Soils of the - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

SEAVIEW SOILS (SV)
Location and Extent : Seaview soils occur only along the western margin of Boundary Bay where 100 ha o f
pure map units are mapped .
Topography and Elevation : Topographically, Seaview soils vary from nearly level to gently undulating wit h
slopes of less than 2 percent . All areas lie less than 2 m above sea level .
Parent Material and Texture : Seaview soils have developed from medium-textured deltaic deposit s
underlain by sand or gravelly sand at depths of 50 cm or more . Surface and subsurface textures are silt loam ;
the subsoil is sand or gravelly sand, sometimes containing thin, silty lenses and fragments of sea shells .
Strongly saline conditions are usual below depths of about 20 cm and substantial amounts of compounds hig h
in sulphur are present also .
Soil Moisture Relationships : Drainage of Seaview soils is poor to very poor . They are moderately to rapidl y
pervious and have high water holding capacity and slow surface runoff . The watertable is at or near the surfac e
for most of the winter but recedes slightly over the summer. Seepage and runoff from adjacent soils accumul -
ates on Seaview soils and the coarse-textured subsoil permits seepage of salt water from the ocean .
General Soil Description : Seaview soils have a a dark grayish brown, moderately structured, friable, silt y
surface layer about 15 cm thick which contains 15 to 25 percent organic matter and, sometimes, common, fin e
to distinct, reddish mottles . This surface layer grades to about 50 cm of dark gray to olive-gray, verticall y
cracked (when dry), firm, silty material containing common, prominent, reddish-brown to yellowish-red mottle s
and dark reddish brown organic coatings on the walls of cracks . This zone'is moderately to strongly saline .
Underlying is strongly saline, dark brown to dark gray sand or loamy sand, usually loose but sometime s
containing cemented pockets or thin lenses of silty material and fragments of sea shells . Soil reaction varie s
from extremely acid in the upper 70 cm to slightly acid in the underlying sand . Soil classification is Rego
Gleysol :saline phase .
Commonly Associated Soils : Tsawwassen soils commonly occur in close association with Seaview soils .
They usually lie topographically higher than Seasview soils and consist of well drained, sandy, raised beac h
deposits .
Vegetation : The natural vegetation on Seaview soils is mainly salt tolerant grasses, shrubs and forbs .
General Land Use Comments : (1) Seaview soils are mostly used for permanent pasture which consists of
salt tolerant grasses . Artificial drainage (and dyking) is required to control the watertable and irrigation i s
needed to wash the excess salts from the soil . (2) Seaview soils are poorly suited for urban or simila r
development . High watertables preclude basements and severely restrict septic tank effluent disposal .
Strongly saline soil conditions are likely to cause severe corrosion of unprotected underground utility and othe r
installations .
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