Soils of RI #10: Sutton Traditional Geocache
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(small)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
This is the tenth in a series of caches honoring the 58 different types of soils found within the State of Rhode Island. Soils were a major factor in the settling and early farming of RI, and soils continue to influence our industry, recreation, wildlife, and homes. As you complete this series, please take note of how the soil is determined in-part by the landscape position (summit, sideslope, drainageway), which in turn affects the vegetation.
This cache is located within the Aldrich Marshall Woods, a large tract of greenspace owned by the Town of Lincoln. These woods are great habitat for a variety of organisms, as the woods contain both upland and wetland habitat. Parcels like this are especially important to amphibians such as salamanders.
The soils of these woods form what is called a drainage catena (sequence) going from well-drained to poorly drained soils. This cachesite is an area of Sutton soil. Sutton soils are similar to the nearby Canton-Charlton soils, but Sutton soils have a higher water table.
Sutton soils formed in loose, unstratified glacial till deposited as glaciers began retreating from the area 14,000 years ago. Sutton soils are classified as moderately well-drained and have a seasonal high water table typically at a depth of 12”. Most areas have been cleared and used as farmland, although some scattered areas are developed for housing or remain forested. Forested areas are dominated by red, white, and black oak, hickory, ash, red maple, grey birch, hemlock, and white pine.
As for the cache, you are looking for the usual duct-taped plastic container that contains the official series description of Sutton soil, a large color pic of a Sutton soil profile, and some assorted swag.
Congrats to Ming for the FTF!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Oernxsnfg sbe grezvgrf