Soil Map Unit Description from the Soil Survey of Rhode Island

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Sb—Scarboro mucky sandy loam.

This nearly level, very poorly drained soil is in depressions and drainageways of terraces and outwash plains. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent but are dominantly less than 1 percent. Areas are irregular in shape and range mostly from 2 to 50 acres.

Typically the surface layer is very dark grayish brown mucky sandy loam about 6 inches thick. The substratum extends to a depth of 60 inches or more. The upper part is gray, mottled loamy sand. The lower part is light brownish gray, mottled coarse sand.

Included with this soil in mapping are small areas of moderately well drained Sudbury and Ninigret soils and poorly drained Raypol and Walpole soils. Included areas make up about 10 percent of this map unit.

The permeability of this soil is moderately rapid in the surface layer and rapid or very rapid in the substratum. Available water capacity is moderate, and runoff is slow. This soil has a seasonal high water table at or near the surface from late fall through midsummer. A few small areas are subject to flooding. The soil is very strongly acid through medium acid.

The seasonal high water table makes this soil unsuitable for community development or cultivated crops.

The soil is poorly suited to trees, but most areas are in woodland or water-tolerant shrubs. The major limitation for woodland is wetness. Tree windthrow is common, and the use of equipment is difficult in wet seasons.

This soil is poorly suited to woodland wildlife habitat and is not suited to openland wildlife habitat. The soil, however, is suited to wetland wildlife habitat. Capability subclass Vw; woodland group 5w.

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