Assabet River NWR Final CCP - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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Chapter 3: Refuge and Resource Descriptions
permeability. They tend to be droughty, with severe concern for seedling
survival and slight concern for erosion in well managed forest cover.
Windsor soils are found in nearly level to very steep conditions; are up to
5+ feet deep; excessively drained soils on glacial outwash plains, terraces,
deltas and escarpments. They formed in sandy glacial outwash, and have a
very friable or loose loamy sand or loamy fin sand surface soil. They have
rapid permeability and tend to be droughty, but concern for seedling
mortality is listed as being slight.
Merrimac soils occur in level to steep slopes; are up to 5+ feet deep; and,
are excessively drained soils found on glacial outwash plains, terraces, and
kames. They formed in water-sorted, sandy glacial material, and are
friable, fine sandy loams and sandy loams in the surface. They are
moderately rapid in permeability, with few limitations for most uses, and
moderate risk for seedling mortality.
Paxton soils are deep (5+ feet), well drained soils found on glacial drumlins.
They formed in compact glacial till. These soils are friable fine sandy loams,
with a very stony surface. They have slow or very slow permeability and
moderate risk for seedling mortality.
The Deerfield series are deep, well drained, loamy fine sand soils. They are
found on glacial outwash plains, terraces, and deltas. These soils may have
a seasonal high water table at 18 to 36 inches and moderate seedling
mortality risk.
Montauk soils are well drained and found on drumlins. They formed in
compact glacial tills, and are friable, fine sandy loams, with moderately
rapid permeability. Montauk soils are stony to extremely stony, with a
slight seedling mortality risk.
The Charton-Hollis-rock outcrop complex soils are well drained, with (on
average) approximately 10% bedrock outcrops.
The Swansea and Freetown series are very poorly drained wetland soils.
They formed in depressions and flat areas of glacial outwash plains and
terraces, and may be 50 inches to many feet of black, highly decomposed
organic material over sandy mineral materials. They have a water table
that is at or near the surface most of the year (USDA 1995).
Hydrology
Most of the northern section and westernmost parts of the southern section
of Assabet River NWR fall within the Assabet River drainage basin. The
majority of the northern portion of the refuge drains northward through
Taylor Brook and its tributaries, including Honey Brook. Two small,
intermittent streams also flow from the northern/northwest portion of the
Assabet River NWR