Soils of the - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

- MATSQUI SOILS
Location and Extent : Matsebi sois occupy scattered locations on the Fraser River floodplain, mostly i n
Matsqui Valley and on Nicorner Island . About 250 ha of pure map units and 1330 ha of soil complexe s
dominated by Matsqui soils are classified . The complexes are generally with Monroe, Fairfield . Grevell ,
Dewdney and Page soil s
Topography and Elevation : The topography of Matsqui soils is mostly undulating to gently rolling wit h
some variation to gently undulating or moderately rolling . Slopes range from 1 to 10 percent . The soils usuall y
occur on the higher parts of the associated landscape and elevations range between 4 and 15 m above se a
level .
Plate 33 Southward view over Nicome n
Island towards Sumas Mountain. The undulating
lowland is typical of the silty Frase r
River floodplain . Well drained Monroe o r
Matsqui soils are usual on the upper part o f
the undulations, imperfectly drained Fair -
field or Dewdney soils are general on the
slopes while poorly drained Page soils occupy
the deeper smiles.
Parent Material and Texture : The parent material of Matsqui soils is shallow (15 to 50 cm thick), stone-free ,
- medium-textured, laterally accreted Fraser River floodplain deposits that overlie sand . Surface and subsurfac e
- textures are mostly silt loam with some variation to fine sandy loam or loam while the subsoils are medium or fin e
sand, sometimes containing thin, finer textured lenses
Soil Moisture Characteristics : Matsqui soils are well to rr s .a .;ru :eiy well drained . They are moderately to
rapidly pervious and have moderate water holding capacity ana slow to moderate surface runoff . Areas outsi d e
the dykes may flood during the freshet season . depending on the height to which the Fraser River ris s
- Temporary groundwater tables often develop in the lower subsoil during periods when the river is high or afte r
- heavy, prolonged rai d
. General Soil Description : Matsqui sods have a grayish-brown to dark grayish brown, friable . silty,
cultivated surface about 20 cm thick, This is underlain by about 10 cm of brown or pale brown, weakly platy ,
friable, partially leached, silty material . Under this, in turn, is about 10 cm of brown to dark brown, friable ,
moderately blocky, silty material which is slightly enriched with eluviated clay and contains moderate amount s
of clay flows and clay skins . This is underlain, usually abruptly, by grayish-brown to yellowish-brown, loose ,
single-grained sand containing thin, finer textured bands . Few to common, dark reddish brown to yellowish-re- 1
mottles sometimes occur below about 75 cm depth . Casts and other evidence of earthworm activity are ofi i
present in the upper soil . Soil reaction varies from strongly or medium acid in the _caper part to menl _ -
slightly acid in the subsoil . Soil classification is Eluviated Eutric Brunisol.
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