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The current soil on this site is not as productive as the native soil that the <br /> SCS rated. The site was used for a barrow pit during the construction of the <br /> four-lane system for Highways 18-151. Although the company that rebuilt the <br /> soil on this site did a reasonably good job, it is nearly impossible to <br /> restore a soil that has been so drastically disturbed to its original <br /> productivity. I dug four pits (locations marked on Map 1) to compare the <br /> rebuilt soil to the descriptions of the original soil given in the SCS Soil <br /> Survey for Dane County. The results of these excavations are given in Table <br /> 1. The native Dodgeville soil type typically has a 12-inch thick A horizon <br /> (top soil) of dark, silt loam ; the rebuilt soil has 6 1/2 to 10 inches. The <br /> original soil typically has a 19-inch thick B horizon (subsoil) that grades <br /> from silty clay loam to a firm clay; the rebuilt soil has 6 to 12 inches of a <br /> very dense clay. The total depth of the rebuilt soil ranges from 16 to 20 <br /> inches compared to the typical native soil depth that ranges from 24 to 36 <br /> inches and averages 31 inches. <br /> Due to the thinner depth of soil and the very dense clay subsoil layer of the <br /> rebuilt soil, it is less productive than the original soil on this site. The <br /> original soil itself was a Class III soil, not one of the top agricultural <br /> soils in Dane County (Classes I and II). Those factors and the small size of <br /> the field (less than 10 acres) lead me to conclude that this site is not <br /> "prime" farmland and it is only marginally suited for agricultural pursuits. <br /> Sincerely, <br /> Jon Baldock <br /> Ph.D. , CPAg <br /> Enclosures: 2 maps, 1 table <br />