association are rated in terms of the degree of limitation - slight, moderate, 

 or severe. The degree of limitation indicates the severity of problems 

 expected to be encountered for the specified use. Major limiting factor (s) 

 are also listed when the soil has a moderate or severe rating. The three 

 degrees of limitation are defined as follows: 



Slight : A rating of slight indicates that the soil has 

 relatively few limitations in terms of soil suitability for 

 a particular use. It is considered desirable for the named 

 use. 



Moderate : A rating of moderate indicates that it is 

 relatively more difficult and more costly to correct the 

 natural limitations of the soil for specified uses than 

 for soils rated as having a slight limitation. 



Severe : A rating of severe indicates that the specified 

 use of the soil is seriously limited by hazards or restric- 

 tions that are very difficult and costly to overcome. A 

 rating of severe does not necessarily imply that a soil 

 cannot be used for the specified purpose. 



Table 4 illustrates the type of information on file. It is an 

 extract from the complete table and shows the interpretations for the first 

 five soil associations. A brief description of each column heading of 

 Table 4 is in Appendix D. 



5.2 Significant soil use problems by subregions 



Table 5 summarizes soil related use problems that are prevalent 

 in each subregion (2). 



6.0 WHAT WILL THE STUDY DO NEXT? 



Upon completion of the interim reports, which deal largely 

 with the demand- supply aspects of their subject areas, each work group 

 will move into the management plan phase. There they will work on solu- 

 tions. Information described in this interim report on soils shoiild be 

 used by many of the work groups. The work group on soils can be expect- 

 ed to be asked to develop supplementary information or interpretations 

 on aspects of soils determined by the other work groups to be most 

 significant in solving their problems. Partic\ilarly needed by other 

 work groups is information about the nature and distribution of soils in 

 suspension and deposited in streams, rivers and the Sound. This 

 information will be especially useful to the work groups on Mineral 

 Resources and Mining, Erosion and Sedimentation, and Water Quality. 



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