Soil Map Unit Description from the RI Soil Survey Report

LgC - Lippitt gravelly sandy loam, very rocky, 3 to 15 percent slopes.

Link to Official Soil Series Description for Lippitt Soils

This gently sloping to sloping, somewhat excessively drained soil is on side slopes and crests of glacial till upland hills. Areas are irregular in shape and mostly range from 2 to 100 acres. Rock outcrops cover 5 to 10 percent of surface of the soil.

Typically the surface layer is dark brown gravelly sandy loam about 5 inches thick. The subsoil is brown gravelly sandy loam 11 inches thick. The substratum is dark yellowish brown very gravelly loam 10 inches thick. Highly weathered rippable bedrock is at a depth of 26 inches.

Included with this soil in mapping are small areas of somewhat excessively drained Gloucester soils; well drained Char Canton, and Narragansett soils; and moderately well drained Sutton soils. Also included are small stony areas. Included areas make up about 15 percent of this map unit.

The permeability of this soil is moderately rapid in the surface layer and subsoil and rapid or very rapid in the substratum. Available water capacity is very low, and runoff is slow or medium. This soil is very strongly acid through medium acid.

The shallow depth to bedrock and the rock outcrops on the surface make this soil poorly suited to community development. Onsite septic systems need special design and installation to prevent pollution of ground water. Lawn grasses, shallow-rooted trees, and shrubs require watering in summer. Excavation is difficult in this soil, and blasting is required in places. Use of straw bale sediment barriers and quickly establishing plant cover help to control erosion during construction.

This soil is suited to trees, and most areas are wooded. The major limitations are droughtiness and the shallow rooting depth.

Rock outcrops severely hinder the use of farming equipment and make the soils poorly suited to cultivated crops. The hazard of erosion is moderate to severe.

This soil is suited to openland wildlife habitat and woodland wildlife habitat. It is too dry to provide wetland wildlife habitat. Capability subclass VIs; woodland group 5d.
 

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