Soil Survey of
Dukes County Massachusetts
The following map unit description is from the published "Soil
Survey of Dukes County, Massachusetts"
PaA-Pawcatuck and Matunuck mucky peats, 0 to 1 percent slopes. This unit consists of very deep, level, very poorly drained soils in tidal areas subject to daily inundation. The soils are adjacent to shore areas and brackish ponds. The areas are irregular in shape and range from 4 to 50 acres. They make up about 1 percent of the survey area. Some areas consist mostly of Pawcatuck soils, some mostly of Matunuck soils, and some of both. The Pawcatuck and Matunuck soils are mapped together because there are no major differences in their use and management. The total acreage of the unit is about 50 percent Pawcatuck soils, 35 percent Matunuck soils, and 15 percent other soils.
Typically, the Pawcatuck soils have a surface layer of very dark grayish brown mucky peat about 10 inches thick. The next layer is black mucky peat about 9 inches thick. The substratum is light brownish gray loose sand to a depth of 60 inches or more.
Typically, the Matunuck soils have a surface layer of very dark grayish brown mucky peat about 10 inches thick. The substratum is black and gray coarse sand to a depth of 60 inches or more.
Included with this unit in mapping are small areas of Berryland soils, Beaches, and Udipsamments. Also included are small areas where the organic material is more than 51 inches thick.
The permeability of these Pawcatuck soils is moderate to rapid in the organic material and very rapid in the substratum. The permeability of these Matunuck soils is rapid in the organic material and very rapid in the substratum. Available water capacity is moderate in the Matunuck soils and high in the Pawcatuck soils.
Most areas of this unit are in salt-tolerant grasses. The daily tidal flooding limits the unit for most uses other than as wetland wildlife habitat.
This unit is in capability subclass VIIIw.