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Custom Soil Resource Report <br />reconstructed soil favors plant growth. The ratings in the table do not apply to quarries <br />and other mined areas that require an offsite source of reconstruction material. The <br />ratings are based on the soil properties that affect erosion and stability of the surface <br />and the productive potential of the reconstructed soil. These properties include the <br />content of sodium, salts, and calcium carbonate; reaction; available water capacity; <br />erodibility; texture; content of rock fragments; and content of organic matter and other <br />features that affect fertility. <br />Roadfill is soil material that is excavated in one place and used in road embankments <br />in another place. In this table, the soils are rated as a source of roadfill for low <br />embankments, generally less than 6 feet high and less exacting in design than higher <br />embankments. The ratings are for the whole soil, from the surface to a depth of about <br />5 feet. It is assumed that soil layers will be mixed when the soil material is excavated <br />and spread. <br />The ratings are based on the amount of suitable material and on soil properties that <br />affect the ease of excavation and the performance of the material after it is in place. <br />The thickness of the suitable material is a major consideration. The ease of excavation <br />is affected by large stones, depth to a water table, and slope. How well the soil <br />performs in place after it has been compacted and drained is determined by its <br />strength (as inferred from the AASHTO classification of the soil) and linear extensibility <br />(shrink -swell potential). <br />Topsoil is used to cover an area so that vegetation can be established and maintained. <br />The upper 40 inches of a soil is evaluated for use as topsoil. Also evaluated is the <br />reclamation potential of the borrow area. The ratings are based on the soil properties <br />that affect plant growth; the ease of excavating, loading, and spreading the material; <br />and reclamation of the borrow area. Toxic substances, soil reaction, and the properties <br />that are inferred from soil texture, such as available water capacity and fertility, affect <br />plant growth. The ease of excavating, loading, and spreading is affected by rock <br />fragments, slope, depth to a water table, soil texture, and thickness of suitable <br />material. Reclamation of the borrow area is affected by slope, depth to a water table, <br />rock fragments, depth to bedrock or a cemented pan, and toxic material. <br />The surface layer of most soils is generally preferred for topsoil because of its organic <br />matter content. Organic matter greatly increases the absorption and retention of <br />moisture and nutrients for plant growth. <br />Information in this table is intended for land use planning, for evaluating land use <br />alternatives, and for planning site investigations prior to design and construction. The <br />information, however, has limitations. For example, estimates and other data generally <br />apply only to that part of the soil between the surface and a depth of 5 to 7 feet. <br />Because of the map scale, small areas of different soils may be included within the <br />mapped areas of a specific soil. <br />The information is not site specific and does not eliminate the need for onsite <br />investigation of the soils or for testing and analysis by personnel experienced in the <br />design and construction of engineering works. <br />Government ordinances and regulations that restrict certain land uses or impose <br />specific design criteria were not considered in preparing the information in this table. <br />Local ordinances and regulations should be considered in planning, in site selection, <br />and in design. <br />19 <br />