Narragansett -- Rhode Island State Soil

Photograph of rural landscape. There are fields, stone walls, and woodland. The trees have fall color foliage.

Photograph of the profile of a typifying pedon of Narragansett soil series.

Narragansett Soil Profile

Surface layer: dark brown silt loam
Subsoil - upper: yellowish brown silt loam
Subsoil - lower: olive brown silt loam
Substratum: light olive brown loamy fine sand to gravelly coarse sand
 Narragansett soils occur on 12,000 acres in Rhode Island and also occur in the adjacent states of Connecticut and Massachusetts. They are productive agricultural soils. Silage corn, hay, and vegetables are the principal crops. Oaks, white pine, and beech are the most common forest species. Some areas are used for residential development. The name “Narragansett” is derived from a small community in southern Rhode Island.

The Narragansett series consists of well drained, loamy soils that formed in friable glacial till mantled with silty material. These soils are on uplands. The average annual precipitation ranges from 40 to 50 inches. The average annual temperature is 45 to 52 degrees F.

Small scale map of Rhode Island and adjacent states showing distribution of Narragansett soil series.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).

NRCS Logo