of Flagstaff ....................................... 39 Figures Figure 1. Location map for soil surveys in Alberta. ............................................................................................... 1 Figure 2. Key map of Alberta with Flagstaff projected. ........................................................................................