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Natural and Historic Resources 3 Natural and Historic Resources Pottstown Metropolitan Regional Comprehensive Plan Chapter 3 Natural and Historic Resources Halfway House Tavern Schuylkill River in Pottstown Region Old Pottstown Historic Sign Strong population and economic growth in the Pottstown Metropolitan Region as detailed in Chapter 1, Regional Pro- file, will impact the Region's natural and historic environment. The natural and historic features of the Region will also influence the intensity and patterns of the Region's land use. Understanding these features, including: geology, hydrol- ogy, soils, vegetation, wildlife and cultural and historic sites, and how they are parts of interrelated systems is important so the communities of the Region can better craft a plan for the future that balances conservation of these resources with sustainable growth. impact the locations and patterns of land use and Natural Resources human settlement. Geology The Region is located in the Triassic Lowland section of the Piedmont Physiographic Provience. The Triassic rock The Pottstown Region's underlying rock formations are formations found in the Region are the base of its natural systems. Changes in elevation and Brunswick, Diabase, Hammer Creek Conglomerate, orientation of the land are the results of the Region's ge- Lockatong, and Limestone Fanglomerate. (See Figure 3-1) ology, climate, and other weathering effects. Locations of watercourses and the Region's soils, vegetation, and From both a visual and planning perspective, several wildlife are also influenced by the rock formations and prominent diabase ridges formed by molten rock extrud- the land's orientation. Ultimately, all of these factors ing through large cracks in the Brunswick formation are 27 Pottstown Metropolitan Regional Comprehensive Plan Natural and Historic Resources the most significant rock formations in the Region. These Pottstown Region’s Rock Formations high, hard, ridges divide the Region into two separate watersheds. One of these ridges is located in southwest- Brunswick — is characterized by reddish brown ern North Coventry Township. The other diabase ridge- shale, mudstone, and siltstone. The topography line runs through the northern portions of Upper and of this formation is characterized by rolling hills. Lower Pottsgrove Townships, including the Ringing Groundwater yields are highly variable. The Rocks area, and along the southern border areas of Doug- rocks are generally fine-grained and allow little lass and New Hanover Townships. This same ridgeline primary porosity. Secondary openings, joints arcs back in Western Montgomery County and crosses and fractures are the key to adequate flows. the northern sections of Douglass and New Hanover Townships in the Deep Creek area. Diabase — also referred to as "black granite" is very resistant to erosion, weathering, water infil- Several fingers of Hammer Creek Conglomerate bisect tration, and groundwater movement. This for- the Brunswick formation in North and East Coventry mation is notorious for low well yields and is Townships creating a series of hills and valleys across the very difficult to excavate. Diabase areas are Coventrys. The slower eroding Hammer Creek Con- often steeply sloped and wooded, with numerous glomerate forms the hills and the valleys were created by surface rocks and boulders. the faster weathering Brunswick rock. Hammer Creek Conglomerate — is made up Two different Lockatong formations also are present in of very coarse quartz conglomerate with abun- East Coventry and West Pottsgrove Townships, forming dant pebbles and cobbles of gray quartzite and high points in those communities. minor interbeds of coarse red sandstone. It is moderately resistant to weathering. The topog- raphy is rough terrain and its natural slopes are FIGURE: 3-1 steep and stable. It has low porosity and perme- GEOLOGY ability. Conglomerate beds are too discontinu- ous and interbedded with coarse red sandstone to be evaluated as a separate aquifer. It is also difficult to excavate. Lockatong — consists mainly of dark, thick- bedded argillite, with occasional layers of shale. These rocks are hard, resist weathering, and have poor groundwater supplies. Limestone Fanglomerate — composed chiefly of limestone and dolomite pebbles and frag- ments. It also moderately resists weathering and does so unevenly creating a topography of roll- ing hills. Groundwater yields are good. Stabil- ity of building foundations is adequate, however sinkholes have occurred in this formation and should be investigated. 28 Natural and Historic Resources Pottstown Metropolitan Regional Comprehensive Plan The major planning issue to consider with the Region’s FIGURE: 3-2 geology is the substantial development limitations in ar- AGRICULTURAL SOILS eas of the Region underlain by Diabase rock. Sewer and water utilities are difficult to locate, and often the soil layer is thin and not easy to excavate or well suited for building structures. Soils The soils of the Region have formed over time by the continual interaction between the Region's weather, rock formations, and organisms. As a result, soils throughout the Region vary in their color, mineral characteristics, fertility, texture, erodibility, depth to bedrock and groundwater. Soils affect our use of the land in various ways and are therefore one of the Region's most significant natural resources for planning purposes. In rural areas of the Re- gion, the suitability of soils for productive agriculture and on-lot sewage disposal are very important characteristics. In developed areas “made land” is present. Alluvial, hydric, and other frequently wet soils need to be considered in all areas of the Region during land development, along with such factors as shallow depth to bedrock. Agricultural Land U.S. Soil Conservation Service Soil Survey Prime farmland, farmland of statewide importance, and Soil scientists have classified soils into several other land are the three soil classifications used for groups call soil series. Soils listed within the determining a soil's agricultural value by the Soil same series will display similar subsurface Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of characteristics. However, the surface charac- Agriculture. Their value is based on the fertility, depth to teristics of soils within a particular series can bedrock or groundwater, texture, erodibility, slope, and vary in slope, degree of erosion, size of stones, the amount of large stones. Prime farmland includes and other easily recognizable features. De- deep, well-drained, and mildly sloped soils that can tailed information pertaining to soil capabilities for agriculture and building purposes is avail- support high yields of crops with little management. able in the Soil Survey completed by the Soil Farmland of statewide importance includes soils that Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of support cultivation but require careful crop management. Agriculture. Agricultural use of the "other" soils is generally limited to pasture, and woodlands. Figure 3-2 details the Pottstown Region's agricultural soils. The Region has a rich history of farming and 29 Pottstown Metropolitan Regional Comprehensive Plan Natural and Historic Resources contains substantial soils that are important for sustaining Hydrology agriculture. In particular, places where the Brunswick rock formation is located may contain important agricultural Water is a critical natural resource and as growth occurs soils due to the extensive concentrations of soils having a in the Pottstown Metropolitan Region it is proving to be a high water table and shallow depth to bedrock. very valuable resource. The geology and climate of the Region combine to create surface and groundwater systems. As the Region's precipitation reaches the earth's Alluvial, Hydric and Other Soils Least Suitable surface it will evaporate, infiltrate into the earth, or for Development become surface runoff as it continues through the water Alluvial soils have been deposited by flowing water and cycle. Planning primarily focuses on infiltration and are often, but not always, located in floodplain areas. surface runoff and their effects. These systems are de- Their texture and composition make them unstable. In tailed here. addition, they often function as acquifer recharge areas. These characteristics make alluvial soils important to Precipitation & Other Water Sources protect from encroachment and among the least suitable The Pottstown Metropolitan Region receives an average soils for development. Figure 3-3 shows the locations of rainfall between 42 - 46 inches per year. (National the Region's alluvial soils and 100-year floodplain. Weather Service/National Climatic Data Center, Phoenixville) Water from precipitation follows many Hydric soils are periodically wet soils. Soils with major different routes after reaching the land surface. In hydric components are conservative indicators of general, direct runoff accounts for about 25 percent of the potential wetlands, but not all hydric soils support the total, evaporation and transpiration 50 percent, and the growth of wetland vegetation. Other soils may have remaining 25 percent replenishes the groundwater supply. hydric components in specific locations, such as The Region's water resources consist of all water stored depressions, drainage ways, and alluvial soils. The Re- on or in the ground plus the amounts added by gion's hydric soils are detailed in Figure 3-4. precipitation and stream inflow from adjacent areas minus the amounts lost by plant
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