Groundwater Discharge From Glacial and Bedrock Aquifers as a Soil Salinization Factor in Saskatchewan

The stratigraphy and hydrology of saline soils were investigated at 15 sites in Saskatchewan, Canada. At five sites (Series A) nests of piezometers were installed and at 10 sites (Series B) a single piezometer was installed in or near an aquifer. Piezometric surface data from the nests showed the potential for upward movement in all Series A sites. The electrical conductivity (EC) of water from Series A piezometers increased from the deepest to shallowest and there was a general increase in soil EC towards the soil surface. Hydraulic conductivity of strata was measured at three sites and varied from 1.6 × 10 −7 to 3.2 × 10 −4 cm∙sec −1 . It was calculated that observed salt loads for the three sites could accumulate by upward movement from the aquifer in from 500 to 5300 yr. For Series B sites the approximate sodium percentage (ASP) of the soil (Y) was related to the ASP of the aquifer (X) by the equation:[Formula: see text]For Series A and Series B sites combined the EC (dS∙m −1 ) of the 1:1 suspension of the stratum immediately above the aquifer (Y) was related to the EC of the aquifer (X) by the equation:[Formula: see text]