Salinity Distribution in the County of Forty Mile

 
 
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 The County has 1 960 saline seeps which occupy a total of 9 093 ha (22 468 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
378
794.75
8.7
Outcrop salinity
28
11.76
0.1
Artesian salinity
30
102.97
1.1
Depression bottom
917
2 912.21
32.0
Coulee bottom salinity
153
3 261.71
35.9
Slough ring salinity
13
271.08
3.0
Irrigation canal seepage salinity
198
1 061.82
11.8
Natural/irrigation salinity
243
676.42
7.4
Total
1 960
9 092.72
100.00

Coulee bottom salinity is the most common type (35.9% of the total saline area), followed by depression bottom salinity (32.0%), contact/slope change salinity (8.7%), irrigation canal salinity (7.4%), natural/irrigation salinity (7.4%), slough ring salinity (3.0%), artesian salinity (1.1%), and outcrop salinity (0.1%).

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.