The following is a map unit description from the "Soil Survey of Norfolk and Suffolk Counties, Massachusetts (Peragallo, 1989)"

WuC-Woodbridge-Urban land complex, 3 to 15 percent slopes. This map unit consists of the Woodbridge soil and areas of Urban land on uplands. The Woodbridge soil is gently sloping and strongly sloping, very deep, and moderately well drained. In a typical area it is about 45 percent Woodbridge soil, 40 percent Urban land, and 15 percent other soils. The Woodbridge soil and Urban land are in such an intricate pattern that it was not practical to separate them at the scale selected for mapping. Areas of the map unit are rectangular or irregular in shape and range from 10 to 500 acres.

Typically, the surface layer of the Woodbridge soil is very dark gray fine sandy loam about 8 inches thick. The subsoil is mottled very fine sandy loam about 18 inches thick. It is light olive brown very fine sandy loam in the upper part and light yellowish brown very fine sandy loam in the lower part. The substratum is very firm, mottled, grayish brown loam to a depth of 60 inches or more.

Urban land consists of areas where the original soil has been covered with impervious surfaces, such as asphalt, concrete, and buildings. In most areas the underlying soil has been cut away or covered by fill from adjacent areas.

Included with this unit in mapping are small areas of Paxton soils on convex slopes and small areas of Ridgebury soils in depressions and in low, wet areas. Also included are areas where the substratum is sandier and areas where stones cover 1 to 15 percent of the surface. Included areas make up about 15 percent of the map unit.

Soil properties of the Woodbridge soil:

Permeability: Moderate in the surface layer and the subsoil and slow or very slow in the substratum. Available water capacity: Moderate.

Soil reaction: Very strongly acid to moderately acid throughout.

Depth to bedrock: More than 60 inches.

Depth to the seasonal high water table: 1.5 to 2.5 feet.

Hydrologic group: C.

The mapped areas of this complex are in residential and commercial uses.

Constructing buildings without basements, above the seasonal high water table, helps to protect the interior from damage by the seasonal high water table. Tile drains around foundations and the use of sump pumps help to lower the seasonal high water table. Landscaping designed to drain surface water away from buildings also helps to protect the interior from damage by the seasonal high water table. Constructing roads on well compacted, coarse textured base material helps to protect the pavement from damage by potential frost action.

The seasonal high water table and slow or very slow permeability are the main limitations to use of the Woodbridge soil as sites for septic tank absorption fields. Placing distribution lines in a mound of more suitable fill material helps to overcome these limitations.

The Woodbridge soil is fairly suited to landscaping and to use as lawns and vegetable gardens. The seasonal high water table limits the use of machinery to periods when the soil is not saturated.

This Woodbridge soil has not been assigned to a capability subclass.

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