The
Narragansett soil series was first established in Kent and Washington Counties, Rhode Island in 1934. The soil series is named for the town where the soil was first mapped and classified. The town of Narragansett was named for the indigenous Narragansett Tribe. Narragansett is an English alteration of Nanhigganeuck, their actual name meaning “people of the small point.” In 1979 an Act to designate the Narragansett Silt Loam as the Official State Soil of Rhode Island was enacted by the General Assembly, the Act did not pass the legislative process so the series is not officially considered the Rhode Island State Soil.
Narragansett soil was selected to be the state soil for Rhode Island because it is well suited for most land-uses, meaning it has few limitations that would restrict the use of the soil. It has high potential for producing food, forage, fiber, and ornamental crops. It has few use restrictions for wood land production, for community and recreational development, and for wildlife habitat. The Narragansett silt loam is considered to be one of the best soils in the state and truly represents Rhode Island’s developmental and agricultural base. Where the soil is free of surface stones and boulders and occurs on level to gently sloping land it is considered a prime farmland soil by the USDA. Narragansett soils are used as a source of sand and gravel for mining operations.
For more information about this and other State Soils, visit the Soil Science Society of America
"Around the World-State Soils" website.
