Salinity Distribution within the Municipal District of Willow Creek

 
 
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 The Municipal District has 1 070 saline seeps which occupy a total of 7 185 ha (17 754 ac). The visibly saline areas have such high salinity levels that annual crops cannot be grown and forage crops have significantly reduced yields. Often the lands surrounding the visibly saline areas are also weakly saline, resulting in reduced yields especially for salt-sensitive crops.


Salinity Type
Number
of Seeps
Area (ha)
Percent (%)
of Total Saline Area
Contact/slope change salinity
301
1 329.95
18.5
Outcrop salinity
96
366.27
5.1
Artesian salinity
16
54.38
0.8
Depression bottom
436
3 215.63
44.8
Coulee bottom salinity
57
1 560.11
21.7
Slough ring salinity
9
47.12
0.6
Irrigation canal seepage salinity
36
259.03
3.6
Natural/irrigation salinity
119
352.28
4.9
Total
1 070
7 184.77
100.00

Depression bottom salinity is the most common type (44.8% of the total saline area), followed by coulee bottom salinity (21.7%), contact/slope change salinity (18.5%), outcrop salinity (5.1%), natural/irrigation salinity (4.9%), irrigation canal seepage salinity (3.6%), artesian salinity (0.8%), and slough ring salinity (0.6%).

Total saline area by type

Please refer to Salinity Classification, Mapping and Management in Alberta for more information.

 
 
 
 
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For more information about the content of this document, contact Karen Raven.
This document is maintained by Laura Thygesen.
This information published to the web on February 12, 2004.
Last Reviewed/Revised on December 4, 2017.