The following map unit description is from the published "Soil Survey of Nantucket County, Massachusetts"
Soil Survey of
Nantucket County Massachusetts
The following map unit description is from the
published "Soil Survey of Nantucket County, Massachusetts"
Be-Berryland Variant loamy sand. This nearly level, very poorly drained soil is along the borders of swamps; in the bottoms of closed depressions near the coast at levels just above the high tide mark; and in depressions, drainageways, and broad, low areas. The areas are long and narrow in the drainageways and irregularly shaped elsewhere. They range from 3 to 50 acres. Slopes are smooth and mainly range from 200 to 1,000 feet long.
Typically, the surface layer is black loamy sand about 8 inches thick. The subsurface layer is gray sand about 12 inches thick. The subsoil is about 22 inches thick. The upper 5 inches of the subsoil is black and dark reddish brown, firm loamy sand; the lower 17 inches is dark yellowish brown and yellowish red, loose, mottled very gravelly sand. The substratum is brown very gravelly sand to a depth of 60 inches or more.
Included with this soil in mapping are a few small areas of Medisaprists and Pompton soils. Also included are a few areas of soils where the subsoil and substratum are clay, soils that are steeper than this Berryland soil, and soils that have a surface layer of black muck. Included soils make up about 15 percent of this unit.
The permeability of this soil is mainly moderately rapid, but a 2-inch layer at a depth of about 20 inches is very slowly permeable. Available water capacity is low. The soil has a seasonal high water table within a depth of 2 feet in winter and spring. The seasonal high water table impedes root growth in spring.
Most areas of this soil are covered with woody plants. The soil is suitable for wetland wildlife habitat but is poorly suited to most other nonfarm uses.
Wetness makes this soil poorly suited to crops, hay, or pasture. Surface drainage, diversions, tile drainage, or a combination of these helps to remove water. Undrained areas provide a limited amount of pasture in late summer. The main management concern for pasture is the prevention of overgrazing, which causes surface compaction and reduces the hardiness and density of plants.
Berryland Variant soils are limited for use as sites for buildings or septic tank absorption fields or for roads and streets by the seasonal high water table and a thin cemented layer at a depth of about 20 inches. Areas used for dwellings need to be drained, but the cemented pan makes the installation of drainage systems difficult and most areas do not have suitable outlets.
Capability subclass Vw.
More information on Berryland Soils
