Soils of the - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

EMBREE SOILS : (EM)
Location and Extent : Embree soils occur only in the southeastern part of Delta Municipality and in th e
Serpentine-Nicomekl Valley of Surrey Municipality . There are about 170 ha of pure map units and 390 ha of soi l
complexes dominated by Embree soils . The complexes are mainly with Blundell, Sandel, Kitter and Goud y
soils .
Topography and Elevation : Topographically, Embree soils vary from nearly level to undulating and are
often slightly depressional in relation to adjacent soils . Slope gradients are less than 5 percent and elevations li e
between 1 and 3 m above sea level .
Parent Material and Texture : Embree soils have developed from medium-textured, mixed marine and fresh
water deltaic deposits . One or more organic layers, totalling between 10 and 50 cm in thickness, occur in th e
subsurface and subsoil . The organic layers, as well as the mineral material below them, are usually saline an d
contain compounds high in sulphur . Surface texture is mainly silt loam, occasionally varying to silty clay loam ;
subsurface and subsoil mineral soil layers have textures that are similar . The organic layers are well to
moderately well decomposed (humic) . Medium to fine sand may occur below depths of about 100 cm .
Soil Moisture Characteristics : Embree soils are poorly to very poorly drained . They are moderatel y
pervious and have high water holding capacity and slow surface runoff . The watertable is at or near the soi l
surface during most of the winter and surface ponding is common during this rainy period . Growing seaso n
watertables gradually recede, due in part to ditching and other artificial drainage .
General Soil Description : Embree soils have a black or very dark brown, friable, silty, cultivated surfac e
which is about 20 cm thick and generally contains between 10 and 20 percent organic matter . The surface laye r
is underlain by a grayish-brown, firm, moderately-cracked to massive, silty layer about 20 cm thick which, i n
turn, is underlain by about 20 cm of black to very dusky red, friable, well-decomposed organic material .
Underlying the organic material is at least 40 cm of massive, saline, olive-gray or greenish-gray, silty materia l
containing common, yellow to dark brown mottles and hard, brownish tubules around old root channels . Th e
sulphur content of this zone is high as well . Below 1 m or more, dark gray, loose, medium or fine sand usuall y
occurs . Soil reaction is extremely acid throughout . Soil classification is Rego Humic Gleysol:saline phase .
Commonly Associated Soils : Goudy, Kitter, Sandell and Deas soils usually are closely associated wit h
Embree soils . Goudy soils differ from Embree soils by being organic rather than mineral in texture at the surface .
Kitter, Sandell and Deas soils differ by not having the organic layer(s) in the subsurface and subsoil . Also, Kitte r
soils are non-saline in the upper metre or more .
Vegetation : Essentially all areas of Embree soils are cleared and cultivated for agricultural uses . Rooting i s
unrestricted to about 50 cm, then is severely impeded by high watertables and saline subsoil conditions .
General Land Use Comments : (1) The main restrictions to agricultural use of Embree soils are hig h
watertables . These can usually be artificially controlled . Deep rooted crops are sometimes adversely affected
by the saline subsoil . Irrigation would help to wash out these salts as well as maintain good growth during dr y
summers . Embree soils are frequently closely intermingled with other soils making them difficult to manage a s
individual units . (2) Generally low bearing strengths are likely to cause subsidence problems when heavy urba n
or other structures are built . High watertables generally preclude basements or other excavations and severel y
impede operation of septic tank effluent disposal fields . Highly saline subsoils containing substantial amounts
of sulphur are likely to cause severe corrosion of inadequately protected underground installations .
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