LOCATION SUCCOTASH               RI

Established Series
MKP-JDT-DCP
05/2024

SUCCOTASH SERIES


The Succotash series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that are on back barriers of barrier islands and spits and in low-lying areas along the coastal zone. They are formed in sandy eolian and/or coastal overwash deposits of marine origin. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high or very high throughout. Slope ranges from 0 through 3 percent, mean annual air temperature is about 10 degrees C., and mean annual precipitation is about 1142 mm.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, mesic Aquic Udipsamments

TYPICAL PEDON: Succotash sand on a west facing, convex, linear backslope of 2 percent on a back barrier. (Colors are for moist soil).

Oe -- 0 to 3 cm; reddish black (2.5YR 2.5/1) moderately decomposed plant material; many very fine and fine roots throughout; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 4 cm thick)

A -- 3 to 9 cm; black (10YR 2/1) sand; weak fine granular structure; loose, nonsticky; many very fine and fine roots throughout; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 15 cm thick)

CA -- 9 to 15 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sand; single grain; loose, nonsticky; few very fine through coarse roots throughout; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 15 cm thick)

CB -- 15 to 32 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) sand; single grain; loose, nonsticky; few very fine through medium roots throughout; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 17 cm thick)

C1 -- 32 to 49 cm; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) sand; single grain; loose, nonsticky; few very fine through medium roots throughout; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); gradual wavy boundary.

C2 -- 49 to 73 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) sand; single grain; loose, nonsticky; few very fine through medium roots throughout; 5 percent very coarse distinct irregular dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4), moist, masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear wavy boundary.

C3 -- 73 to 99 cm; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) sand; single grain; loose, nonsticky; 10 percent coarse faint irregular dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix and 35 percent extremely coarse distinct irregular gray (10YR 5/1) iron depletions in the matrix; strongly acid (pH 5.2). (Combined thickness of C horizons is 50 to 85 cm)

Cg -- 99 to 155 cm; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) sand; single grain; loose, nonsticky; strongly acid (pH 5.2). (Combined thickness of Cg horizons is 30 to 58 cm)

TYPE LOCATION: Washington County, Rhode Island, located about 300 feet north of the northwest corner of the Galilee Beach parking area on Sand Hill Cove Road, USGS Narragansett Pier, RI topographic quadrangle; Latitude 41 degrees 22 minutes 32.5 seconds N. and Longitude 71 degrees 50 minutes 2.1 seconds W., NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to seasonal high water table is 50 through 94 cm. The water table may be tidally influenced. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid through neutral. Soils are non-saline through moderately saline throughout.

The A horizon, when present, has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 2 through 4, and chroma of 1 through 3. The texture is fine sand or sand. Gravel content is 0 through 8 percent.

The AC or CA horizon, when present, has hue of 7.5YR through 2.5Y, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is fine sand through coarse sand. Gravel content is 0 to 5 percent.

The C horizons have hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 through 7, and chroma of 1 through 4. Texture is fine sand through coarse sand. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 34 percent above 1 meter and 0 to 60 percent below 1 meter.

The Cg horizons have hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is sand through coarse sand. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 34 percent above 1 meter and 0 to 60 percent below 1 meter.

Some pedons contain a thin buried Oe, Oa or A horizons. When present the O or Ab horizon is 5 to 15 cm thick and has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 2 through 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. Buried horizons typically represent former tidal marshes that have been covered by storm events.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Algansee, Altmar, Birchwood, Brems, Brockatonorton, Deerfield, Elnora, Fortress, Livonia, Meckling, Morocco, Ottokee, Partridge, Tedrow, and Zaborosky soils. The Algansee and Meckling soils formed in sandy alluvium. Altmar, Brem, Deerfield and Morocco formed in sandy outwash. Birchwood soils have a densic contact within a 100 centimeters. Brockatonorton soils formed in a slightly warmer climate on the on the mid Atlantic coastal plain and the northern tidewater area. Livonia soils have a B horizon that is 38 to 97 cm thick. Elnora, Ottokee, Tedrow and Zaborosky soils formed on glacial lake plain landscapes. Partridge soils have a lithic contact between 50 and 100 centimeters.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Succotash soils are formed in sandy eolian and/or overwash deposits on coastal back-barrier flats on barrier islands or spits. Slopes range from 0 through 3 percent. Elevation ranges from 1 to 10 feet above sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hooksan, Sandyhook, Nagunt, Massapog, Pawcatuck, and Matunuck soils. Hooksan soils are excessively drained sands on nearby dunes. Sandyhook soils are very poorly drained tidally flooded soils on back-barriers. Nagunt and Massapog soils are subaqueous soils on flood tidal deltas, back-barriers, and washover fans. Pawcatuck soils have organic horizons 40 to 130 centimeters thick. Matunuck soils have a histic epipedon less than 40 centimeters thick. Matunuk, Pawcatuck, and Sandyhook are tidally flooded, and are on nearby salt marshes.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well-drained. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high or very high. The potential for surface runoff is negligible or very low. Occasional very brief coastal flooding may occur during major storms and washover events.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for wildlife areas or recreation. Some areas are cleared and developed for beach houses. Native vegetation includes bayberry,beach grass, beach plum, poison ivy, shad bush, arrowwood, reed meadow grass with scattered areas of pitch pine and red cedar.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Rhode Island. MLRA 144A. The soils of this series are not extensive (approximately 290 acres (117 hectares)).

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: SPECIAL PROJECTS OFFICE

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Washington County, Rhode Island.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:
1. Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 15 cm (Oe, A and CA horizons).
2. Psamments - less than 35 percent rock fragments and a texture of loamy fine sand or coarser in all layers from a depth of 25 to 100 centimeters (CB, C1,C2,C3 and Cg).
3. Aquic feature - redox depletions with a chroma of 2 or less and aquic conditions within 100 cm. of the mineral soil surface (C3 and Cg).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Type location taken from 2010RI009003 in Galilee marsh. Additional support pedons include 2010RI009005, 2010RI009009, RI009-2007-001A, 2010RI009013, 2010RI009014 and 2010RI009015.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.