Soil Management Handbook - Ministry of Agriculture and Lands

Skaha Soil Management Group
Soil Series: Acland Creek (AC), Agar Lake (AA),
Dartmouth (DH), Paradise (PE), Skaha (SK) and
Trout Creek (TC)
General Characteristics: These soils have
developed in moderately coarse to
medium-textured, gravel free overlays that vary
in depth from about 25 to 100 cm. The overlays
are underlain by gravelly, to very gravelly and
stony glaciofluvial deposits. The surface
stoniness varies from practically none (S0) to
slightly stony (S1). These soils are rapidly to well
drained. Arable topography varies from nearly
level (0.5%) to strong slopes (15%). Inclusions
of non-arable topography having steep (25%) to
very steep slopes (70%) and are usually
associated with steep terrace escarpment slopes
and kettle holes which sometimes occur within
the deposits.
Dominant Soil Limitations:
• Adverse topography occurs whenever slopes are
greater than 25%.
• Slopes greater than 9% are susceptible to erosion
by water.
• Variable surface stoniness may be a slight
hindrance to cultivation in some locations.
• The gravelly subsoils have a low water-holding
capacity.
• Coarse-textured soils have a high potential for
increased acidity after years of irrigation and
fertilizer additions.
• Organic matter content of surface layers is low.
Well Suited Crops: Where surface soils are stone
free and deeper than 50 cm over gravels, have
slopes that are less than 9% and soil surface
textures that are loam to loamy sand, all
climatically adapted crops can produce very good
yields.
Management Inputs:
Organic Matter Incorporation: Incorporation of
organic matter is required for moisture
conservation.
Suited Crops: Where surface soils are slightly stony
(S1), have depths that are 25 to 50 cm over
gravels, consist of slopes that range from 9 to
15% and contain textures that are loam to loamy
sand, suited crops are: alfalfa, annual vegetable
crops (except root crop vegetables), blueberries,
cereals, Christmas trees, forage crops - drier sites,
grapes, grasslands, raspberries, strawberries and
tree fruits (except sour cherries).Where slopes are
15 to 20%, Christmas trees, forage crops - drier
sites, grapes, tree fruits (except sour cherries).
Where slopes are 20 to 25%, Christmas trees,
grapes and tree fruits (except M9 and M26).
Where soils are