| Rhode Island Department
of Health and Department of Environmental
Management have classified the groundwater
and surface water
quality of Charlestown as very good throughout
the town. |
| This
is attributed to the rural characteristic
of Charlestown, and the maintenance of vegetated
buffer zones (RIDEM, Division of Water Resources,
1988). |
Most
soils in Charlestown are either:
1. Excessively
permeable: they
allow water and soluble contaminants to move
quickly toward wells and surface water. This
occurs at the aquifer surrounding Pasquiset
Pond, north west of Indian Cedar Swamp.
2.
Very poorly drained: they
promote runoff to surface waters. Therefore,
soil types and their associated risk to
surface and groundwater need to be among
the top priorities
during any town planning process. Wastewater
management and drinking water supplies are
directly linked to soil, and they require
special attention and planning (Soil Survey
of RI-SCS 1981).
|
|
View from
Rt. 112, in Carolina, at the Charlestown/Richmond
Border
Perry Pond at Cross Mills
|
