Soil Map Unit Description from the Soil Survey of Rhode Island

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RaA—Rainbow silt loam, 0 to 3 percent slopes.

This nearly level, moderately well drained soil is on crests and side slopes of drumlins and glacial till plains.

Areas are long and narrow and range mostly from 10 to 50 acres.

Typically the surface layer is very dark grayish brown silt loam about 5 inches thick. The subsoil is 18 inches thick. It is yellowish brown and light olive brown silt loam that is mottled in the lower part. The substratum is olive gray fine sandy loam to a depth of 60 inches or more. It is mottled between depths of 23 and 38 inches.

Included with this soil in mapping are small areas of well drained Broadbrook and Paxton soils and moderately well drained Wapping and Woodbridge soils. Also included are small areas of soils with slopes of more than 3 percent. Included areas make up about 10 percent of this map unit.

The permeability of this soil is moderate in the surface layer and subsoil and slow or very slow in the substratum. Available water capacity is moderate, and runoff is slow. This soil has a seasonal high water table at a depth of about 20 inches from late fall through midspring. The soil is very strongly acid through medium acid in the surface layer and subsoil and very strongly acid through slightly acid in the substratum.

This soil is suited to trees, but most areas are cleared and used for farming.

This soil is suitable for community development. The main limitations for this purpose are the slow permeability in the substratum and the seasonal high water table. Onsite sewage disposal systems need special design and installation. If suitable outlets are available, subsurface drains can be used to help prevent wet basements. Roads and streets need careful design to prevent frost heaving. Quickly establishing plant cover helps to control erosion during construction.

This soil is suited to farming. The soil dries out and warms up slowly in the spring, limiting early planting and machinery operation. Artificial drainage is needed. Cover crops and the return of crop residue to the soil help to maintain tilth and organic mailer content.

This soil is suited to woodland wildlife habitat and openland wildlife habitat. It is poorly suited to wetland wildlife habitat because it is too dry during the summer. Capability subclass IIw.; woodland group 3o.

Soil Map Unit Description from the Soil Survey of Rhode Island

Click here for more information about Rainbow Soils

RaB—Rainbow silt loam, 3 to 8 percent slopes.

This gently sloping, moderately well drained soil is on side slopes of glacial upland hills and drumlins. Areas are long and narrow and range mostly from 15 to 40 acres.

Typically the surface layer is dark grayish brown silt loam about 5 inches thick. The subsoil is 18 inches thick. It is yellowish brown and light olive brown silt loam that is mottled in the lower part. The substratum extends to a depth of 60 inches or more. It is olive gray fine sandy loam that is mottled in the upper part.

Included with this soil in mapping are small areas of well drained Broadbrook and Paxton soils and moderately well drained Wapping and Woodbridge soils. Also included are small areas of nearly level souls and soils with slopes of more than 8 percent. Included areas make up about 10 percent of this map unit.

The permeability of this soil is moderate in the surface layer and subsoil and slow to very slow in the substratum. Available water capacity is moderate, and runoff is medium. This soil has a seasonal high water table at a depth of about 20 inches from late fall through midspring. The soil is very strongly acid through medium acid in the surface layer and subsoil and very strongly acid through slightly acid in the substratum.

This soil is suitable for community development. The main limitations for this use are the slow to very slow permeability in the substratum and the seasonal high water table. Onsite sewage disposal systems need special design and installation. Subsurface drains can be used to help prevent wet basements, and roads and streets need careful design to prevent frost heaving. The use of straw bale sediment barriers, siltation basins, and temporary diversions and quickly establishing plant cover help to control erosion during construction.

This soil is suited to trees, but most areas are cleared and used for farming.

This soil is suited to farming. It dries out and warms up slowly in the spring, limiting early planting and machinery operation, and drainage is needed. The use of cover crops, diversions, and stripcropping and the return of crop residue to the soil help to maintain tilth and organic matter content.

This soil is suited to woodland wildlife habitat and openland wildlife habitat. It is poorly suited for wetland wildlife habitat because it is too dry in the summer. Capability subclass IIw; woodland group 3o.

Soil Map Unit Description from the Soil Survey of Rhode Island

Click here for more information about Rainbow Soils

RbB—Rainbow very stony silt loam, 0 to 8 percent slopes.

This nearly level to gently sloping, moderately well drained soil is on the crests and side slopes of glacial upland hills and drumlins. Stones and boulders cover 2 to 10 percent of the surface. Areas are irregular in shape and range mostly from 5 to 50 acres.

Typically the surface layer is dark grayish brown silt loam about 3 inches thick. The subsoil is 20 inches thick. It is yellowish brown and olive brown silt loam that is mottled in the lower part. The substratum extends to a depth of 60 inches or more. It is olive gray fine sandy loam that is mottled in the upper part.

Included with this soil in mapping are small areas of well drained Broadbrook and Paxton soils and moderately well drained Wapping and Woodbridge soils. Also included are small areas of soils that have slopes of more than 8 percent and soils that do not have stones or boulders on the surface. Included areas make up about 10 percent of this map unit.

The permeability of this soil is moderate in the surface layer and subsoil and slow or very slow in the substratum. Available water capacity is moderate, and runoff is slow to medium. This soil has a seasonal high watertable at a depth of about 20 inches from late fall midspring. The soil is very strongly acid through acid in the surface layer and subsoil and very acid through slightly acid in the substratum.

The soil is suited to trees, and most areas are in woodland. A small acreage is cleared and used for pasture.

This soil is suitable for community development. The main limitations for this use are the slow to very slow permeability in the substratum and the seasonal high water table. Onsite sewage disposal systems need special design and installation. Subsurface drains can be used to help prevent wet basements, and roads and streets need careful design to prevent frost heaving. The stones and boulders on the surface need to be removed for landscaping. The use of straw bale sediment barriers and quickly establishing plant cover help to control erosion during construction.

The stones and boulders on the surface make this soil unsuitable for cultivated crops and severely hinder the use of farming equipment. The hazard of erosion is slight to moderate.

This soil is suited to woodland wildlife habitat. It is poorly suited to openland wildlife habitat because of the stones on the surface and is poorly suited to wetland wildlife habitat because it is too dry in the summer. Capability subclass VIs; woodland group 3o.

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