.... there are Great Groups of soils with differences of vast importance, not only to the farmer and the forester, but to every one of us.

C.E. Kellogg
The soils that support us
The Macmillan Company
1941

Sample Soil Profile

Ap horizon, Dark brown
Gravelly, sandy loam

B1 horizon, Brownish yellow Sandy loam

B2 horizon, Yellowish brown Sandy silt

C horizon
Silty, sandy

Rock

0-6"

6-11"

11-18"

18-26"

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Copyright 2004
All rights reserved

No part of this document may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without written agreement of the Company.

The soils of New England were formed over time from a combination of glacial deposits, native rock, vegetation and climate. From rugged glacial till soils to outwash plains, Rhode Island has a diversity of soils with vastly different properties. Knowledge of soil properties allows us to use the land for its "best suited" purposes. Not understanding this can lead to frustration and loss of time and money.

Local, state and federal regulations can request soil investigations for many types of proposed developments. For example, the Town of Narragansett, Rhode Island has a municipal Soil Overlay District, where they determine development strategies based on the types of soils underlying the site as well as other site characteristics such as topography.

In this section, UDM characterizes the top 12-36" of your soil because the soils at this depth are intricately related to the types of vegetation and wildlife present. The soil investigations include identifying soil properties and characteristics such as hydric soils (those soils that are saturated with water). If you are seeking deeper investigations of your soils for test pits, percolation tests etc., please refer to UDM's Surveying Services.

The soil and water information provided is related to the types of vegetation and wildlife present. A soil profile will be developed to describe the characteristics of the soil within 24-36" of the surface (see example below). In the profile, the texture (sand, silt and clay), color (Munsell Soil Color Chart) and depth to seasonal high water table (as well as actual water table depth, if present) will be recorded. The depth and type of organic material overlying the soils will be described because they are important to soil fertility, aeration and soil microbial populations.