Soil texture and the resulting unstable structural condition is a 
greater problem to shoreline stabilization than establishment of plant 
material. Any form of barrier that will reduce the wave action and its 
resultant dispersion of the soil will enhance vegetation establishment 
and stabilization of the eroding shoreline. 
In comparing soil texture by blocks, disregarding both depth and 
zone, Blocks I, II, and III were classed as loam soils (Table 5). In 
contrast, Block IV, in the drainage ditch, was classed as a clay loam 
soil. Overall, the soils of Blocks I, II, and III were very similar 
with only minute differences in quantities of each particle class. In 
comparing the soil in Block IV to the other three, the percent contri- 
buted by the sand particles decreased while the clay significantly 
increased. 
A change occurred in soil texture between zones of Blocks I, II, 
and III (Table 6). The upper, relatively undisturbed zone was of a 
loam texture to a depth of 6 inches and similar to the inundated lower 
zone. In contrast, the middle zone, had a significantly higher pro- 
portion of clay and a significantly lower proportion of sand resulting 
in a clay loam texture. This zone is exposed to more wave action than 
the others. As a result the surface soil has been removed. 
The O- to 2-inch depth contained significantly more sand in Blocks 
I, II, and III than either the 2- to 4- or the 4- to 6-inch depths 
(Table 7). This higher sand content was accompanied by a significantly 
lower clay content in the surface soil. The percent sand varied only 
slightly in the 2 to 4 and 4 to 6-inch depths, but was higher than 
either silt or clay. Silt content was similar at all depths and con- 
tributed about 33 percent of the soil particles. 
2. Soil Salinity. 
Soil samples for the determination of soil salinity were collected 
in February and May 1974 (Tables 8 and 9). Two collection dates 
provided data for comparison over time and under varying water salinity 
conditions and precipitation. Mean soil salinity in February ranged 
from over 11,000 ppm in the 4- to 6-inch depth of the upper zone to less 
than 2,600 ppm in the 4- to 6-inch depth of the lower zone (Table 10). 
The trend was decreasing soil salinity from the upper to the lower zones. 
In the upper zone, salinity in the surface 4 inches of soil was similar 
with an increase in the 4- to 6-inch layer. However, in the middle and 
lower zones, salinity varied only slightly with a change in depth. Water 
salinity at this time ranged from 1,100 to 3,200 ppm between blocks, 
indicating soil salinity was higher than water salinity. 
In May following the relatively dry month of April, soil salinity 
values were higher than in February (Table 10). The lowest salinity, 
over 8,000 ppm, was in the 2- to 4-inch depth of the lower zone. While 
the highest, over 12,000 ppm, was in the O- to 2-inch depth of the upper 
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