Soil Survey of Bristol County, Massachusetts

SOUTHERN PART

The following Map Unit Description is from the 1981 Soil Survey of Bristol County, Southern Part. Please note: map unit symbols are DIFFERENT for Bristol South and Bristol North reports, do NOT use these descriptions for Bristol North.

UaD-Udipsamments, hilly. This soil is steep, deep, and excessively drained. It is on sand dunes along the seashore (fig. 13). Areas of this unit are irregular in shape and range from 5 to 500 acres. Most are about 200 acres.

Generally, the surface layer is pale brown fine sandy loam about 7 inches thick. The substratum is light gray fine sand to a depth of 60 inches or more.

Included with this unit in mapping are beaches and areas of Pawcatuck and Ipswich soils. Also included are areas of sandy and moderately well drained, poorly drained, and very poorly drained soils in depressional and low-lying areas. This unit has a few areas that are devoid of vegetation and that are less than 2 acres each ' Included areas make up about 15 percent of the unit.

The permeability of Udipsamments is very rapid. Available water capacity is low. The soil is droughty.

The recently deposited areas of this soil have little or no vegetation. The older deposits are covered mostly by pitch pine, beach grass, bull briers, scrub oak, and beach plum.

The droughtiness, low fertility, and steep slopes of this soil make it poorly suited to farming or trees.

Slope and the rapid permeability of this soil are the main limitations for community development. The slope limits the soil as a building site and as a site for septic tank absorption fields or sanitary landfills. The permeability causes a hazard of ground-water pollution in areas used for landfills or septic tanks.

Capability subclass: VIIIs.

Ud-Udorthents, smoothed. This unit consists of mainly nearly level areas formed by excavating or filling for construction projects. Areas of this unit are irregular in shape and range from 5 to 200 acres. Most are about 50 acres.

Included with this unit in mapping are small urbanized areas and small areas of undisturbed soils. These areas make up about 15 percent of the unit.

Most of the areas of Udorthents are in athletic fields and near interstate highways. Some areas are in housing developments where the soils have been so disturbed that their identification is not possible. Some areas were gravel pits that have been smoothed, had topsoil added, and have been seeded for hay.

The characteristics of the areas of this unit are so variable that onsite investigation is needed to determine the suitability of the areas for any use.

Capability subclass: not assigned.

Ur-Urban land. This unit consists of areas covered by structures. Some examples are industrial areas, shopping centers, and parking lots and roads. The areas are irregular in shape. They range from 5 to 5,000 acres, but most are about 100 acres.

Included with this unit in mapping are small areas of Udorthents, smoothed, and small areas of undisturbed soils. Included areas make up about 15 percent of the unit.

Use of this unit requires onsite investigation and evaluation.

Capability subclass: not assigned.

More info on Udi/Udorthent/Urban Soils

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