Soils of the - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

HENDERSON SOILS (H )
Location and Extent : Henderson soils occur only in the eastern part of the map area in the vicinity of
Greendale . There are about 190 ha of pure map units and 40 ha of Henderson-Arnold soil complex .
Topography and Elevation : The topography of Henderson soils varies from gently undulating to undulating
with slopes between 1 and 5 percent . The soils range from 5 to 8 m above sea level .
Parent Material and Texture : Moderately fine textured, stone-free, Fraser River floodplain deposits for m
the parent material of Henderson soils . Surface and subsurface textures are usually silty clay loam, varying
sometimes to silt loam while subsoil textures are mostly silty clay in the upper part and grade to silt loam an d
sometimes sand below 1 m .
Soil Moisture Characteristics : Henderson soils are mostly imperfectly drained with variation to moderately
poorly drained in some shallow depressions . They are moderately to slowly pervious and have high wate r
holding capacity and moderate to slow surface runoff . A fluctuating watertable is present which is usually hig h
during the winter, during the freshet period of the Fraser River and after heavy, prolonged rains .
General Soil Description : Henderson soils have a deep (50 to 80 cm thick), organic matter enriched, ver y
dark brown to dark grayish brown layer at the soil surface, the upper 20 cm of which is cultivated and friable t o
firm when moist . Underlying the cultivated layer is a zone about 30 cm thick which is firm when moist, hard whe n
dry and grades into a very firm to hard, clay enriched layer about 20 cm thick that has strong prismatic structure .
Underlying this is another clay enriched layer that is grayish-brown to gray, strongly prismatic, very firm an d
contains many strong brown to reddish-brown mottles . These latter two layers contain clay flows and skins o n
ped faces and in pores . Occuring below about 100 cm is massive, olive-gray, silt loam that grades, in som e
areas, to loose sand at depth . Soil reaction grades from strongly or medium acid in the upper part to slightly aci d
below 100 cm (1 :1 H 2 O) . Soil classification is Gleyed Gray Brown Luvisol . In a few areas where the clay enriche d
layers are less well developed, the classification is Gleyed Eluviated Melanic Brunisol.
Commonly Associated Soils : Blackburn, Arnold, Bates and Fadden soils often occur in close associatio n
with Henderson soils . All differ from Henderson soils by either not having the deep, organic matter enriched ,
dark coloured surface layer or have a layer which is much thinner . Blackburn and Arnold soils also lie at slightl y
lower landscape positions and are more poorly drained .
Vegetation : Henderson soils are essentially all cleared and cultivated . The few, small, remaining areas o f
native vegetation include black cottonwood, western red cedar, willow, various deciduous shrubs, sedges an d
grass . Rooting extends to at least 100 cm although it is somewhat restricted below 60 cm by the clay enriche d
layers .
General Land Use Comments : (1) Henderson soils are good agricultural soils presently used mainly fo r
hay and pasture . They are also well suited to most other crops (except those very sensitive to occasional hig h
watertables) . (2) Urban and similar construction may be potentially affected by the relatively low soil bearin g
strengths and water may occur in basements and other excavations during periods when watertables are high .
Septic tank effluent disposal is also restricted during these periods .
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