Soils of the - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

SHALISH (Continued)
(SH)
General Land Use Comments : (1) Excessive stoniness and low water holding capacity generally mak e
Shalish soils unsuited for arable agriculture . (2) Urban and related uses are moderately to poorly suited fo r
Shalish soils. The stony and bouldery nature of the soil make basements, septic tank disposal fields and othe r
excavations difficult to construct . Effluent filtration may be incomplete because of coarse textures and ma y
either contaminate groundwater or other areas downslope . Stream channel shifting or diversion is a significant
hazard in some areas . Shalish soils provide potential sources of fill and aggregate ; screening is likely to be
required, however. (3) Forest growth is good in spite of the coarse soil textures and low water holding capacity .
Telluric subsoil seepage seems to provide enough moisture during most of the growing season . Data from a
limited number of plots indicates western hemlock and Douglas-fir produce about 9 to 15 m3/ha of wood/yr. The
higher rates of growth are associated with areas receiving the greatest amounts of seepage .
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