The following is a map unit description from the "Soil Survey of Norfolk and Suffolk Counties, Massachusetts (Peragallo, 1989)"
CuC-Charlton-Hollis-Urban land complex, 3 to 15 percent slopes. This map unit consists of undulating and rolling soils and areas of Urban land on uplands. The Charlton soil is very deep and well drained. The Hollis soil is shallow and somewhat excessively drained. Individual areas of the soils in this map unit are irregular in shape and range from 10 to 300 acres in size. In a typical area it is 40 percent Charlton soil, 20 percent Hollis soil, 20 percent Urban land, and 20 percent other soils and areas of rock outcrops. The Charlton and Hollis soils and areas of Urban land are in such an intricate pattern on the landscape that it was not practical to separate them at the scale used for mapping.
Typically, the surface layer of the Charlton soil is black fine sandy loam about 1 inch thick. The subsurface layer is dark brown fine sandy loam about 5 inches thick. The subsoil is yellowish brown fine sandy loam about 30 inches thick. The substratum is light brownish gray sandy loam to a depth of 60 inches or more.
Typically, the surface layer of the Hollis soil is black fine sandy loam about 3 inches thick. The subsoil is dark yellowish brown fine sandy loam about 11 inches thick. Bedrock is at a depth of 14 inches.
Urban land consists of areas where the original soil surface has been covered by impervious surfaces, such as asphalt, concrete, and buildings. In most areas the underlying soil has been cut away or covered by fill from surrounding areas of Charlton soil.
Included with this complex in mapping are small areas of Canton and Montauk soils in convex positions and Scituate soils in low, wet areas. Also included are areas of Udorthents, loamy, where the original soil has been removed, replaced, or covered with more than 20 inches of loamy fill material. Rock outcrops cover less than 10 percent of the surface. Included areas make up 20 percent of the complex.
Permeability: Moderate or moderately rapid throughout in both Charlton and Hollis soils.
Available water capacity.- Charlton-moderate; Hollis-low.
Soil reaction: Very strongly acid to moderately acid in both Charlton and Hollis soils.
Depth to bedrock: Charlton soil-more than 60inches; Hollis soil-10 to 20 inches.
Depth to the seasonal high water table: More than 6 feet in both Charlton and Hollis soils.
Hydrologic group: Charlton soil-B; Hollis soil-C/D.
Most mapped areas of this complex are in residential or commercial use.
The Charlton soil is well suited to use as sites for dwellings with basements and small commercial buildings. In areas of the Hollis soil filling or blasting is needed for installation of deep foundations. The Hollis soil is generally not suitable for use as sites for septic tank absorption fields because of shallow depth to bedrock, Adjacent areas of the Charlton soil are well suited to use as sites for septic tank absorption fields.
The Charlton and Hollis soils have not been assigned to a capability subclass.
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