FIELD_SUITABILITY[
0 1 2 3 4 50.5
Miles
Suitability Based On Farmland Quality
permanent open space
suitable (not prime farmland)
somewhat limited(Farmland of statewideor unique importance)
very limited(All areas are prime farmland)not defined
Farmland classification identifies map units as prime farmland, farmland of statewide importance, farmland of local importance,or unique farmland. It identifies the location and extent of the soilsthat are best suited to food, feed, fiber, forage, and oilseed crops.NRCS policy and procedures on prime and unique farmlands arepublished in the "Federal Register," Vol. 43, No. 21, January 31, 1978.
Crit eria Descripti on
City of NorthamptonPlaying Field Analysis~~
Crit er ia : Far mla nd Q uality
[
0 1 2 3 4 50.5
Miles
Playing Field Suitability
permanent open space
suitable
somewhat limited
very limited
not defined
Playgrounds are areas used intensively for games, such as baseballand football, and similar activities. Playgrounds require soils that are nearly level, are free of stones, and can withstand intensive foot traffic.
The ratings are based on the soil properties that affect the ease ofdeveloping playgrounds and that influence trafficability and thegrowth of vegetation after development. Slope and stoniness are themain concerns affecting the development of playgrounds. For good trafficability, the surface of the playgrounds should absorb rainfallreadily, remain firm under heavy foot traffic, and not be dusty when dry.The soil properties that influence trafficability are texture of the surfacelayer, depth to a water table, ponding, flooding, saturated hydraulicconductivity (Ksat), and large stones. The soil properties that affect thegrowth of plants are depth to bedrock or a cemented pan, saturatedhydraulic conductivity (Ksat), and toxic substances in the soil.
The ratings are both verbal and numerical. Rating class terms indicatethe extent to which the soils are limited by all of the soil features that affectthe specified use. "Not limited" indicates that the soil has features that arevery favorable for the specified use. Good performance and very lowmaintenance can be expected. "Somewhat limited" indicates that the soil hasfeatures that are moderately favorable for the specified use. The limitationscan be overcome or minimized by special planning, design, or installation.Fair performance and moderate maintenance can be expected. "Very limited"indicates that the soil has one or more features that are unfavorable for thespecified use. The limitations generally cannot be overcome without majorsoil reclamation, special design, or expensive installation procedures. Poorperformance and high maintenance can be expected.
Numerical ratings indicate the severity of individual limitations. The ratingsare shown as decimal fractions ranging from 0.01 to 1.00. They indicategradations between the point at which a soil feature has the greatest negativeimpact on the use (1.00) and the point at which the soil feature isnot a limitation (0.00)
Crit eria Descripti on
City of NorthamptonPlaying Field Analysis~~
Crit er ia : Pla ygr ounds Use
[
0 1 2 3 4 50.5
Miles
Suitability Based On Slope
permanent open space
suitable (<= 5%)
somewhat limited (5 - 12%)
very limited (>12%)
not defined
Slope gradient is the difference in elevation between two points, expressed as a percentage of the distance between those points.
The slope gradient is actually recorded as three separate values inthe database. A low value and a high value indicate the range ofthis attribute for the soil component. A "representative" valueindicates the expected value of this attribute for the component.For this soil property, only the representative value is used.
Crit eria Descripti on
City of NorthamptonPlaying Field Analysis~~
Crit er ia : Repr es ent at ive Slope