Soils of the - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

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Commonly Associated Soils : Scat, Nicholson, Albion, Bose and Sunshine soils are commonly associated
with Whatcom soils . Nicholson soils are similar to Whatcom soils except that the clay-enriched subsoil laye r
occurs between 20 and 50 cm of the surface rather than at depths below 50 cm . Scat and Albion soils differ from
Whatcom soils by being poorly drained and are either depressional or lie in slightly lower landscape positions .
Bose and Sunshine soils differ from Whatcom soils by being, respectively, gravelly and sandy in the surface an d
subsurface layers .
Vegetation : Substantial areas of Whatcom soils are cleared and utilized for a variety of agricultural uses ,
including pasture and hay, small fruits and vegetables, corn and bulb crops . Uncleared areas support second -
growth forest which includes red alder, coast Douglas-fir, western hemlock, western red cedar, vine and bigleaf
maple, and birch . The understory includes, among many others, thimbleberry, salmonberry, cascara, elderbe -
rry, trailing blackberry and bracken . Rooting is unrestricted to at least 50 cm and more commonly, 75 cm depth .
Below that, root penetration is severely impeded by the dense, compact subsoil .
General Land Use Comments : (1) Where adverse topography is not restricting, Whatcom soils are suite d
for most agricultural crops. Some susceptible perennials may be adversely affected during the winter by
temporary, perched watertables and telluric seepage . As with most soils in the map area, supplementa l
irrigation is beneficial during most summers . Other soils, especially Scat and Albion soils, are often closely
intermingled with Whatcom soils causing some difficulties in individually managing these soils . (2) Whatco m
soils are moderately to poorly suited for urban uses . The dense, compact subsoil severely impedes septic tan k
effluent disposal while variable soil bearing strengths may require special foundation requirements . Temporar y
perched watertables and seepage may cause problems for basements and other excavations . (3) Whatco m
soils potentially produce good forest growth . Limited data indicates wood production by Douglas-fir to b e
between 9 and 12 m z/ha/yr, constrained mainly by soil moisture deficiencies during some mid-to-late summers .
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