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APPENDIX G 

 SOILS ANALYSIS 



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INTRODUCTION 



This analysis is designed to address 

 the public concerns particular to 

 soils, as listed in TABLE I-l- 

 SUMMARY AND TRACKING OF ISSUES AND 

 CONCERNS FROM PUBLIC COMMENTS of the 

 EA, and analysis elements considered 

 necessary by the ID Team. 



The Dog Creek watershed is a valley 

 formed by glaciers and river 

 processes. The dominant soil types 

 found in the project area are deep 

 glacial tills derived from 

 argillite, siltite, and limestone 

 from the Belt Supergroup. Upper 

 slopes and ridges are weathered 

 bedrock scoured by glaciers. 



ANALYSIS METHODS 



Soil productivity will be analyzed 

 by evaluating the current levels of 

 soil disturbance in the proposed 

 project area. Analysis criteria 

 will also include soil-stability 

 risk factors. 



ANALYSIS AREA 



The analysis area for evaluating 

 soil productivity will include DNRC- 

 managed State land within the Dog/ 

 Meadow Timber Sale Project area. 

 The Dog Creek watershed encompasses 

 the entire project area. 



EXISTING CONDITIONS 



DNRC has conducted timber harvesting 

 in the Dog Creek watershed since the 

 1920s. Since timber sales dating 

 back to the 1960s, 2,062 acres have 

 been harvested on State land using a 

 combination of ground-based and 



cable-yarding harvest methods. 

 Ground-based yarding can affect soil 

 productivity through displacement 

 and compaction of productive surface 

 layers of soil, mainly on heavily 

 used trails. Based on field review 

 of the area, an estimated 10 to 15 

 percent of the area may be impacted 

 by existing trails. Trails are 

 still apparent, but most are well 

 vegetated and past impacts are 

 beginning to ameliorate from frost 

 and vegetation. 



Soil types in the project area vary 

 from nearly level wetland types 

 along Dog Creek to steep valley 

 sideslopes on ridges. The FNF Soil 

 Survey identified no areas of soils 

 at high risk for mass movements in 

 the project area. Several areas of 

 wetland soil types are not suitable 

 for timber management and would 

 require special measures for road 

 construction. This is in Soil Map 

 Unit 12 and occurs in low areas 

 throughout the watershed. No slope 

 failures were identified during 

 reconnaissance in the proposed 

 project area. The Dog Creek 

 watershed soil types and their 

 associated management implications 

 are found in TABLE G-3 - SOIL MAP 

 UNIT DESCRIPTIONS FOR THE DOG/MEADOW 

 PROJECT AREA. 



