WATER AND SALT MOVEMENT IN A SALINE-SODIC SOIL IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA

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Abstract
The internal drainage of a saline-sodic soil having till at 51 cm from the surface was studied in the field and laboratory. Average water intake (infiltration) for the profile was 3.76 cm/day. The Btj could be a limiting factor for vertical flow. The horizontal hydraulic conductivity indicated that lateral flow of water in the C horizon (36 cm/day) and surface of the till (22 cm/day) could be as much as five times greater than that of the Ah (5 cm/day) and Btj (8 cm/day) horizons. Salts were leached from the profile by the 22 cm of water that had been applied. It was concluded that the internal drainage of the soil was sufficient to accommodate infiltrated water under normal conditions, and that the buildup of a water table and salinization of the soil were probably due to lateral flow of water from canal seepage and irrigation mismanagement.

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