Soils of the - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Location and Extent : Abbotsford soils occur mostly in the vicinity of Abbotsford, Clearbrook, Mission, an d
liopington andin the Columbia Valley south of Cultus Lake . There are about 2120 ha of pure map units and 295 0
ha of soil complexes dominated by Abbotsford soils : the complexes are mainly with Marble Hill, Columba an d
Laxton soil s
Topography and Elevation : The topography is mostly very gently sloping to undulating with slopes up to 5
percent : lesser areas vary to strongly rolling with slopes to 25 percent . Elevations we dominantly between 20
end 100 m above sea level, but rise to 200 m in the Columbia Valley . I -
Plate 4 Landscape near the Abbotsford
Airport showing the typical topography o f
Abbotsford soils. Cole crops, raspberries
and strawberries are common crops o n
these soils .
rent Material and Texture : Abbotsford soils have generally developed from 20 to 50 cm of medium -
textured eollan deposits underlain by stratified gravelly glacial outwash . The surface and subsurface texture i s
mostly silt loam, varying sometimes to loam or fine sandy loam where the surface capping is thin . Th e
underlying gravel and gravelly sand is usually stony and contains lenses of coarse and medium sand . In some
y places, tree uprooting and land clearing has mixed some gravel and stones into the surface soil .
I' l
_, - - .
-foil Moisture Characteristics : Abbotsford soils are well to rapidly drained . They are rapidly to moderatel y
pervious and have slow surface runoff Water holding capacity is high in the upper, silty part . decreasing to low
- ~' in the gravelly subsoil_ There are slight drainage restrictions in a few, small areas due to weak cementation in th e
firer subsoil and a few. scattered areas are affected by seepage from higher . adiacent land . In some areas ,
such as in the vicinity of the Abbotsford Airport, a groundwater table Is present at depths below at least 2 m .
General Soil Description : In uncleared areas Abbotsford soils have 5 cm or less of organic forest litter o n
the soil surface . The surface mineral soil is a thin, discontinuous, whitish layer less than 3 cm thick . This leached
layer is underlain by a reddish-brown, silty. friable zone that becomes yellowish-brown or pale brown within 4 0
cm . Common to many . hard, spherical, reddish-brown concretions are usually present in the upper part . Below
depths of 20 to 50 cm, a usually rapid change to loose, stratified gravel or gravelly sand occurs . Cultivated
surfaces vary from 15 to 25 cm in depth and are dark reddish brown or dark brown in colour, Soil reaction varie s.
from very strongly to strongly acid throughout . Soil classification is Orthic Homo-Ferric Podzol.
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