Nature - Community - Science
Soils & Geology
Chapter 2
“Soil is a mixture of minerals, dead and living organisms (organic materials), air, and water. These four ingredients react with one another in amazing ways, making soil one of our planet’s most dynamic and important natural resources.” – Soil Science Society of America
2.1 Soil Types
Soil is foundational for sustaining life. The Soil Science Society of America reports that it can be used to filter water, grow food, serve as a habitat for organisms, support biodiversity, and help fight disease. Soil also plays an important role in shaping the landscape. In many cases it determines what can live, grow, exist, and thrive in an area. There are many kinds of soil types that serve different purposes.
This chapter discusses the following soil classes in Meriden: wetland, floodplain, shallow-to-bedrock, and farmland. One way to categorize soil is by drainage, there are seven different classes of natural soil drainage that include: excessively drained, well drained, moderately well drained, somewhat poorly drained, poorly drained, and very poorly drained. Other soil types exist but we are featuring these because they have so much relevance to environmental matters.
2.1a Wetland Soils
This description is excerpted from Meriden’s 2020 Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD):
“In Connecticut, wetlands are defined by soil type, specifically saturated or hydric soils, which are classified by the NRCS as either Poorly Drained, Very Poorly Drained, Alluvial/Floodplain or any combination of these. These are considered wetland soils and are protected under the City’s inland wetland regulations.
Wetlands are important for a variety of reasons including:
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Wetlands are among the most biologically productive natural ecosystems in the world;
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Wetlands provide habitat that is critical to a variety of plant and animal species, including threatened and endangered species;
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Wetlands often function like natural sponges, storing water (floodwater or surface water) and slowly releasing it thus reducing the likelihood of flood damage to personal property or agriculture by controlling the rate and volume of runoff;
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Wetlands help improve water quality by intercepting surface runoff and removing or retaining its nutrients, processing organic wastes and reducing sediment before it reaches open water; Wetlands provide outdoor recreational opportunities (i.e., wildlife viewing/photography, nature study)."
University of Connecticut (UCONN) Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) defines the different classes of wetland soils as follows. Poorly Drained soils can be found where land is level or gently sloping. Many red maple swamps in Connecticut are considered Poorly Drained. Very Poorly Drained soils are on level land or depressions. Most marshes and bogs are Very Poorly Drained. Alluvial soil is “fine-grained fertile soil deposited by water flowing over flood plains or in river beds.”
Wetlands are home to unique organisms and vegetation that can tolerate saturated or hydric soil conditions. They provide extremely important habitats which are described in the Habitats section of this document (chapter 4, section 3).
The 2020 POCD identified 1,085 acres of wetland designated soils which make up 7% of Meriden’s land. The below map generated by UCONN CLEAR depicts where Poorly Drained, Very Poorly Drained, and Alluvial/Floodplain soils reside in Meriden. For more information, visit the link and continue exploring the UCONN CLEAR map. Some smaller wetland soil areas exist that are not apparent in the map, but are documented on detailed wetlands maps used by the Meriden Planning Department.
Connecticut Inland Wetland Soils Map: http://cteco.uconn.edu/maps/town/SoilWet/SoilWet_Meriden.pdf
2.1b Floodplain and Alluvial Soils
Per Connecticut Inland Wetland Training: “The terms alluvial and floodplain do not describe soil drainage class, such terms describe the process by which these specific soils were formed...Regardless of drainage class, all alluvial and floodplain soils are wetlands in Connecticut.”
Floodplain and Alluvial soils occur in areas at risk to periodic flooding. This happens as streams overflow and runoff comes down from nearby slopes. Meriden was historically impacted and shaped by flooding. As in many communities, buildings and roads were historically developed along streams as the floodplains provide more gentle terrain and fertile soils. Meriden is in the process of alleviating excess flooding and reducing the area defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as hazardous floodplain.
Eliminating manmade hazards restores floodplains to their naturally occurring areas where they provide natural resource value like wetlands and riparian habitats (i.e. those occurring near water courses or water bodies). FEMA outlines resource benefits of floodplain. For example, they can enhance agricultural land productivity; support plant growth; increase biodiversity; provide habitats for species; filter pollutants; process organic wastes; and provide opportunities for outdoor recreation.
Since floodplains are hazardous to develop, natural floodplains offer open space that does not compete with development. Riparian landscapes on natural floodplains are a key part of healthy stream ecology. They provide a natural wildlife corridor, support food webs, and filter light and air to maintain good stream conditions. The importance of wildlife corridors is discussed in the Wildlife section of this document (chapter 5, section 4).
University of Connecticut (UCONN) Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) produced a map identifying different soil flooding classes in Meriden. They are defined as Very Frequent, Frequent, Occasional, Rare, and Not Rated. Frequent flooding is most likely to occur around the Quinnipiac River, Sodom, and Harbor Brook. For more information, visit the link and continue exploring the UCONN CLEAR map.
Soil Flooding Class Map:
http://cteco.uconn.edu/maps/town/SoilFlooding/SoilFlooding_Meriden.pdf
2.1c Shallow-to-Bedrock Soils
Soil depth influences factors like water availability and the kind of plants that can grow in a certain area. It can also impact planning and development in the city—like where it makes the most sense to establish a septic system or building foundation. Identifying where shallow soils reside is especially important for these considerations. The Meriden 2007 Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) noted that shallow soils are those less than 20 inches above bedrock. This accounts for about 3,208 acres or 21% of Meriden’s land.
University of Connecticut (UCONN) Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) created a map detailing soil parent material in Meriden. Parent material is the underlying physical, chemical, and mineral geological features from which soil forms. This information can be used to determine soil mapping and boundaries.
As can be seen on the map, shallow-to-bedrock soil is indicated by the color red. This type of soil is in abundance around Hubbard Park’s Hanging Hills (West Peak, East Peak, and South Mountain). Another cluster of shallow-to-bedrock soil can be found near Hanover Pond. For more information on different parent soil materials and their locations, reference the CLEAR map.
Soil Parent Class Map:
http://cteco.uconn.edu/maps/town/SoilParentMat/SoilParentMat_Meriden.pdf
2.1d Prime Farmland Soils
Prime Farmland soils are those that have the most favorable properties for crop production. According to the 2007 Meriden Natural Resources Inventory (NRI), farmland has been on the decline. Since 1950, farmland decreased from 50% to 11% of Connecticut’s total land area. However, farmland soils did not disappear during this time. The decline came from a change in land use when farmland soils started being used for development instead of crop growth.
Soil tracking is one approach to help sustain current and future farmland. The 2007 NRI identified 2,388 acres of Prime Farmland soils in Meriden with an additional 1,906 acres of Statewide Important Farmland soils. Together, they make up 28% of Meriden’s land. Statewide Important Farmlands produce economically high crop yields but are not quite on the level of Prime ones.
These statistics represent soil condition and not land use. Many of Connecitut’s farmland soils are now developed. Maintaining an environmentally healthy landscape around homes and businesses is important because they are often located in areas with favorable growing conditions. Therefore, Meriden’s landscaping in developed areas has potential for environmentally beneficial plant production based on the quality of soil. Planting native plants and pollinator habitats in this high quality soil can produce strong yields. This will support pollinators like bees and butterflies while providing food and cover for birds and other animals.
University of Connecticut Center (UCONN) for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) put together a map of Prime, Statewide Important, and Locally Important Farmland based on soil type. These soils indicate which areas are most productive for growing crops. Locally Important Farmland soils are not considered Prime or Statewide but are still important to the local economy.
The map must be viewed with caution because it omits possible land use changes and sizes of less than three acres. Meriden does not appear to have any Locally Important Farmland. However, the city has a good mixture of both Prime and Statewide Important soil classes. Many of these can be found along the Quinnipiac River. Reference the CLEAR map for more details.
Farmland Soils CLEAR Map:
http://cteco.uconn.edu/maps/town/SoilFarm/SoilFarm_Meriden.pdf
Sources and Methods
Information about soils and specific statistics for Meriden, Connecticut were derived from the 2020 Meriden Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) and 2007 Meriden Natural Resources Inventory (NRI). Maps to support this information are courtesy of the University of Connecticut (UCONN) Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR). Details about map legends and soil class definitions also came from UCONN CLEAR. Analysis of overall soil trends, themes, and locations were developed using these resources.
Soils Section Draft