Newport Comprehensive Land Use Plan - Existing Conditions | Page 145

10 Natural Resources Four soil types make up 75.2% of Newport's soils. Table 10.1 displays them in order of decreasing permeability, from rapid to slow. Table10.1 – Predominant Soils Type Percent Acres Newport 48.5 2,415 Canton-Charlton 12.9 640 Moderate-Rapid Pittstown 12.4 620 Moderate-Slow 70 Moderate-Slow Stissing 1.4 Source: USDA, Natural Resource Conservation Service Permeability Moderate-Moderately Rapid Newport-type soils, which are excellent for agriculture, are located primarily in the northern and central sections of the city. The Ocean Drive neighborhood however, contains a greater variety of less permeable soils. These can combine with exposed bedrock and hardpan to provide a significant constraint to development. Septic systems in the Ocean Drive neighborhood, therefore, must be very carefully designed, installed and maintained to avoid failure. The locations of Newport’s valuable agriculture soils can be found in Map 10-1. Agricultural As can be seen in Map 10-1, all the identified prime farmland is either developed or serves as active open space. Developments and parks located in areas of agricultural soils include Salve Regina University, Brenton Point State Park, J. Paul Braga Jr. Memorial Field, Miantonomi Memorial Park, and Newport’s historic Harbor / Lower Thames neighborhood. It is therefore expected that these existing uses will continue. Watershed and Water Bodies Aquidneck Island is part of the Narragansett Bay Watershed in the Narragansett Subbasin. The City of Newport is located within portions of two subareas within the Narragansett Watershed; the Lower East Passage Subwatershed and the Coastal Aquidneck Subwatershed. These watersheds, as well as their associated streams, reservoirs, habitat areas, wetlands, and urban forests in Newport can be seen on Map 10-2. The Newport Water Division relies on the health of this watershed. Newport Water’s Aquidneck Island water supplies are moderately susceptible to contamination. This is an average ranking for the entire system based on land use and existing water quality. Individual subwatersheds may be more or less susceptible to contamination. Newport Water maintains an active watershed protection program that includes watershed monitoring, land acquisition and retrofitting storm drains to treat runoff (Rhode Island Rivers Council, "Aquidneck Island Watershed” Online, 2016. Web. 14 Jan. 2016). More on Newport’s water supply including techniques for minimizing the negative impacts of development on the watershed can be found in Chapter 13, Water. Newport’s principal water bodies are limited to coastal ponds, including Easton’s, Lily and Almy. These are all vulnerable to impacts associated with sea level rise and coastal storm surge, as well as eutrophication, sedimentation, and invasive species. Efforts have been under way to address water quality concerns in Easton’s Pond, as well as phosphorous total maximum daily load (TMDL) management plan project for Almy Pond. Draft Existing Conditions (March 2016) Page 10-3