EmC-Eastchop-Montauk complex, rolling. This unit consists of undulating and rolling, very deep soils on the side slopes and crests of hills on the Elizabeth Islands. Slopes range from 3 to 15 percent. The areas are irregular in shape and generally range from 10 to 50 acres. They make up less than 1 percent of the survey area. The unit is about 70 percent Eastchop soils, 15 percent Montauk soils, and 15 percent other soils. The soils are in areas so intermingled or so small that it was not practical to map them separately.

Typically, the surface layer of the Eastchop soils is dark grayish brown loamy sand about 7 inches thick. The subsoil is yellowish brown loamy sand about 27 inches thick. The substratum is brownish yellow and light yellowish brown sand to a depth of 60 inches or more.

Typically, the surface layer of the Montauk soils is very dark gray sandy loam about 7 inches thick. The subsoil is dark brown and yellowish brown sandy loam 17 inches thick. The substratum extends to a depth of 60 inches or more. It is light olive brown, friable sandy loam in the upper part and olive, firm gravelly sandy loam in the lower part.

Included with these soils in mapping are small areas of Canton and Nantucket soils. Also included are areas of soils with slopes of a to 3 percent or 15 to 30 percent. Some areas have stones and boulders on the surface, and some areas are as much as 15 percent Plymouth soils.

The permeability in the subsoil and substratum of these Eastchop soils is rapid or very rapid. Available water capacity is low, and the depth to the seasonal high water table is more than 6 feet.

The permeability of these Montauk soils is moderate to moderately rapid in the surface layer and subsoil and slow to moderately slow in the substratum. Available water capacity is moderate, and the depth to the seasonal high water table is more than 6 feet.

Most areas of this unit are in pasture and patches of shrubby vegetation.

The low available water capacity of the Eastchop soils, slope, and a hazard of erosion make this unit poorly suited to cultivated crops and hay and pasture. Conservation tillage and mixing manure into the surface layer help to retain the available moisture, reduce erosion, maintain tilth, and increase organic matter content. The use of proper stocking rates and deferred and rotational grazing help to maintain desirable pasture plant species.

This unit is fairly well suited to woodland productivity. Droughtiness in the Eastchop soils causes a high rate of seedling mortality. Minimizing soil disturbance to retain the mulch of leaves will help to retain the limited soil moisture. Strong winds and salt spray severely hinder the growth of trees that are common in areas near the shoreline. The common trees on this unit are eastern white pine and white oak; pitch pine and scrub oak are common in areas of the Eastchop soils.

Slope is a limitation of the unit as a building site in areas where the slope is more than 8 percent. Land grading is generally needed in such areas. Establishing a plant cover as soon as possible helps to control erosion at construction sites. The unit is limited as a site for septic tank absorption fields because some areas of the Eastchop soils do not adequately filter the effluent, causing a hazard of ground-water pollution, and the Montauk soil does not readily accept effluent, causing a hazard of seepage.

This unit is in capability subclass IVs.

EnC-Eastchop-Montauk complex, rolling, very bouldery. This unit consists of undulating and rolling, very deep soils on the side slopes and crests of uplands on the Elizabeth Islands. Stones and boulders cover 1 to 3 percent of the surface area. Slopes range from 3 to 15 percent. The areas are irregular in shape and generally range from 20 to 600 acres. They make up about 3 percent of the survey area. The unit is about 70 percent Eastchop soils, 15 percent Montauk soils, and 15 percent other soils. The soils are in areas so intermingled or so small that it was not practical to map them separately.

Typically, the Eastchop soils are covered by a 3-inch layer of undecomposed and decomposed leaves and twigs. The surface layer is very dark brown loamy sand about 5 inches thick. The subsoil is dark brown and yellowish brown loamy sand about 29 inches thick. The substratum is brownish yellow and light yellowish brown sand to a depth of 60 inches or more.

Typically, the surface layer of the Montauk soils is very dark gray sandy loam about 7 inches thick. The subsoil is dark brown and yellowish brown sandy loam 17 inches thick. The substratum extends to a depth of 60 inches or more. It is light olive brown, friable sandy loam in the upper part and olive, firm gravelly sandy loam in the lower part.

Included with these soils in mapping are small areas of Canton and Nantucket soils. Also included are areas of soils with slopes of 0 to 3 percent or 15 to 30 percent. Some areas are as much as 15 percent Plymouth soils.

The permeability of the subsoil and substratum of these Eastchop soils is rapid or very rapid. Available water capacity is low, and the depth to the seasonal high water table is more than 6 feet.

The permeability of these Montauk soils is moderate to moderately rapid in the surface layer and subsoil and slow to moderately slow in the substratum. Available water capacity is moderate, and the depth to the seasonal high water table is more than 6 feet.

Many areas are in native pasture. There are patches of shrubby vegetation. Some areas are in woodland.

The stones and boulders on the surface, slope, and limited available water capacity make this unit generally unsuitable for cropland (fig. 9). The soils are poorly suited to pasture, and the stones and boulders limit the use of equipment, making the soils generally unsuited to hay. Using proper stocking rates and restricted and rotational grazing help to maintain pasture plant densities and reduce surface compaction.

This unit is fairly well suited to woodland productivity. Droughtiness in the Eastchop soils causes a high rate of seedling mortality. Minimizing soil disturbance to retain the mulch of leaves will help to retain the limited soil moisture. Strong winds and salt spray severely hinder tree growth in areas of this unit near the shoreline. The common trees on this unit are eastern white pine and white oak; pitch pine and scrub oak are common in areas of the Eastchop soils.

Slopes of more than 8 percent limit the use of the soils as building sites. Land grading is generally needed in such areas. Establishing a plant cover as soon as possible helps to control erosion at construction sites. The unit is limited as a site for septic tank absorption fields because some areas of the Eastchop soils do not adequately filter the effluent, causing a hazard of ground- water pollution, and the Montauk soil does not readily accept effluent, causing a hazard of seepage. The stones and boulders on the surface limit excavation in some areas.

This map unit is in capability subclass VIs.

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