Soils of the - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

EASTCAP SOILS (EP)
Location and Extent : Eastcap soils occur only in the larger valleys in the mountainous, northern part of th e
map area . There are about 230 ha of pure map units and 130 ha of soil complexes dominated by Eastcap soils .
The complexes are with Sardis and Seymour soils .
Topography and Elevation : Gently undulating to undulating with slopes less than 5 percent is the usua l
topography. Elevations range between 150 and 300 m above sea level .
Parent Material and Texture : The parent material of Eastcap soils is coarse and some moderately coars e
textured, variably stony, alluvial deposits of rivers and larger streams in the mountains . These occur a s
floodplains, islands and low terraces in the valley bottoms . Surface textures vary from gravelly sand to loamy
sand while subsurface and subsoil textures range from stony gravel to gravelly sand .
Soil Moisture Characteristics : Eastcap soils are mostly imperfectly drained with some slightly depressio -
nal areas varying to poorly drained . They are rapidly pervious and have low water holding capacity and slo w
surface runoff. Groundwater tables generally fluctuate with the water levels in the adjacent rivers and streams .
Flooding is common during periods of high water .
General Soil Description : Eastcap soils generally have less than 15 cm of variably decomposed, mainl y
deciduous organic forest litter on the mineral soil surface . This overlies about 20 cm of grayish-brown, weakl y
structured, sandy or gravelly material that is often weakly stratified and contains variable amounts of reddish o r
brownish mottles, stones and cobbles . This zone then grades to loose, gravelly and sandy material, often ver y
stony and containing reddish mottles . Soil reaction usually varies from very strongly acid in the upper part t o
medium or strongly acid in the subsoil . Soil classification is Gleyed Regosol.
Commonly Associated Soils : Sardis and Seymour soils often occur in close association with Eastca p
soils . Sardis soils differ from Eastcap soils by being somewhat better drained (moderately well) while Seymou r
soils differ by having well developed podzolic soil development and being less susceptible to flooding (due t o
somewhat higher landscape positions) .
Vegetation : The vegetation of Eastcap soils is mainly deciduous and includes cottonwood, alder and willo w
with some western red cedar and western hemlock also present . Rooting is restricted mainly to the upper 60 c m
by the coarse-textured, stony subsoil and periodic, high watertables .
General Land Use Comments : (1) Danger of periodic flooding and coarse, stony textures generall y
make Eastcap soils unsuitable for agriculture, except perhaps, for pasture . (2) Periodic flooding and hig h
groundwater tables also generally preclude Eastcap soils for urban and similar uses . (3) Growth of forest
species such as cottonwood is generally good (except in depressional locations where the drainage become s
poor) . Estimated yearly wood production by cottonwood is in excess of 15 m 3/halyr.
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