the county is the Eocene Castle Hayne limestone, a chalky-white 

 sandy-shell limestone or dense silicified gray limestone. Out- 

 crops of this formation are not known for the county. Overlying 

 the Castle Hayne are various deposits of the Miocene Yorktown 

 formation consisting of blue-gray marls, sands, and shell beds 

 interbedded with massive, dark, sandy clays. Overlying the York- 

 town are the undifferentiated deposits of interbedded sands and 

 clays of Pleistocene and Recent age which form the Talbot and 

 Pamlico terraces mentioned earlier. 



SOILS AND VEGETATION 



The soils of Washington County are fairly diverse and play 

 a major role in the geographical distribution and ecology of the 

 major vegetation associations. The county has been mapped into 

 seven basic soil associations each of which represent a distinct 

 pattern of drainage, soils, relief and vegetation. Each unit is 

 a unique natural landscape with a corresponding assemblage of 

 vegetation types. 



Soils information is taken from Soil Survey of Washington 

 County, N.C., Soil Conservation Service, 1981. 



1) Augusta-Altavista-Wahee Association: These are nearly 

 level, somewhat poorly drained and moderately well- 

 drained soils that have a loamy surface layer and a 

 loamy or clayey subsoil; on low ridges or stream 

 terraces along small streams which drain into the 

 Roanoke River or Albemarle Sound. 



Natural Area represented : Chapel Swamp 

 Percentage of land area of county = 13% 



Because of their better drainage and location along the Roanoke 

 River and Albemarle Sound, these soils were among the first to be 

 cleared and placed in cultivation. The earliest settlements in the 

 county around the present-day towns of Plymouth and Roper arose in 

 areas dominated by this soilscape. Original vegetation probably 

 consisted of a mixture of upland oaks, such as white, southern 

 red, and black, with American beech, loblolly and shortleaf pines, 

 and mockernut and pignut hickories. The Chapel Swamp natural area 

 contains the best remaining example of this soilscape. 



2) Cape Fear-Portsmouth-Roanoke Association: These are 

 nearly level, very poorly drained and poorly drained 

 soils that have a loamy surface layer and a loamy or 

 clayey subsoil ; on stream or marine terraces along 

 interstream divides. 



